Sunday afternoons at my house are for cooking. And maybe a little Pandora listening and a short glass of vino. I like to listen to Van Morrison while I chop vegetables. This Sunday, I figured if I chopped up veggies and then tossed them with a tasty homemade dressing, they would only get better as they sat. And they did.
I had a lot of forgotten broccoli to use up, red onion, grated cheddar, and a random bag of dried cranberries and sunflower seeds. For the dressing, I had apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey mustard, garlic, and honey. The best part is that I already had all of these things at home, and there was no need to pick up ingredients from the store. And it didn’t even matter that the broccoli was somewhat rubbery.
I consider myself a bit of a salad dressing connoisseur — or maybe a mad scientist who focuses on experimenting with salad dressing ingredients in a beaker. I’ve made so many dressings that I pretty much know what I like. A quarter-cup of olive oil, 4 tablespoons of some type of vinegar or lemon juice or lime juice. And one hefty garlic clove crushed in my garlic press. I add either honey or maple syrup, and whisk away. This time, though, I thought to myself that I’ve never really liked broccoli salad without mayo. Here lies the genius: I’m supposed to be watching my diet, so instead of mayonnaise, I used three tablespoons of Greek yogurt. I whisked it all together, and it made maybe my best dressing yet. Creamy and garlicky. I do think this works best with raw veggies, and maybe not lettuce. You could also mix veggies and cooked rice together with this dressing to make a more hearty salad, one that you’d be wise to pack in your lunch.
My advice is to take a variety of available veggies and chop the heck out of them and then toss it all with this dressing I made up:
¼ cup olive oil
4 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. mustard (Dijon or honey mustard work well)
1 tsp. good honey
1 clove garlic, crushed in the press
3 Tbsp. Greek yogurt
Whisk everything together and use it with just about any chopped veggie. Warm or cold. You’re welcome.
