Broccoli Slaw

The first time I tried broccoli slaw was in Virginia last July when my cousin La made it for dinner. I never thought I would enjoy eating raw broccoli but I did.

In the USA making broccoli slaw took no more 5 minutes. You simply buy a bag of pre-washed broccoli slaw and a jar of coleslaw dressing and mix it all together.

In Manila there was no such thing as packaged broccoli slaw. The only packaged veggies we had were arugula mix or Caesar salad mix. I wanted to serve it for my birthday dinner last September so I had to do it the hard way.

This is how big the broccoli in Manila gets. Really puny compared to the huge broccoli heads in the USA.

Broccoli slaw is made from the stalk which we don’t normally use. Slice off the tough outer layer carefully.

I used the grater blade of my food processor to shred the stalk and florets. If you don’t have a food processor you can use a mandoline or a hand held grater with the biggest holes to grate the broccoli stalks. Or you can simply chop it.

The packaged broccoli slaw didn’t include florets but I decided to add it for more texture and crunch. I also threw in a couple of carrots for color.

I added dried cranberries, dried mangoes, dried figs and toasted sliced almonds. You don’t have to add any of these but I can assure you it tastes better with it. You can use any nuts or fruits you want. You can even add a grated apple.

I placed the bowl of dry ingredients and the container of dressing in the refrigerator separately. I poured the cold dressing into the slaw mixture an hour before it was to be served for the dressing to be absorbed by the slaw and the broccoli will remain crisp.

It was the first time for all my guests to try broccoli slaw and they loved it. Try this recipe for yourself. You will not regret the hard work.

Feel free to adjust the quantity of each ingredient to your liking.

Broccoli Slaw (adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s recipe)
makes 6 cups

5 small heads broccoli (2 big heads)
2 carrots
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup dried mangoes
1/4 cup dried figs
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted on a dry pan til lightly browned

Wash broccoli well and drain to dry. Remove the tough outer layer of the stalk. Separate the florets into smaller pieces. Cut the broccoli stalk and florets into smaller pieces and shred in a food processor with the grater disk attached. In a large bowl, combine the shredded broccoli, carrots, dried fruits, red onion, and almonds.

Prepare the buttermilk dressing. Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt or pepper, if needed. Allow to sit for 30 minutes to an hour so the flavors can blend.

Options:
You can also add grated apples, celery, toasted walnuts, raisins for another variation. 
Pineapple tidbits, grape halves, mango cubes or orange segments should be good too.

Buttermilk Dressing
1 cup buttermilk (add 1 tablespoon of lemon or vinegar to 1 cup of fresh milk and shake well, the mixture will thicken)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all the ingredients in bowl or large measuring cup. Add salt and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the broccoli and toss it well.