Broccoli, date and pistachio salad
Broccoli, date and pistachio salad
Spurred by date possibilities, I started envisioning a broccoli and date salad. Similar to this beloved broccoli salad which I developed for NYT Cooking a few years ago, I use chopped up broccoli, but unlike that salad, where the broccoli is raw, I decided to give then a quick toss in a skillet, just to take off the raw edge and coax out a little more flavour.
I contemplated a tahini dressing, but ended up opting for a ras el hanout spiced vinaigrette (you can use other spices, see recipe below). There is not one definitive recipe for ras el hanout - each family will have their own blend - but common spices are cumin, cardamom, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, coriander, peppercorns and more. It’s a heady spice, intense and warming, and pairs particularly well with syrupy dates.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 600g (21 ounces) broccoli
- extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt and black pepper
- 1 x 425g tin cannellini beans or chickpeas, drained (drained weight 250g)
- 1/3 cup (80g) toasted pistachios or almonds, roughly chopped
- 12 regular dates or 6 medjool dates, pitted and torn
- handful chopped coriander/cilantro leaves
- handful mint leaves
Spiced vinaigrette
- 2 teaspoon ras el hanout, baharat or curry powder (or a single spice like ground cumin, coriander, turmeric)
- 2 tablespoons white wine or champagne vinegar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small shallot (eschalot), thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red chilli/pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
In a bowl, combine the as el hanout, baharat or curry powder, vinegar, olive oil, shallot, garlic, maple syrup, red chilli/pepper flakes and salt. Stir to combine. Set aside to allow the shallots to soften.
Finely chop the broccoli flowers. Remove the woody exterior of the stalk and then finely chop it and add to the rest of the broccoli.
Heat a large frying pan (skillet) on medium high for 2 minutes. When hot, drizzle with olive oil and add the broccoli, season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and lots of black pepper and toss for 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
To the broccoli, add the beans or chickpeas, pistachio, and dates. Add the dressing and toss to evenly distribute. Add the herbs, season with salt and black pepper and toss again.
Storage: The salad can be prepped ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.