Healthy broccoli salad with spicy dressing

Today I'd like to share a recipe for salad of broccoli and seeds, moistened with chili lime dressing.     

Tender broccoli are contrasting with crunchy pistachios and sunflower seeds. Dates bring pleasant caramel notes, chili peppers a bit of heat, and the dressing is just brilliant. Quick and healthy - a perfect lunch for busy people.

You'll find the list of ingredients, method and approximate nutritional value below.

Turn on CC to watch the video.

List of ingredients

Salad

• 1 large broccoli (~200 g florets)
• 5 handfuls salt-free roasted pistachios (~50 g, shelled)
• 4-5 dates (~25 g)
• 1-2 red chili peppers (~25 g)
• Fresh mint
• Fresh coriander
• 1 tbsp sunflower seeds (~10 g)
  
• 2 tbsp honey (~20 g)
  

Dressing

• Juice of half a lime
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• Small piece of fresh ginger (~10 g)
• 1-2 green chili peppers (~25 g)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Fresh mint
  
• 60 ml olive oil
  
• 1/4 tsp salt

Method

1. Prepare chili lime dressing. Put juice of half a lime, 2 tsp rice vinegar, small, roughly 1.5 cm piece of ginger, one small deseeded green chili pepper, 1 tbsp sugar, a few mint leaves, 60 ml olive oil and 1/4 tsp salt into a blender bowl. Blend for a few seconds until smooth. Put ready dressing into a fridge as you work on the salad.
2. Blanch broccoli. Bring water to a boil in a medium pot and put broccoli in. Spread them in the pot and cook them for around 2 minutes. Take them off heat then, drain them and run cold water through them to stop the cooking process.
3. Deseed one medium red chili pepper and cut it into fine cubes. Cube dates, too. Remove shells from roasted pistachios and chop them up. Cut or tear 4-5 leaves fresh mint and fresh coriander.
4. Put 2 tbsp sunflower seeds onto a hot dry pan. Roast them, stirring constantly, until they release pleasant, slightly nutty aroma and become beautiful and golden. Take sunflower seeds off heat and transfer them to a separate container to prevent them from burning.
5. Put drained broccoli into a large bowl. Add red chili pepper, dates, mint, coriander and 3/4 of chopped pistachios. Reserve remaining pistachios for decoration. Add salt to taste and stir gently not to damage broccoli.
6. Portion out the salad or transfer it to a serving dish and pour 2 or 3 tablespoons of dressing and 2 tbsp honey on top. Scatter roasted sunflower seeds and remaining pistachios on top.
7. Enjoy! 

Approximate nutritional value

1 serving (recipe makes 2 servings)

• 320 kcal
• Carbs: 30 g 
• Fat: 20 g
• Protein: 8 g
• Fibre: 6 g