Not just another salad
Heleen Meyer loves salad in all shapes and forms! There are endless possibilities with the delicious combinations of fresh produce available in South Africa. Salads don’t just have to consist of lettuce, tomato, cucumber and feta every time.
This colourful salad from Heleen with its interesting textures and flavours is perfect for those who aren’t excited about a typical green salad. The slightly unusual combination of only four main ingredients is an aromatic surprise and is always a hit. Serve the salad ingredients in separate bowls and let everyone ‘build’ their own salad to their preferences. You can even add a protein like bacon, cooked chicken, or strips of steak to turn it into a light meal.
The secret ingredient
Caramelised onions are surprisingly versatile and an important element in this recipe. Heleen previously shared her Caramelised onion recipe with us. They’re so easy to prepare and once you’ve used them, you will want to have some in your fridge regularly. They add a touch of sweetness to balance the salty blue cheese and are the perfect partner to spinach and tomatoes. The onions serve as the ‘dressing’ in this case, so nothing else is needed. The blue cheese gives the salad that unique twist, but if you are not a fan, a soft feta or even goat’s cheese will be great alternatives. Each cheese gives the salad a different flavour, but it will remain something special to serve.
Broccoli salad with caramelised onions & blue cheese
Recipe by Heleen Meyer for LiG Tydskrif
Serves 6
15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
3 onions, halved and thinly sliced
15 ml (1 tbsp) soft brown sugar
30 ml (2 tbsp) balsamic vinegar
pepper to taste
30 ml (2 tbsp) fresh thyme leaves
300 g broccoli, cut into smaller florets
2-3 handfuls of baby spinach leaves or other mixed salad leaves of your choice
200 g baby tomatoes, halved
100 g blue cheese or 1-2 slices of feta cheese, coarsely crumbled
1. Heat oil over medium heat in a large frying pan and sauté onions until completely soft. Add sugar and vinegar and season to taste. Reduce the heat slightly and stir occasionally, while the onions caramelise without a lid for 10-15 minutes. Stir in the thyme. Spoon out and set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, place broccoli in a shallow bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow to stand for 10-12 minutes or until just bright green in colour, but still crispy. Drain and repeat the boiling water process, if necessary, but don’t overcook the broccoli. The broccoli can also be steamed for a few minutes or blanched in a saucepan in a small amount of water.
3. Immerse the broccoli in cold water to stop the cooking process and drain immediately. Gently shake off the extra water and pat broccoli dry with kitchen paper.
4. Arrange all the salad ingredients on a serving platter and serve at room temperature as a side dish.
Visit Heleen’s website (www.heleenmeyer.co.za) for more recipes like this.
Image by Adel Ferreira