I am on a mission to learn to like broccoli.
And I’d say that I’m about 47% of the way there.
I spent a childhood pushing it around on my plate with a fork, pretending like those “little trees” were part of some enchanted forest that could come to life on my plate instead of in my stomach. But a few years ago, I discovered that I actually liked broccoli cheese soup (ok, really, who doesn’t?). And I have been using that recipe as my gateway into broccoli ever since.
I still would never just choose broccoli off a menu. But if it’s roasted, stir-fried, or souped up, I’m in. And this week, when I needed an extra side dish to go with my favorite slow cooker teriyaki chicken and rice, I discovered a new way that broccoli and I can be friends: with peanut sauce.
Oh my goodness. This might be the first time I have ever gone back for broccoli seconds.
Speaking of not liking your vegetables, one of my blogging friends is famous for not liking her veggies — Jessica from How Sweet Eats. Some of you may have read all about her in my post featuring her new cookbook. But if you are new to her blog, you will soon find out that Jessica is getting ready to welcome a How Sweet Baby into her world this fall! I can already envision the nursery now, decorated with her favorite sprinkles and neon and bacon (eh?) galore. :)
Seriously, though, it’s so fun to see friends walk into this new stage of life. And this sweet new baby will be lucky to have such a cool, talented, thoughtful, fun, and fiercely-original mama cheering them on.
So today, a group of talented food bloggers are throwing Jessica a surprise virtual baby shower, full of the “trashed up” recipes that she loves. And my contribution is this Asian Broccoli Salad.
If we must eat our broccoli — and word has it that we must — I’m pretty sure that this salad is the way to go. It is made with 6 simple ingredients, including an easy peanut sauce that is guaranteed to turn just about anything it touches into delicious gold.
PLUS, it can be made in about 15 minutes, or however long it takes your pot of water to boil.
Just chop up your broccoli, blanch it, and then toss it with edamame, peanuts, green onions, and a generous drizzle of peanut sauce.
And then — Jessica-style — top it with some “sprinkles”. In this case, sesame seeds. :)
The result is a simple salad that makes the perfect side dish. Or you can even add in some cooked chicken or beef or tofu to turn it into a main dish, and serve it over rice or quinoa. Easy peasy. Or more accurately, easy broccoli-y. ;)
Happy baby shower, Jess!
Asian Broccoli Salad with Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
Broccoli Salad Ingredients:
- 1 large head broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1 cup shelled cooked edamame
- 1/2 cup thinly-sliced green onions
- 1/2 cup peanuts
- 1 batch peanut sauce (recipe below)
- sesame seeds, for garnish
Peanut Sauce Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (if you are gluten-free, use GF soy sauce or tamari)
- 1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar
- 1/8 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1-2 tablespoons hot water, as needed to thin the sauce
Instructions
To Make The Broccoli Salad:
- Heat a large pot of water until it is boiling. Add in the broccoli florets and boil for 30 seconds. Use a mesh strainer to transfer them into a bowl of ice water, which will immediately halt the cooking process. Drain. Then add the remaining ingredients and toss until combined. Serve immediately, garnished with sesame seeds if desired.
To Make The Peanut Sauce:
- Whisk all ingredients together until combined. If the dressing is too thick, whisk in hot water a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the consistency you desire.
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!This post contains affiliate links.
This salad looks so yummy, thanks kindly♡
Thanks for making it Mary, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I have been making salads in mason jars for the week and always looking for new ideas. I just made this salad and divided it evenly into 6 jars (I give one to my boyfriend). Then layered in shaved Parmesan cheese and a mix of kale and spinach. I’m very excited to try these out!
Michelle, I love mason jar salads, what a great idea! I hope you and your boyfriend enjoyed these!
I just made this! I’m trying to cut back on eating so many carbs, and I actually just ate this for dinner and it’s delicious! I’m a broccoli fan so it wasn’t a huge stretch for me, but I get tired of it plain. I love peanut sauce, too. This was so easy, thanks for the great recipe! :)
Thank you Renee, I’m glad you gave it a try and that it worked out for you! Cheers!
I have a lonely head of broccoli sitting the fridge so I will make this salad for the coming week!
I love broccoli, so this one won’t be a stretch for me at all! Thanks for the recipe
I’d love to try this recipe. I’m trying to eat healthier. Does anyone know the nutritional values of this dish? Calories, fat, protein, etc?
Do you think this would be okay made a day in advance? Maybe keep sauce and salad separate in fridge until just before serving? I thought it would be fine and then noticed you do mention “serve immediately”…
Sure, I would recommend keeping the sauce and salad separate until serving.
Ok has anyone actually TRIED this yet?
Yes it’s delicious
My kids were anti-broccoli unless if was covered in cheese sauce. Then I discovered this trick – we do a steamed bag in the microwave. When it’s cooked, I squeeze done lemon juice on it, add a little butter and some seasoned salt and mix it all together. They love it!
Barely cooked the broccoli at all, more like splashed it with hot water until the color changed and then rinsed it to cool it down, also cooked it a day in advance.
The sauce was good but I added a chunk of fresh ginger and a splash of Sriracha & a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and it was delightful. I’ll definitely use this again and my future husband actually asked me for the recipe so he could save it for later! A big deal since he hates cooking!!
Hi there!
Do you think this would taste okay with slivered almonds & almond butter sauce instead of peanuts?
Sure thing! It’ll be a little different, but probably very good. :)