Serves 4 as a main.
A great source of vitamins C and K as well as fibre, potassium and folic acid, this winter vegetable makes a wonderful side dish but it can be a meal in its own right, if accompanied with other flavourings and textures as in this salad which can be eaten hot or cold.
The umami flavour of anchovies and black olive tapenade, the crunch of the crumb (to which any number of nuts or seeds can be added), the smokiness of the peppers, the creaminess and acidity of the yogurt dressing, all make perfect partners to the sweet and earthy flavour of broccoli.
Here I used left over ingredients to make a meal that felt healthy and light but still delicious after the excess eating over Christmas.
Ingredients
- 2 broccoli heads, 450-500g
- 2 Odysea flame roasted peppers in oil, drained and sliced thinly
- A handful of anchovies in oil, drained
- A few dots of black olive tapenade*
- 150g Greek yogurt
- 75ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp white wine vinega
- 2 tbsp water
- Juice and zest of half a lemon
- A pinch of smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the crumb
- 1 thick slice of bread
- A few hazelnuts, crushed
- A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp of finely chopped rosemary
- 1 tsp of garlic granules
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Start by making the crumb.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4
- Remove the crust from the bread and pulse in a small food processor 2-3 times to break up. In a bowl, mix with the rosemary, nuts, seeds if you are using, season and drizzle with a little olive oil. Toss with your fingers to coat fully and spread on a lined baking tray. Bake for 10 minutes till golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. If not using straight away, keep in an airtight container.
- Separate the broccoli florets, wash and drain. Cook in a steamer for a few minutes testing that the broccoli is still crunchy.
- In a small bowl, mix the yogurt with the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, vinegar, salt and pepper. Thin with a little water to drizzle and mix into the salad easily.
- Arrange the broccoli on a shallow platter, scatter the red pepper and anchovies over it and dot with the black olive tapenade. Finish by drizzling the yogurt dressing and sprinkling with the smoked paprika. Top with the crumb and serve.*You can buy it in jars but you can also easily make a simple tapenade by blitzing some stoned black olives with a few drained capers, a squeeze of lemon juice and a dash of olive oil.