2009_05_05-broccolislaw.jpgWe grew up eating broccoli salad that had raisins, peanuts, a sweet mayonnaise dressing, and toasted Ramen noodles on top. It's a delight, which you know if you've had it. But every time we look up a recipe, we're turned off by the amount of mayonnaise or inclusion of the Ramen noodle seasonings packet (ew). So we set out to modernize the dish...

Most recipes we've seen call for a bag of pre-shredded broccoli slaw. Even the recipes that called for fresh broccoli used only the stalks. And while this would be a fine way to use up stalks if you don't usually eat them, we're all for using the tops. They shred up a bit fine, but they're perfectly delicious in this slaw.

We will say that a food processor is pretty handy in making this dish. You could finely julienne the stalks and slice the florets into tiny pieces, but it's much, much quicker with a food processor.

As for the ingredients, we skipped the Ramen noodles in the name of trying to be healthier and used almonds instead of peanuts, which added a little more crunch and a milder flavor. We also used currants instead of raisins, because we love how their smaller size meshes well with the fine texture of the slaw.

There is mayonnaise in the dressing, but not nearly as much as in most recipes we saw. (One called for a cup of mayo and a cup of sour cream- yikes.) It's just enough dressing to keep everything moist without making a big, white pool at the bottom of the bowl.

Broccoli Slaw

makes 5 cups

2 heads broccoli
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons currants (plumped in boiling water, if desired)
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
3/4 cup slivered almonds (or whole almonds that have been roughly chopped, like ours above)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper

Shred the broccoli in a food processor, using the grater disk (the attachment with the smaller holes, not the one with long, thin blades). In a large bowl, combine the shredded broccoli, currants, red onion, and almonds.

Whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, salt, and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt or pepper, if needed. Allow to sit for 30 minutes (or an hour in the fridge) so the flavors can mingle.

Related: Recipe: Crunchy Peanut Slaw

(Image: Elizabeth Passarella)