Brokoli Salatası – A Tempting Turkish Broccoli Salad

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If you thought you weren’t a fan of broccoli, this Turkish broccoli salad might well just change your mind!

From November, and right through into the colder months of winter, the stalls of Fethiye market and Çalış market are piled high with winter greens.

And there is something oh-so-tempting about the sight of emerald green ‘trees’ of broccoli.

We would never have written such a sentence a few years ago. Never would we have had broccoli on the shopping list.

But now, thanks to our various experiments with seasonal produce in Turkey, broccoli is one of our favourite vegetables.

But what of Turkish broccoli recipes? We love to make broccoli and potato soup, we make bakes with pasta, curries, Chinese-style stir fry dishes, a broccoli frittata.

In Turkey, however, it’s a very simple broccoli recipe that reigns. A meze.

Broccoli salad. Or, to give it its correct Turkish name: Brokoli Salatası.

This recipe was passed on to us by a friend soon after we told her about our new found appreciation of this winter vegetable.

It’s very quick and simple and really worth a try – even if you think you don’t like broccoli.

You might just surprise yourself.

A Turkish Broccoli Salad Recipe – Brokoli Salatası

This Turkish broccoli recipe is also popular in restaurants.

Peer into the meze fridges – especially in the seafood restaurants – and you will often see a glass serving dish with a display of cooked broccoli florets.

If you have ever seen one of these displays, you’ll know that the Turkish broccoli salad is not about cutting off each tiny floret. Allow for good sized chunks.

If you take a head of broccoli and cut off the chunky stem at the bottom, you’ll see some larger florets that will fall away naturally.

Think broccoli lollipops.

And just as lollipops have sticks, leave the stems on your florets. If your broccoli is really fresh these stems are so crunchy and sweet!

This Turkish broccoli salad is simply a case of blanching your florets in boiling water until they become a vibrant green.

This will only take a few minutes because your florets need to have a good bite.

After 4-5 minutes, pour your broccoli into a colander and pour cold water over it to prevent it from cooking further and losing its vibrant green colour.

Then you can arrange your florets in your serving bowl.

We like to display ours as in the photo above so that the florets absorb more of the dressing.

Your Salad Needs A Dressing

We break with tradition, here, a little. If you get your broccoli meze in a restaurant, it will typically be dressed in a garlic, lemon and olive oil mix.

We’re still sticking with a traditional Turkish ingredient.

In winter, we’re also enjoying pomegranate season so sometimes, as in the photo above, we substitute lemon for nar ekşisi (pomegranate molasses).

Finely chopped garlic, olive oil and pomegranate molasses are mixed with salt and pepper until a sauce is formed. This dressing is then drizzled over the top of your broccoli.

And that’s how we make Turkish broccoli salad.

Trust us when we tell you that this Turkish broccoli recipe is so tasty and moreish.

Quite often when we make this salad, we eat it just as it is, as finger food. Broccoli lollipops, remember?

Of course, it makes a perfect side to fish and grilled meats. It’s also a great addition to your meze table.

Our Recipe For Turkish Broccoli Salad – Brokoli Salatası

Afiyet Olsun!

Turkish Broccoli Salad Recipe – Afternotes

• This recipe is also suitable for both vegetarians and vegans.
• If the dressing is not to your liking, Turkish broccoli salad can also incorporate a yoghurt dip. This can be the same dip used in our other winter vegetable recipes: chayote (Rodos Kabağı) recipe, our roasted Brussels sprouts meze and our recipe for roasted cauliflower with yoghurt dip.

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