The inspiration for this recipe came to us from the classic Greek winter salad: boiled broccoli and cauliflower. This is a simple salad that usually accompanies fish, or other main dishes. Broccoli and cauliflower are cut in large pieces, boiled and then served with olive oil and lemon juice. It is very seasonal and in many households it is the salad which replaces the summer Greek salad.
So after a short trip to the market this week, we bought wonderful winter vegetables and decided to boil them, just like in the classic recipe. But of course, we will kick it up a notch. We’re adding our marinated artichoke hearts with leeks, olive oil and sunflower oil. They are perfect to enjoy on their own, but here, they completely transform our vegetables!
Often, recipes call for draining the artichokes -remember our tomato rice from a few weeks ago? It is, however such a pity to let all all this amazing flavoured olive oil go to waste. So we have decided to use it instead of a dressing! And of course, our beloved feta cheese turns this salad into a wonderful lunch! Add a few splashes of lemon juice or vinegar and you’ve got yourselves a delicious – and very easy to make- winter salad! An ode to the classic one.
Serves 2
1 small head of broccoli
1 small head of cauliflower
½ jar marinated artichoke hearts (in their oil)
150g feta cheese
salt, lemon juice or white wine vinegar, oregano (to serve)
Cut the broccoli and cauliflower in large florets. Place them in a large pot and cover with water. Boil for a few minutes, until you’ve reached your desired tenderness. We boiled ours quite a bit, to have the same texture as the buttery artichoke hearts, but you can also simply blanch them by submerging them for a few minutes in boiling water. Drain and set aside.
While the vegetables are still warm, place in a large bowl. Add the artichokes and their oil. Toss everything together until the vegetables are coated in the olive oil. Crumble the feta cheese and add to the salad.
Serve warm, with salt and oregano if desired and lemon or vinegar.
