If you are thinking I’m crazy for posting a recipe that is a pile of broccoli, you must be new here.

Now that that is out of the way, you should know I have a weird love for steamed broccoli. As the person who is always telling you to douse everything in extra virgin olive oil and sea salt and roast until crispy, here I am proclaiming my love for boring old steamed broccoli.

But it’s not boring at all, especially when you are eating good quality organic seasonal vegetables, even just steaming them is delicious. So when I’m making broccoli for the family, I generally steam the whole head and sometimes even two. This is mainly because the steamer is a whole contraption and if I’m getting it out, I’m going to cook in bulk.

Stalks are absolutely included! I chop these small as they take longer to cook – and I refuse to risk overcooked florets. They must be bright green with a slight bite, like cooked but al dente. I find 7 to 8 minutes is perfect.

Since I steam broccoli in bulk, I’m often left with a large container of it in the fridge, and sometimes I like to give it a new life. Enter this simple sesame broccoli salad. I whipped up a sesame mustard dressing, doused the thirsty broccoli in it and sprinkled with sesame seeds because, in my eyes, no meal is complete without a sprinkle of something.

Variations

When I said simple, I meant it. I didn’t bother with bells and whistles here, but there are a bazillion things you could do.

• While we are on the leftovers train, you could throw in leftover roasted sweet potatoes.
• You could serve it with a creamy tahini for an added layer of sesame goodness, this recipe would be perfect. Or one of my personal favourites is a dollop of good mayo, even better if you mix in a touch of tamari.
• Or toss through some legumes (edamame would be delicious) to bulk it up.

How To Serve This Side

Serve as a side to any protein, my slow-cooked salmon would be perfect and if you want a carbohydrate to go with, plain rice is perfect (I do this for my boyfriend, but I have it without, keeping it low-carb). If you aren’t using tahini, definitely add a spoonful of good mayo on top!

I’m all about making vegetables the star of the meal, and that is why the “sides” category on my website is so well updated… It’s so much more fun to me than cooking proteins!

You can make this recipe with cold broccoli, or with freshly steamed for a warm alternative. Both work great depending on what you feel like.