Charred Broccoli Salad with Avocado, Grapefruit, and Ginger-Lime Dressing
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 29, 2025
Time
1 hour
Yield
4
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Tamarind juice concentrate is sometimes labeled tamarind concentrate; do not substitute tamarind juice, tamarind nectar, or tamarind paste. If you cannot find tamarind juice concentrate, omit it and increase the lime juice to ¼ cup. You will need a 12-inch skillet with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe.
Instructions
- Cut 1¼ pounds broccoli crowns into 4 wedges if 3 to 4 inches in diameter, or 6 wedges if 4 to 5 inches in diameter. Whisk 1 tablespoon tamarind juice concentrate, 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon grated lime zest plus 3 tablespoons juice, 1 stemmed and thinly sliced red Thai chile, and ½ teaspoon salt together in large bowl; set dressing aside.
- Set fine-mesh strainer over medium bowl and line a plate with paper towels. Cook 3 thinly sliced shallots and 6 tablespoons vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until shallot edges just begin to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain shallots through prepared strainer, reserving oil, and season with salt to taste. Transfer shallots to lined plate and set aside to drain and turn crisp.
- Wipe skillet clean with paper towels. Add reserved oil to skillet. Add broccoli crowns, cut side down (pieces will fit snugly; if a few pieces don’t fit in bottom layer, place on top) and drizzle with 2 tablespoons water. Cover and cook over medium-high heat, without moving broccoli, until it is bright green, about 4 minutes.
- Sprinkle broccoli with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and press gently into skillet with back of spatula. Cover and cook until undersides of broccoli are deeply charred and stems are crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Uncover and turn broccoli so second cut side is touching skillet. Move any pieces that were on top so that they are flush with skillet surface. Continue to cook, uncovered, pressing gently on broccoli with back of spatula, until second cut side is deeply browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer broccoli to bowl with dressing.
- Cut away peel and pith from 2 grapefruits. Quarter grapefruits, then slice crosswise into 1-inch-thick pieces. Add three-quarters grapefruit; 2 avocados, halved, pitted, and cut into 1-inch wedges; 1 cup Thai basil, cilantro, and/or mint leaves; and half of shallots to bowl with broccoli and toss gently to coat. Arrange broccoli mixture attractively on serving platter and top with 3 tablespoons chopped roasted salted peanuts, remaining grapefruit, remaining ½ cup herbs, and remaining shallots. Serve.
Time
1 hourYield
4Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
This charred broccoli salad is a stunner, and the combination of broccoli wedges and a pungent Thai-inspired dressing, plus chunks of avocado and grapefruit, make it all the more appealing. So how does the skillet figure into the equation? We use it to crisp up sliced shallots in a hefty amount of oil, first over high heat and then lower heat so they become brown and sweet instead of turning bitter; then we strain out the flavorful oil and let the shallots become even crispier as they drain on paper towels. Meanwhile, we return the reserved shallot oil to the skillet along with the broccoli wedges and a little water, cover the skillet, and let the broccoli steam and soften until the water evaporates. Now the broccoli is ready for charring, which simply involves pressing each side of the wedges flat against the skillet until beautifully smoky brown. With the cooking done, all that is left is to combine the broccoli with a zesty dressing of tamarind, lime, and ginger and add avocado, grapefruit, basil, and the crispy shallots. For a beautiful finishing touch, we top this colorful salad with chopped peanuts, plus more grapefruit, basil, and shallots.
Before You Begin
Tamarind juice concentrate is sometimes labeled tamarind concentrate; do not substitute tamarind juice, tamarind nectar, or tamarind paste. If you cannot find tamarind juice concentrate, omit it and increase the lime juice to ¼ cup. You will need a 12-inch skillet with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe.
Instructions
- Cut 1¼ pounds broccoli crowns into 4 wedges if 3 to 4 inches in diameter, or 6 wedges if 4 to 5 inches in diameter. Whisk 1 tablespoon tamarind juice concentrate, 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon grated lime zest plus 3 tablespoons juice, 1 stemmed and thinly sliced red Thai chile, and ½ teaspoon salt together in large bowl; set dressing aside.
- Set fine-mesh strainer over medium bowl and line a plate with paper towels. Cook 3 thinly sliced shallots and 6 tablespoons vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until shallot edges just begin to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain shallots through prepared strainer, reserving oil, and season with salt to taste. Transfer shallots to lined plate and set aside to drain and turn crisp.
- Wipe skillet clean with paper towels. Add reserved oil to skillet. Add broccoli crowns, cut side down (pieces will fit snugly; if a few pieces don’t fit in bottom layer, place on top) and drizzle with 2 tablespoons water. Cover and cook over medium-high heat, without moving broccoli, until it is bright green, about 4 minutes.
- Sprinkle broccoli with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and press gently into skillet with back of spatula. Cover and cook until undersides of broccoli are deeply charred and stems are crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Uncover and turn broccoli so second cut side is touching skillet. Move any pieces that were on top so that they are flush with skillet surface. Continue to cook, uncovered, pressing gently on broccoli with back of spatula, until second cut side is deeply browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer broccoli to bowl with dressing.
- Cut away peel and pith from 2 grapefruits. Quarter grapefruits, then slice crosswise into 1-inch-thick pieces. Add three-quarters grapefruit; 2 avocados, halved, pitted, and cut into 1-inch wedges; 1 cup Thai basil, cilantro, and/or mint leaves; and half of shallots to bowl with broccoli and toss gently to coat. Arrange broccoli mixture attractively on serving platter and top with 3 tablespoons chopped roasted salted peanuts, remaining grapefruit, remaining ½ cup herbs, and remaining shallots. Serve.
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