Don’t throw away your broccoli stalks! They’re sweet and tender and awesome with cabbage, carrots and a tangy cranberry orange dressing for this delicious coleslaw.
Have you ever eaten broccoli salad? Years ago I made a stupendous discovery (virtually every cooking discovery was a revelation to me then and now).
Broccoli stalks, which I usually cut off and throw away when making broccoli florets, were absolutely delicious raw.
But the stalks? All you have to do is cut off the tough, outer shell. Slice open the peeled stems and they are wonderfully cool and crispy. Like carrots or celery, great for dipping.
Or in this case, a broccoli slaw.
How to use broccoli stalks for coleslaw
Broccoli stalks taste a bit like cabbage, which is not surprising considering they both belong to the brassica family. So the shredded stalks naturally go well in a coleslaw, especially when tossed with shredded cabbage and carrots.
Someone at the grocery store headquarters must have figured that out, too, because these days it’s pretty easy to find pre-shredded “broccoli and slaw” mixes in the bagged salad aisle. Although it’s easy enough to grate your own, just like carrots – you peel and grate.
What’s in the dressing for broccoli slaw?
The dressing is wonderfully tangy and slightly sweet with dried cranberries, balsamic vinegar, honey, orange juice and orange peel. The coleslaw goes perfectly with pulled pork or seafood.
The following recipe scales up easily if you’re feeding a crowd.
Make-ahead and storage instructions
You can make the dressing and dry salad ingredients for this coleslaw about a day ahead, just keep it in the fridge. Wait to toss them together until you’re ready to serve.
Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for a few days, but remember that the cabbage will wilt after a few days.
More coleslaw recipes to fall in love with
- traditional coleslaw
- Coleslaw without mayo
- asian coleslaw
- Coleslaw and kale salad with cumin ranch dressing
- Fennel coleslaw with mint vinaigrette
Broccoli Slaw with Cranberry Orange Dressing
ingredients
For the dressing (makes about 1 cup):
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2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
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2 tablespoon dried sweetened cranberriesSoak in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes, then drain
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1 teaspoon Wholemeal mustard
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2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
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1 tablespoon honey
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1 small clove garlic
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1 tablespoon orange juice
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1 teaspoon Orange peel
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1/2 teaspoon kosher saltmore to taste
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1/4 Cup plus 2 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
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1/4 Cup mayonnaise
For the salad:
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above 6 stems broccoli (about 4 cups grated; can substitute for pre-shredded packaged broccoli)
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2 cups carrotsgrated (from 4 to 6 carrots)
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2 cups cabbagegrated (Chinese cabbage, green or red cabbage)
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1 Cup green onionsthinly sliced
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1/2 Cup sweetened dried cranberriesroughly chopped
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1 teaspoon Orange peelgrated
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1/2 teaspoon (or more to taste) kosher salt
method
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Prepare broccoli:
If using fresh broccoli stalks, cut them away from the broccoli crowns. Peel the tough outer layer with a vegetable peeler. Use either the grater blade of a food processor or the large holes of a box grater to grate the broccoli stalks. You should have about 4 cups of shredded broccoli.
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Make the dressing:
In a blender or mini food processor, combine the balsamic and red wine vinegars, dried cranberries, mustard, honey, garlic, orange juice, orange zest, and salt and puree until smooth.
Slowly add the olive oil while pulsing or mixing to form a good emulsion. Then add the mayonnaise and pulse until combined.
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Assemble the salad:
In a bowl, combine the grated broccoli stalks, carrots, cabbage, onion, dried cranberries, orange zest, and kosher salt.
Add the dressing and mix everything until the dressing is evenly distributed.
You can prepare this several hours before serving. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 264 | calories |
| 16g | Fat |
| 29g | carbohydrates |
| 5g | protein |
