Chilled Broccoli Salad

Serves 6-8

When this salad was prepared in Italy, it was simply made with boiled, then chilled broccoli, fresh lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. Garnished with lemon slices, it made a simple yet striking presentation on the table. It wasn’t until my family arrived in the U.S. that we started adding the olives and marinated peppers. The addition of olives and marinated peppers takes this dish to another level. It adds a depth of flavor and makes for a beautiful color combination. This salad presents as a fabulous antipasto platter, and it is best when the flavors are given time to meld in the refrigerator. 

Ingredients

•3 - 5 Bunches of Broccoli 

•Olive Medley (one medium to large jar)

•Roasted Red Peppers (one medium to large jar)

•Sweet Cherry Peppers (one medium to large jar - Seeded and rinsed.

•Fresh Lemon Juice (one or two whole lemons) 

•Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions

Cut off the hard bottom part of the stems, then boil the broccoli in salted water until just fork tender.  Drain it in a colander with cold water to stop the cooking process.

Cut the broccoli lengthwise into long spears all the way down the stem. Arrange the broccoli in a deep-set platter. Squeeze the juice of one or two (depending on your taste) whole lemon(s) over the broccoli. 

Layer your olive medley, roasted red peppers, and sweet cherry peppers (seeded and rinsed) on top of the broccoli. Be pretty generous with the juices from the jars, as these add to the flavor. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. 

Leave the salad in layers; do not mix. Chill in the refrigerator overnight or for 4 to 8 hours to blend the flavors.

Use a large serving fork, making sure to get some of each layer onto your plate. Enjoy!

Notes

You can be as creative as you like with this salad and add more or less of each ingredient. This salad is vegan as is, but you could also add any variety of Italian salamis and cheeses.