A plant – rich dish that incorporates a nutrient – dense vegetable in a tasty way.
Lets face it … we could all do with some creativity when it comes to incorporating more broccoli into our daily diet.
My family was pleasantly surprised when I introduced this green cruciferous vegetable in a unique way. They loved the dish; from the crunchy element of the raw vegetables to the creamy curry dressing. A definite winner!
It is packed with plant protein and fiber, making it a great vegetarian (and vegan) option for a quick lunch or enjoy it as a vegetable side dish for dinner. This easy recipe requires no cooking. Make it ahead of time and store in the fridge until use.
Recipe adapted from Ambition Kitchen
Serving size: Serves 5 – 6
Prep and Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
Salad
- 1 raw medium broccoli head (+ stalks), finely chopped or grated
- 3 – 4 medium carrots (200 g), grated (keep the peel)
- 1 x 400 g tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or 1.5 cups)
- 1/3 cup (60 g) pitted dates, finely chopped (or dried cranberries)
- 1/4 cup (40 g) toasted almonds, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh coriander, chopped (optional)
Dressing
- 3 Tbsp (45 mL) tahini
- Juice from 1/2 lemon, freshly squeezed
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) honey or syrup*
- 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
- 1 tsp (5 mL) ginger, freshly grated
- 2 tsp (10 mL) yellow curry powder
- 1 tsp (5 mL) ground turmeric
- 60 – 80 mL warm water, to thin dressing
- 3 – 4 Tbsp (45 – 60 mL) plain low fat yoghurt* (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
*To make it vegan: use syrup as the sweetener and omit the plain yoghurt or use a plant – based alternative.
Method:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the raw broccoli, grated carrot, chickpeas, chopped dates, almonds, and coriander. Set the salad ingredients aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk all the dressing ingredients together until well combined.
- Drizzle over the salad and toss to combine well.
- Serve immediately with a fresh squeeze of lemon or place in the fridge for later.
- Salad will keep well up to 5 days.
Dietitian’s Notes:
- Raw Broccoli: Broccoli is a member of the cruciferous vegetable family. Cruciferous vegetables contain components (such as sulphurophane and glucosinolates) that up-regulate detoxification processes in the body. These compounds are heat sensitive, so higher concentrations are found in raw broccoli vs. cooked. So it’s not a bad idea to incorporate broccoli raw into your diet to get some extra support for detoxification. Additionally, broccoli also provides us with a good source of Vitamin C and Vitamin K.
- Healthy plant fats: This salad incorporates heart healthy fats including almonds and tahini (sesame seed paste). It calls for no additional use of oils. As far as possible, try to include more WHOLE forms of plant fats (e.g. avocado, nuts and seeds and nut butters) as not only do you incorporate a healthy fat to your meal (keeping you fuller for longer) but also provides some additional fiber.
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