Meave and I have had this a couple times … usually without including all the ingredients in the full recipe. Last time, we skipped the almonds, peas, and shallot, since we didn’t have those things. And we changed the canola oil to extra virgin olive oil. And we used a whole pound of soft tofu. And we steamed the broccoli instead of blanching it. And we ate it hot instead of chilled. The recipe is flexible.
I like serving this on top of a bed of plain brown rice. The salad itself is good hot or cold.
Ingredients
5 – 6 cups fresh broccoli florets (about 1 pound of florets)
½ cup toasted slivered almonds
¼ cup chopped red onion
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
4 oz. firm tofu, diced
Dressing
¼ cup canola oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 small shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
Serves 6.
Preparation
Bring a large pot of water, salted with a teaspoon of salt, to a boil. Add the broccoli florets. Cook 1 – 2 minutes, depending on how crunchy you want the broccoli. Drain the broccoli and immediately put into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Let cool and drain. Combine the broccoli florets, almonds, chopped onion, peas, and tofu in a large serving bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, canola oil, and honey. Add salt, pepper, shallots, garlic, and herbs. Add dressing to the salad and toss to mix well. (Optional: Chill thoroughly before serving.)