Tomato Basil Broccoli Noodle and White Bean Salad
Try this Tomato Basil Broccoli Noodle and White Bean Salad recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Tomato Basil Broccoli Noodle and White Bean Salad recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1 garlic clove minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 easpoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons honey
- for the dressing:
- 2 large heads of broccoli with stems
- 1 cup cannellini beans
- 2 tablespoons minced basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 5-6 campari tomatoes seeded and roughly chopped
- Carbohydrate 7.47901666282124 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 2.46166666666667 g
- Fiber 0.066374999680555 g
- Protein 2.73756249995604 g
- Saturated Fat 0.341922 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (88g)
- Sodium 31.1023576386523 mg
- Sugar 7.41264166314068 g
- Trans Fat 0.129038666666666 g
- Calories 57 calories
Step-by-step
- Separate the broccoli florets from their stems and set aside the stems and one head of broccoli’s florets. While you will be using both stems, you will only be using one broccoli heads’ florets for this recipe (save the other one for future use.)
- Remove as much stem as possible from the broccoli florets and place the florets into a food processor and pulse until breadcrumb like. Set broccoli aside in a bowl and wipe down the food processor.
- Spiralize the broccoli stem, using Blade C. Roughly trim the noodles and place in the bowl with the floret crumbs.
- Place all of the ingredients for the dressing into the food processor and pulse until chunky, but dressing-like. Don’t overprocess it – you don’t want this dressing to be watery.
- Pour the dressing into the bowl, add in the beans and toss well to combine thoroughly. Serve immediately or let sit in the refrigerator to let flavors marinade.
Processing raw brassica stems through a spiralizer fractures cell walls mechanically instead of thermally. This process releases stored moisture while retaining crisp cell turgor pressure. Raw broccoli noodles require careful acid management because uncooked sulfur compounds taste sharp. Lemon juice and white balsamic vinegar supply acetic and citric acids to suppress those harsh aromatics.
Acid-Fat Emulsification and Texture
Extra virgin olive oil coats the pulverized broccoli florets and cannellini beans evenly. Fats coat human tongue receptors to mute the perception of raw bitterness. Pulse the dressing ingredients briefly in a food processor to maintain particulate suspension. Overprocessing releases excess water from the campari tomatoes, which dilutes the oil coating and makes the dish watery.
- If the dressing separates into an oily pool, whisk in an extra half teaspoon of honey to stabilize the emulsion.
- Should the raw broccoli flavor taste overly pungent, let the mixture rest in the refrigerator for thirty minutes to allow enzymatic mellowing.
- Drain canned cannellini beans thoroughly through a fine-mesh colander before tossing to prevent excess starch from dulling the dressing acidity.
