Broccoli Salad with Cherries and Pecans
By America's Test KitchenPublished on June 20, 2012
Time
55 minutes
Yield
Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish
Ingredients
Before You Begin
If you don’t own a salad spinner, lay the broccoli on a clean kitchen towel to dry in step 3. When prepping the broccoli, be sure keep the stems and florets separate. The salad may be made up to 6 hours in advance.
Instructions
- Heat oil in 10-inch skillet oven over medium heat until shimmering. Cook prosciutto until crispy, about 5 minutes, and transfer to paper towel-lined plate.
- Combine 4 cups water and 4 cups ice in large bowl. Bring 3 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Remove ½ cup boiling water and combine with cherries in small bowl; cover, let sit 5 minutes, and then drain.
- Meanwhile, add broccoli stalks to boiling water and cook 1 minute. Add florets and cook until slightly tender, about 1 minute. Drain broccoli and place in ice water to cool. Drain again, transfer to salad spinner, and spin to remove excess moisture.
- Whisk mayonnaise, vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in large bowl. Transfer broccoli, cherries, pecans, and shallot to bowl with mayonnaise mixture, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with prosciutto, and serve.
Time
55 minutesYield
Serves 4 to 6 as a side dishIngredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Most recipes for this salad leave the broccoli raw, but we found that cooking it briefly in boiling water improved both flavor and appearance. Adding the hardier stems to the cooking water before the florets levels the playing field, so both are tender at the same time. Drying the broccoli in a salad spinner gets rid of excess moisture, so the dressing—a tangy mayo-and-vinegar mixture—doesn’t get watered down. A few add-ins bring crunch and salty-sweet balance to this salad.
Before You Begin
If you don’t own a salad spinner, lay the broccoli on a clean kitchen towel to dry in step 3. When prepping the broccoli, be sure keep the stems and florets separate. The salad may be made up to 6 hours in advance.
Instructions
- Heat oil in 10-inch skillet oven over medium heat until shimmering. Cook prosciutto until crispy, about 5 minutes, and transfer to paper towel-lined plate.
- Combine 4 cups water and 4 cups ice in large bowl. Bring 3 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Remove ½ cup boiling water and combine with cherries in small bowl; cover, let sit 5 minutes, and then drain.
- Meanwhile, add broccoli stalks to boiling water and cook 1 minute. Add florets and cook until slightly tender, about 1 minute. Drain broccoli and place in ice water to cool. Drain again, transfer to salad spinner, and spin to remove excess moisture.
- Whisk mayonnaise, vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in large bowl. Transfer broccoli, cherries, pecans, and shallot to bowl with mayonnaise mixture, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with prosciutto, and serve.
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