This broccolini salad is loaded with flavor! It combines the unique vegetables with mushrooms, parmesan and a flavorful vinaigrette.
If you’re a broccolini lover, hold on to your hats. Here’s the recipe for you! Get to know this epic Broccoli salad. It has these elegant, soft, delicate florets that look so much more sophisticated than regular old broccoli. Pair it with Baby Bella mushrooms, red onions and fresh dill punch and top it off with a savory vinaigrette. Wow that’s good! It is so unique and an absolute crowd puller. It’s based a bit on a salad we ate in Spain a few moons ago… and we’re really happy with it. Here’s what you need to know about this salad!
What is broccolini exactly?
Before we start, let’s talk about broccolini. It looks like a baby version of broccoli, but this vegetable isn’t quite. And it has a story that might surprise you! Here’s what you need to know about broccolini:
- Broccolini is a cross between broccoli and Chinese broccoli. It has both the long stalks of Chinese broccoli and the florets of broccoli, and has a milder flavor than broccoli.
- Broccolini was invented in 1993! wait what We would have guessed that it was an ingredient that Italian grandmothers cook with. No, he’s not even 20.
- How to find it: It’s not available in all grocery stores, but it’s getting easier to find. Look for small, long-stemmed broccoli florets.
More ways to prepare this vegetable? Try roasted broccolini or grilled broccolini.
Broccolini salad ingredients
This easy broccolini salad is more than the sum of its parts. It has few fresh ingredients and you can probably find the rest in your pantry. Here’s what you need:
- broccoli: 3 bundles to be exact. Bundles can vary in size but are usually quite small (about 8 ounces each)
- Red onion
- Baby Bella Mushrooms (aka Cremini): The mushrooms are raw in this salad, which provides a delicious textural contrast to the crispy broccolini
- fresh dill: You can substitute another herb like oregano in a pinch, but the dill adds just the right amount of flavor (or check out these other dill substitutes)
- parmesan cheese: can be omitted for vegans but adds a nice salty note
- white wine vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- maple syrup or sugar: Either works, use maple for a naturally sweet dressing
- olive oil and salt
Better fresh!
This healthy broccolini salad tastes best freshly prepared. However, you can store leftovers in the fridge. Unlike this broccoli salad, the flavors don’t intensify over time, they even fade a bit. So if you have leftovers, liven them up by adding a pinch of salt or a dash of white vinegar.
More great salads to combine
There’s nothing like some salads to whip up a summer salad dinner! We’ve served this broccolini salad with a selection of other salads using the best produce of the summer. If you’re making it a meal, we recommend incorporating a protein element with bean salad or black-eyed pea salad. Try some of these savory recipes:
- Classic lamb’s lettuce or grilled lamb’s lettuce with a crazy taste! Flavorful and creamy (and smoky if you grill it!), this salad is out of this world.
- Tortellini Salad Deliciously marinated and full of tangy flavors.
- Apple and celery salad Uniquely refreshing! Take these crunchy veggies to new heights with apples, parmesan, and a savory dressing.
- Tomato Basil Salad Ultra simple: ripe and juicy tomatoes marinated in balsamic vinegar and basil.
- Black-Eyed Pea Salad (or Texas Caviar) Loaded with fresh veggies and tossed with a savory dressing! Dipping Texas caviar with fries.
- Classic Bean Salad Very classic, full of vegetable proteins.
- Easy Carrot Salad This carrot salad is fresh and healthy, with a zesty dressing.
- Antipasti Salad Full of savory flavor with lots of crunchy vegetables, olives, artichokes, cheese and Italian herbs.
This Broccolini Salad Recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten free. For vegan, plant-based and dairy-free, omit the parmesan.
The description
This broccolini salad is loaded with flavor! It combines the unique vegetables with mushrooms, parmesan and a flavorful vinaigrette.
- 1 1/2 books or 3 bundled broccoli
- 1/4 small red onion, sliced
- 4 oz Baby Bella Mushrooms (aka Cremini)
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- ½ tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup or sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 large sprigs of fresh dill
- ¼ cup pieces of parmesan
- Lemon zest, optional
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the broccolini into florets and keep the stems long.
- When the water is boiling, add the broccolini and cook for 2 minutes. Use tongs to remove it from the water and place it in an ice bath for about a minute until it cools. Dry the bouquets.
- Meanwhile, thinly slice the red onion (you can rinse or soak in water to remove some of the sting and then shake dry). Cut the mushrooms into thin slices.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup or sugar, and kosher salt. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- In a large bowl, toss together the broccolini, red onion, raw mushrooms, sprigs of dill, parmesan shavings, and dressing. Garnish with lemon zest if you like. Serve immediately. The flavor is best fresh, but you can store leftovers in the fridge. (You may need to add a little salt or some white wine vinegar to bring out the flavors after chilling.)
- Category: salad
- Method: Raw
- Kitchen: American
- Diet: vegetarian
Keywords: Broccoli salad
More broccolini and broccoli recipes
Here’s another broccoli recipe, along with a few more broccoli recipes to take advantage of this healthy family of vegetables:
