I get asked a lot of questions about healthy food. Things like how to eat well on a budget, or how to avoid certain ingredients in packaged foods. The most common thing people want to know, though, is how to make health food taste good. There’s a perception that nutritious foods are tasteless, and that one would only choose said foods as a last resort or as part of a strict diet regimen. I’d like to think that recipes like this, this, and this speak for themselves, but to be clear: my passion for healthy eating is equalled by my love for delicious food. So, yes, I’d say you can eat well and be completely and totally satisfied in life.

Exhibit A: Mediterranean Broccoli Salad. Salty feta, sweet sundried tomatoes, briney Kalamata olives, slightly spicy red onion, tangy lemon-Dijon vinaigrette. Say no more; I’m already in love! Add in loads of thinly sliced raw broccoli and you’ve got a crunchy, plant powered salad that can work as a main or a side dish. The bright, fresh flavors in this salad are particularly satisfying after a long winter, and are always welcome at spring potlucks and picnics.

This broccoli salad could easily become vegan if you leave out the feta, and could please the meat-eaters in your life if you tossed in some leftover grilled chicken. I’d gladly eat a big portion as my meal, but it would be equally delicious as a side with burgers, salmon, or roasted chicken and potatoes. You could even make a batch of my Whole Wheat Pizza Dough and have broccoli salad as a side with your Friday night pizza this week!

If you’ve been struggling to find balance in your diet, this Mediterranean-inspired salad is a great place to start. Broccoli is a humble, underrated superfood that brings protein (yes! In a vegetable! I know!), fiber, vitamin D, and a long list of other vitamins, minerals, and detoxifying substances to your body. Broccoli salad may be grade A certified health food, but it’s also a crowd pleaser that I think you and your family could fall in love with this spring. If you make it, leave me a comment below to tell me what you think! You can also tag me on Instagram with #bakedgreens so I can see all your gorgeous broccoli salads.

Mediterranean Broccoli Salad

Chelsea Colbath

A simple, satisfying broccoli salad that's filled with Mediterranean flavors.

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Time 10

Servings 4

Ingredients

Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

Juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 + Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon each of salt pepper, and oregano
1 clove garlic grated on the microplane used to zest the lemon
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup olive oil

Broccoli Salad

3 bunches broccoli stems and flourettes thinly sliced
1/2 a red onion thinly sliced
1/4 cup Kalamata olives quartered
1/2 cup sliced sundried tomatoes
1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled or sliced into small cubes
1/4 cup basil thinly sliced

Instructions

Vinaigrette

1. Zest and juice a lemon into a measure cup. Then, add vinegar to make 1/4 cup total in the measuring cup. For me this was about 2 Tablespoons of vinegar.
2. Add all other ingredients, except olive oil, and whisk to combine. Then, add in oil and whisk again to fully incorporate the oil into the dressing. Set aside.

Salad

1. Place all ingredients into a large serving bowl except feta.
2. Pour dressing over vegetables, and stir well to combine. Then, add in feta cheese and stir gently (so feta isn't completely dissolved by the mixing process).
3. Salad can be eaten immediately, or stored in th fridge for up to 5 days. The longer it sits in the fridge, the more of the lemon-Dijon dressing is absorbed into the broccoli. By day 3 the salad isn't quite as crunchy, but is still completely delicious.

Crunch, crunch, crunch.

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