Sunday, May 22, 2011

Fresh Broccoli Salad with Tomatoes, Black Olives and Feta Cheese



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This salad adds lovely color to a Mediterranean-style meal. I served it this evening with lamb kabobs and Greek-style lemon potatoes. The table was a riot of color and the only hue missing was the blue of the Aegean Sea. This is one of the few salads that I prepare year round. The ingredients, while not always local, are readily available and relatively inexpensive. Making the salad ahead of time eases the strain of dinner service, while still guaranteeing that everyone gets a vegetable with their meal. I know that many cooks like to serve this type of salad raw. I understand their rationale, but I prefer the color and crisp-tender bite of perfectly blanched vegetables in salads such as these. This one appeals to me because it is dressed simply with oil and vinegar. While the recipe calls for amply coating the broccoli, I just nap mine and use only enough dressing to flavor the salad. You can prepare the salad several hours before you plan to serve it, but if it sits too long or you use too much dressing it will get goopy. I actually dress mine just before it is served. I have only one caution regarding the preparation of this lovely salad. Keep your broccoli florets bite-size, so folks don't have to use knives on their salads. Many of you do not stock Greek seasoning in your spice cabinets. I know I don't. I've included instructions for making the spice blend in the note at the end of the recipe. If you don't want to bother with it, simply use a bit of oregano or marjoram and everything will be fine. I do hope you'll try this. Here's the recipe.

Fresh Broccoli Salad with Tomatoes, Black Olives and Feta Cheese...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 cups blanched fresh broccoli florets
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
3/4 to 1 cup thinly sliced or coarsely chopped scallions (white and tender green)
1/2 to 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, drained
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive, or commercial Greek-style salad dressing
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Greek Seasoning as desired (see note below)
Crisp leaf or Boston lettuce for garnish
Freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese as desired for garnish (optional)

Directions:
1) To blanch broccoli: Drop into boiling salted water and cook for 2 minutes over high heat, or, microwave broccoli in water to cover in a glass heat-proof bowl at HIGH power for 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately rinse broccoli under cold running water to stop cooking action. Drain well and pat dry.
2) Combine blanched broccoli, garlic, tomatoes, green onion, olives, and feta cheese in a deep medium bowl. Add enough vinegar and olive oil or commercial dressing to moisten broccoli mixture well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add Greek seasoning if using. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
3) To serve, line 4 to 6 salad plates with crisp lettuce leaves, or, line a large salad bowl with lettuce leaves. Spoon broccoli mixture onto each salad plate, or into large salad bowl. Garnish each individual salad or large salad bowl with a sprinkle of grated cheeese if desired. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Note: To make Greek seasoning, combine the following ingredients and store in an air-tight container for up to 6 months : 1 -1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried mint, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram, 1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion, 1/4 teaspoon dried minced garlic








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67 comments :

Unknown said...

oww,, so deliciOus,, need to tastE it..

love it..

visit me,,

Anonymous said...

This looks so bright and fresh - fantastic! Really looking forward to trying your green bean recipe too.

Faith said...

I just love thoses flavor combinations! I am always happy to hear new salad recipes, because they are quick and filling! BTw, we stopped at both thistledown and also the grateful harvest after lone pine! :)

Diane said...

I have never put broccoli in a salad, thanks for the tip. This looks delicious. Take care Diane

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful fresh salad. I love new ideas for using broccoli.
:-) Mandy

Anonymous said...

I love the simplicity of a delicious salad like this. And thanks forv posting the Greek seasoning recipe!

Nammi said...

wow, love the bright colours!!

Jeannie said...

Sounds like something I would definitely enjoy!

Silvia said...

Soy incapaz de decir que no a una ensalada y más cuando viene con colores y con ingredientes tan bonitos y ricos como la que hoy nos traes.
Espectacular.

Besos.

What's Baking?? said...

My daughter loves broccoli..i can try this. i'm sure she'll love it.

Alessandra said...

This salad is just my kind of dish, and a perfect lunch!
Wonderful :-).

Ciao
Alessandra

Anonymous said...

I love your salad! And I totally agree that you should cook the veggies a little bit! Growing up my grandmother always steamed veggies and through them over spinach with red beans and a boiled egg.Its something that Ive been eating for lunch every day this week! Its perfectly filling and sooooo good for you!

T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types said...

Don't those colors just pop? I can already taste the jolt of black olives and feta!

Umm Mymoonah said...

That Greek seasoning is just perfect for this fresh greeny salad

penny aka jeroxie said...

What a lovely and light salad dish. :)

Clint said...

I actually like broccoli. Raw, steamed, whatever. This looks wonderful.

Jo said...

This sounds wonderful! I'm hosting a garden party in a few weeks and this would be a perfect addition to my menu.

Jo

The Harried Cook said...

I love the colors in that salad. And I love broccoli. And I LOVE feta. I love... I guess I should just say I love everything about that salad... :) I agree about what you said about raw vs. blanched veggies in this sort of salad. I prefer it this way too! Thank you for sharing :)

Kim said...

This is the kind of salad that I'm happy to eat all summer long!

Linda Starr said...

Olives and feta I love, salad time is coming up real soon here as it is heating up quite a bit now.

Anonymous said...

Oh Mary, what wonderful flavors and SO refreshing and healthy - I think I'm going to cook this for dinner - I'm going to print off the recipe now! thanks so much
Mary x

Tasha said...

Broccoli just doesn't find its way into salads often enough in my house. This one certainly sounds wonderful.

Carol @ There's Always Thyme to Cook said...

This looks so good, so bright and fresh! I would love it!

Unknown said...

Thank you for leaving your kind comments on my blog. I love this recipe, and have all the ingredients in my kitchen that I might just make this salad for lunch tomorrow!

