Honey Mustard Broccoli Salad

This salad recipe is from The Sprouted Kitchen, though here’s a link to it on The Washington Post. I didn’t feel like julienning the broccoli stems, so I omitted them altogether, and I forgot the parsley. It was really good, though! I used a Lady Alice apple, and was surprised to see that it did not get oxidized overnight. I also would use 2 Tbsp. of Dijon mustard next time instead of 3 Tbsp., but that’s a matter of personal preference. I ended up with about 3 servings, but if you use the broccoli stems, it would probably yield 4 servings.

2 bunches broccoli with stems (about 1 lb. total)
½ cup unsalted sunflower seeds, toasted
1 apple, such as Gala, Fuji or Honeycrisp, cored and cut into small dice (I used Lady Alice)
¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 Tbsp. Dijon-style mustard (I would use 2 Tbsp.)
2 Tbsp. honey (or agave, for a vegan version)
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
coarse salt (preferably Himalayan pink salt, though I used freshly cracked plain sea salt)
freshly ground black pepper

Cut the stems from the broccoli and set aside. Cut the florets into bite-size pieces. Bring an inch of water to a boil in a large, lidded pot and steam the florets in a steamer insert for about 1 minute, just long enough to take off the raw edge. Transfer the florets to a colander and let them cool. Meanwhile, use a julienne peeler, mandoline or V-slicer to cut the broccoli stems into matchstick-size pieces (julienne).

Whisk together the mustard, honey, olive oil and vinegar in a large mixing bowl. Season with a pinch or two of salt and a generous amount of pepper. Add the broccoli florets, broccoli stems, sunflower seeds, apple and parsley to the bowl, and toss to coat.

Cover the bowl loosely and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes or until chilled. Serve cold.