Why eat cold broccoli?
Cold seasoned broccolini salad might sound a bit unappetizing when you first hear it, trust me, I felt the same way. But after trying it at Kemuri Tatsu-ya in Austin with this tasty sesame sauce, I completely flipped my stance. In the past, I’ve had cold broccolini salads that featured raw broccolini, but this cooked cold version is much easier to eat.
The sesame seasoning /dressing
After I tried the cold seasoned broccolini at Kemuri Tatsu-ya in Austin, I fell in love with their yogurt cashew dare seasoning / dressing so much that I knew I needed to make a similar recipe at home. Dare (or goma dare) is a Japanese sesame sauce made of nerigoma (or tahini), soy sauce, mirin, and miso, among other ingredients. This sauce is typically used for shabu shabu to dip the meat into, but it’s a very versatile sauce too. I also sprinkled roasted sunflower seeds and togarashi over the seasoned broccolini for added texture and a spicy kick. You can also add other toppings if you don’t have these at home, like roasted almonds or red pepper flakes.
How to cook the broccolini
This recipe has different ways to cook broccolini, like steaming or boiling. My favorite way is steaming broccolini because you keep the most nutrients while cooking. I steam for about five to seven minutes or until it’s easy to pierce with a fork. After cooking, I transfer the broccolini to a colander and run it under cold water until the broccolini is thoroughly chilled. While preparing the seasoning, I further chill the broccolini in the fridge in a container or plate.
What can I put on broccolini to make it taste better?
While this recipe uses goma dare to season the broccolini, don’t let that stop you from adding other seasonings. Here are some other examples of seasoning mixes:
Zesty: lemon juice, parmesan, salt and pepperSpicy: garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepperItalian-inspired: extra virgin olive oil, dried oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper
Can you prepare broccolini ahead of time?
I love this recipe because you can prepare both parts ahead of time. Just make sure to keep the broccolini and dare in the fridge until you want to assemble and eat. Cooked broccolini will last in the refrigerator for three days.
Can you eat cold cooked broccolini?
You can eat cold-cooked broccolini, just make sure it’s stored in an airtight container in the fridge. The FDA says leftover foods should be stored within two hours of serving or preparation. Cooked broccolini can last for three days.