Elaine said...

I prefer my broccoli blanched as well. This looks like a perfect salad!

Anna said...

oh my goodness! thank you so much for even visiting my little blog. yours is incredible. so glad to know about it! would you mind telling me how your red onion jam differs? i'd love to know :D

Anonymous said...

what an exceptionally fresh looking,healthy salad. I totally love the myriad of colours in here!

Pondside said...

That looks delicious. I was invited to lunch on Friday - salmon Wellington and three salads, one of which was broccoli. I love the Greek twist and can see that this would work well all summer, as I would have most ingredients on hand.

Lenia said...

I love everything about this salad,Mary!So fresh, greek and tasty!Kisses from the Ionian Sea!

Banana Wonder said...

Love your twist on the Greek salad! I never thought about using broccoli but it totally makes sense as its a hardly vegetable like other components of Greek salads.

Carla and Michael said...

Great idea for my leftove fresh broccoli florets from a "spinoccoli pizza" the hubby made a couple of days ago. Perfect side for tonights mussels.
Thanks.

Priya Suresh said...

Can have this wonderful,green and fabulous salad..

dr.antony said...

Thanks for this one.Everything is available here in plenty.Broccoli is grown locally and we have a dozen varieties of Olives available.This is going to be my regular salad!

Joanne said...

What a perfectly refreshing salad! I love the mediterranean flavors...now if only we could get the aegean sea blue in there somehow...

lena said...

this is a delighting one and the greek seasoning sounds good! thanks for another great salad recipe!

Shelley said...

Beautiful shot of that lovely salad. If it tasted half as good as it looks, it was surely delicious!

From the Kitchen said...

I can tell by looking and reading the recipe that this will soon be a favorite at our house. I have a few broccoli salads/dishes that I can do ahead and know they will be deliciously attractive. Yours has a few added levels of tastiness!

Best,
Bonnie

Torviewtoronto said...

delicious looking colourful salad

A Bitchin' Kitchen said...

This looks so fresh and delicious!

- Maggie

Unknown said...

you know, I was this close to getting broccoli today but passed it up. too bad, this does look really simple and nice.

Rita said...

Great combination of ingredients and a totla new way of serving broccoli salad.

mia maria said...

Very colorful combination! A refreshing idea for the summer!

Cooking Creation said...

So pretty! I'm excited to try the Greek seasoning! Thanks for sharing :)

Jayanthy Kumaran said...

I love the color of your dish...looks fabulous...
Tasty Appetite
Event: Letz Relishh Ice Creams

Foodiewife said...

Salads are the one dish I don't spend enough time creating. I always have these ingredients on hand. The colors are beautiful. Thanks for the inspiration!

That Girl said...

I don't usually serve broccoli with Mediterranean meals, but with feta tomato and olives it fits right in!

Anonymous said...

Love the Mediterranean flavors, broccoli is one of my fav veggies :)

teresa said...

oooh, i love broccoli salad, but i've never made it like this. if i had feta, i'd make it now!

sweetlife said...

a wonderful plate for a light lunch of alonsgside a piece of fish!


sweetlife

Ben said...

This is just lovely, Mary. And I especially like it because so many recipes we see neglect the side dishes that accompany main dishes, and yet that are often one of the greatest factors in whether or not the meal as a whole was successful. Thank you!

Ben
http://kissthecook-ben.blogspot.com

Simply Life said...

oh what a delicious salad!

Rosita Vargas said...

una ensalada que yo adoro,refrescante y saludable,luce fantástica,carsiños y abrazos.

nancy@skinnykitchen.com said...

I love the sound of this salad. It looks soo refreshing and healthy too!

Catherine said...

Dear Mary,

This is such a wonderful salad or side dish to compliment any meal. I know that this is something I would dig into, along with a nice piece of bread to dip in the dressing. Blessings, Catherine xoxo

Jenn @ Youknow...that Blog? said...

Yummm!! And the colours are just gorgeous.

linksdistodaquilo said...

Beautiful salad! Kissy.

Maris (In Good Taste) said...

3 of my favorite foods-broccoli, olives & feta all together equals bliss!

Liz That Skinny Chick Can Bake said...

How beautiful and delicious! I just discovered French feta and want to add it to everything I eat! You've given me another wonderful option. Hope you've had a lovely weekend, Mary~

Elisabeth said...

Your broccoli salad looks so vivid and colorful, bursting with fresh, crunchy flavor, and the delicious dressing.
Thanks for the tip on the Greek spice mix. Great stuff:D

SuzyEats said...

love mediterranean meals :-)

Ryan said...

This looks so beautiful and vibrant! I can just taste the crunchy vegetables and the feta! I always feel I struggle in the salad department and love that you have so many beautiful salads on your site. Its a treasure trove!

Chelsea said...

This salad looks DELICIOUS! I've been trying to incorporate more vegetables into my diet and this looks like an awesome way to do so :)

Jenna Lee said...

Oh I love this salad! I'm a huge fan of black olives, broccoli and tomatoes! Yummm

Karen said...

Wonderful salad! Great flavors. I love cooking with broccoli, it's so versatile.

Buttercup said...

What a wonderful combination of flavors. This I could make! I love broccoli and black olives.

Chaya said...

I am eating salad after salad, these days, and they are a delight. As a result, I am on the lookout for new combinations. This one is a delight to the eye as well as to the tummy, I am sure.

Twin Tables said...

Hi Mary! This sound delish as usual. I have never thought to have broccoli with tomatoes and feta. I just had to come to your blog today because I read this article that reminded me of you. It is all about getting that one perfect bite. I thought you might enjoy it! Cheers! http://1000awesomethings.com/2011/05/23/239-that-bite-with-all-the-toppings-in-it/

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