Romanesco Greek Salad & Vinaigrette

Current obsession: Romanesco.

Sometimes dubbed Romanesco broccoli or Roman cauliflower, this crazy beautiful veggie is taking over the markets right now.  With good reason.  It’s easy to cook, healthy, tasty, and damn beautiful too. 

I’ve been using it a lot for curries lately, roasting it with a little salt before adding in.  But I recently had the idea to steam some and let it creep into my salad, and instantly fell in love.  It’s served chilled, like most salads are, but adds a rustic quality and unusual touch that please both bellies and eyes alike. 

I’m in awe of this stuff.  By far the prettiest alien food out there.

This is a simple Greek-style salad tossed with steamed romanesco and a bold Greek-style vinaigrette.  A tasty combo indeed. 🙂

Want to add in some other Mediterranean fun for a complete meal?  Check this kofta recipe out!

makes four servings

INGREDIENTS

for the salad…

1 head romanesco

4 medium tomatoes

1 cucumber, chopped

4 oz feta cheese, cut into cubes

1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced

optional garnish- fresh parsley leaves

 

for the vinaigrette…

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/8 tsp salt, more to taste

1/8 tsp black pepper, more to taste

 1 tsp honey

1 tbsp water

To make the dressing, add all ingredients to a food processor or NutriBullet, then blend

Adjust seasonings as desired

(Alternatively, add to a bowl and whisk well… though blending makes it creamy and is preferred)

Break the romanesco head into smaller pieces and chop any large stems

Place in a steaming basket (or in a pot with a couple of inches of water on the bottom),

then cover and steam for approx 10 minutes, until slightly soft

Optional, de-seed cucumber first…

Slice in half lengthwise, then scrape seeds out with a spoon

Chop tomatoes, feta, slice red onion, and break apart

the steamed romanesco into bite-sized pieces

Add it all to a bowl

Toss…

Then serve!

Sprinkle a little parsley over the top for garnish…

Keep refrigerated until ready to devour 🙂