Chilli Broccoli Salad

A delicious way to enjoy more cruciferous vegetables

I wanted to share a recipe I spotlighted in a recent cancer nutrition workshop: a Chilli Broccoli Salad. It’s full of flavour and a handy way to bring more cruciferous vegetables into your week.

Cruciferous vegetables contain a compound that turns into sulforaphane when they’re broken down - for example, through chopping, chewing, grating, or blending.

A little more about sulforaphane

Sulforaphane often comes up in conversations about cancer nutrition because it’s one of the best studied compounds in cruciferous vegetables. Researchers are particularly interested in it for several reasons:

• it supports some of the body’s natural detoxification processes

• it plays a role in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses

• in laboratory studies, it activates protective processes inside cells

These points help explain the interest in sulforaphane, while still being just one part of the wider picture when it comes to food and wellbeing.

How does sulforaphane fit into a healthy lifestyle?

While we can’t rely on sulforaphane alone as a cancer prevention strategy, it can be a really helpful addition to your health and wellbeing ‘toolbox’. A broad mix of phytonutrients from plant-based foods – vegetables, fruits, whole grains, soy foods, pulses, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices – works together to support your health.

Alongside this, having enough protein and calories helps maintain muscle mass, support your immune system, and keep your energy levels steady.

This Chilli Broccoli Salad is an easy, flavourful way to include more cruciferous vegetables.

A small note about the recipe

The recipe is from one of my favourite restaurants, Dishoom. I use a whole head of broccoli (including the stalk – it works well and goes further). Their version includes granulated sugar, but I leave it out. If you prefer a touch of sweetness, a small dash of honey works well too.

Chilli Broccoli Salad

Ingredients

• 1 small broccoli head ** I like to use the whole broccoli (including the stalk) which creates a larger portion that can be enjoyed over a few days!

• 75g pistachio nuts

• 1 fresh red chilli

• 25 coriander leaves

• 4-5 mint leaves

• 25g pumpkin seeds

• 25g Medjool dates ** I often use cranberries or pomegranates instead of dates and they both work brilliantly!

• Salt, to taste

• 45g lime & chilli dressing (see below)

• 1 lime wedge

For the lime & chilli dressing

• 25ml lime juice

• 4​​ - 5 thin slices of ginger

• 1 small green chilli

• ½ tsp fine sea salt

• 19g granulated sugar ** (I skip the sugar - you can use a dash of honey instead)

• 12ml rice vinegar

• 75ml mild olive oil

• A few mint leaves

  
  

Method

1. Wash the broccoli, dry and chop into small morsels. Crush the pistachios very lightly, using a pestle and mortar. Finely chop the red chilli and tear the coriander and mint leaves. Place everything in a large bowl.

2. Pull the dates in half with your fingers, discard the stone, then slice each half into quarters and add to the bowl. (If your dates are very sticky, handle them with slightly wet fingers; the water will encourage the fruit not to stick to itself.)

3. Pour over the lime and chilli dressing (please see below for how to prepare this). Toss everything together and scatter over the pumpkin seeds. Squeeze lime over the salad and use a lime wedge to garnish.

To make the lime & chilli dressing

1. Blitz the ingredients together, using a mini food processor or stick blender, until completely homogenised.

2. Any leftover dressing will keep in the fridge for 3–4 days. It will work brilliantly on any salad or green vegetables and is also delicious drizzled over ripe avocado or served with grilled fish.
   

Source: https://www.dishoom.com/journal/dishoom-chilli-broccoli-salad-recipe/

P.S. I've been asked where I got my bowl from - I got it here: https://amzn.to/3Y4nAjN