Raw Broccoli Salad

I have to admit that I was never a big fan of raw broccoli.  Whenever raw veggies are offered at a party, I would always avoid the broccoli, and eat the carrots, celery or cucumbers.  It has a raw taste I just didn’t like. 

Broccoli is such a power house vegetable.  Rich in vitamins A and C.  It also contains a significant amount of calcium, fiber and other nutrients with anti-cancer properties.  This is a vegetable that one shouldn’t ignore.

I prefer to eat my veggies raw, and I wanted to include broccoli, so I needed to come up with a marinade that would break down the raw taste.  Inspired by a broccoli dish that Roxanne Klein, raw food chef extraordinaire, made for a retail line of food that I sourced ingredients for, I came up with this salad.

I made this with peanut butter and garnished it with roasted peanuts.  If you wanted a 100% raw dish, make it with raw almond butter and garnish it with chopped raw almonds.  I’ve made it both ways and it’s excellent.  I’ve also made it with raw tahini and garnished with with sesame seeds.  Also good.  I love this salad, so I make it a lot.

The important step in this recipe is letting it sit, dressed for 30 minutes to an hour.  That way the lemon juice can work on breaking down the fiber and the raw taste.

Raw Broccoli Salad

Serves 2 as a main dish - use organic ingredients whenever possible.

2 cups broccoli flowers (save the stems for a soup)

1 carrot, sliced into matchsticks

1 rib celery, sliced into matchsticks

1 tablespoon ginger, minced

Dressing:

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons soy sauce (unpasteurized Ohsawa Nama Shoyu is best)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (the best you can afford)

2 tablespoons agave 

Pinch of salt

2 tablespoons peanut butter (or raw almond butter or tahini)

roasted peanuts for garnish (garnish with corresponding nut or seed)

Mix the cut vegetables together in a bowl.  

In another bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together until well blended.

Pour the dressing over the salad and stir well.  

Allow to sit covered, in your fridge, for 30-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Garnish with roasted peanuts and serve.