Growing up, I was never a fan of broccoli. Maybe because my mom would make me eat bowls of it before I could have a couple pieces of her famous pork belly. Or maybe it was that time in 1st grade when I brought some broccoli stir fry for lunch and some kid told me it smelled like farts. Broccoli and I have had a tumultuous relationship for awhile there until I realized, Joy, calm down, it's just a vegetable dude.
Plus, how are you going to hate on a vegetable that has cancer-fighting compounds? And it's full of fiber and vitamin C. When you cook broccoli for this recipe, make sure you blanch it. Meaning, cook for a 2-3 minutes in boiling water and plunge it in an ice water bath. This helps retain color and crunch, or else you're going to end up with that depressing, yellow, mushy broccoli and your salad is going to look like a big pile of… you get the idea.
Need some help prepping your broccoli? Check out our video on our YouTube Channel for some pretty awesome broccoli tips, including how to prep the stalks. That's right. Don't throw them away, they really add a nice crunch to your salad!
This recipe has a slight, spicy kick and is a tasty side that works well for lunch or dinner or as a quick after workout snack. It only takes a few minutes to throw together and stores well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You can grab the recipe for our sweet and sour sauce from our video below.
SWEET AND SOUR BROCCOLI SALAD
- about ½ cup of sweet and sour sauce
- 3 small stalks of broccoli, cleaned, cut into small florets and blanched
- 1 TB of sesame oil,
- black sesame seeds,
- a handful of roasted cashews,
- and 2 stalks of sliced green scallions.
Spoon out 1/4 a cup of sweet and sour sauce in a large glass bowl. Next add the broccoli and mix. Make sure the florets are evenly coated with the sauce. Drizzle with a tablespoon of sesame oil and mix. Toss in your preferred amount of sesame seeds and a little bit more sweet and sour sauce if desired. Throw in a handful of roasted cashews and mix. Finish with some scallions and give it one last stir.
Plate on a large plate or in a glass container and drizzle additional sauce if needed. This makes about 3 ½ cups and leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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