Amish-Style Broccoli Salad
Broccoli salad is a fixture of the American potluck table, and the standard recipe is raw broccoli bound in mayonnaise, sugar, and usually bacon. Strip those out and what remains is genuinely good: crisp raw broccoli, sharp red onion, sweet raisins, and toasted seeds for crunch. The dressing does the reconciling, and plain plant yogurt sharpened with cider vinegar and mustard stands in for the mayo, while a couple of blended dates replace the sugar. Do not skip the broccoli stems; peeled, they are the sweetest part. Plump the raisins so they stay juicy, toast the seeds so they stay crisp, and dress it ahead so the broccoli has time to soften and soak up the tang. Bring it to a cookout and nobody will miss the mayonnaise.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb Broccoli, florets and peeled stems, chopped small
- 1/2 whole Red onions, finely diced
- 1/3 cup Raisins
- 3 tbsp Sunflower seeds, toasted
- 1/2 cup Plain plant yogurt
- 2 wholes Medjool dates, pitted
- 2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
Method
- Chop the broccoli small, stems and all: peel the tough outer stem and it eats as sweet and crisp as the florets, so there is no reason to throw away half the vegetable. Small pieces take on more dressing and are easier to eat raw.
- Cover the raisins with hot water for 5 minutes, then drain. Plumping them keeps them from stealing moisture out of the dressing and turns them soft and juicy against the crunch of the raw broccoli.
- Blend the dates with the yogurt, vinegar, and mustard into a smooth dressing. This picnic salad is usually bound with mayonnaise and a good deal of sugar; plant yogurt gives the same tang and cling, and the dates supply the sweetness the dressing needs to balance the raw onion.
- Toss everything with the dressing and the toasted sunflower seeds, then let it sit at least 15 minutes before serving. The rest softens the broccoli slightly and lets it drink in the dressing, which is why this salad is always better made ahead.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 150 calories, 6 g protein, 5 g fiber, 70 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
