Broccoli Salad Reimagined

By Nancy Eisman
Up until recently, I’d never even eaten, let alone prepared, a broccoli salad, the perennial star of nearly every potluck in America. I know, hard to believe, especially considering that salads are a major part of my plant-based eating style, and I was even nicknamed the queen of salads by some of my food blogger friends.

Well, one day, I was in the supermarket and saw a platter of broccoli salad in the prepared foods case, and my life was forever changed. I went straight home and created my version of the potluck staple. It included broccoli, cabbage, apples, carrots, grapes, green onions, golden raisins and roasted peanuts, naturally with not a cheese shred or bacon bit in sight. To say this salad was yummy actually goes without saying, so much so that it is now a regular feature in my salad rotation.

Since my broccoli salad epiphany, I’ve recently taken this obsession to another level, which brings me to this month’s sensational Spring/Summer salad recipe. Instead of broccoli, the headliner for this dish is two of broccoli’s cruciferous cousins, cauliflower and Romanesco. We’re punching up the color with vibrant purple cauliflower broken into bite-size florets. Not to be outdone, the other-worldly appearance of the Romanesco’s bright green, symmetrical spirals contrasts nicely with its down-to-earth, familiar flavor profile.

The purple cauliflower and green Romanesco are combined with Asian pears, red Muscato™ grapes, bright orange baby carrots, green onions, dried Rainier cherries, and toasted pepitas in a creamy, rich mayo-based dressing. A splash of vinegar, a small pinch of salt, a whole lot of freshly ground black pepper, and a shower of lemon zest bring the dressing and salad together beautifully. (And I promise that all of you broccoli salad aficionados out there won’t miss the cheese, bacon, or the broccoli.)

Broccoli Salad Reimagined
Ingredients
2 cups purple cauliflower florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups Romanesco florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups Asian pears, cubed
2 cups red Muscato™ grapes, halved
¾ cup green onions, diced
1 cup baby carrots, diced
1 package dried Rainier cherries, diced
¾ cup pepitas, toasted
1 1/4 cups plant-based mayo
1 1/4 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons lemon zest
Salt, 2 pinches
Fresh ground black pepper

Preparation
In a small bowl, combine the mayo, vinegar, a pinch of salt, and some fresh ground black pepper, and whisk until combined. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the cauliflower, Romanesco, Asian pears, grapes, green onions, carrots, dried Rainier cherries and toasted pepitas. Toss until well mixed. Pour in the dressing and toss again until all the ingredients are coated. Sprinkle in the lemon zest, another pinch of salt if needed, and more black pepper and toss again.
Because this salad is just made for flavor melding, leave it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving. If you have the patience to leave it in overnight, this salad tastes even better on day two.