Parmesan Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Show: Everyday ItalianEpisode: Fast Food That Won't Weigh You Down

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (88)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(88)

Cook Time:
6 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
4 servings

Times:

Prep: 15 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 6 min
Total:: 21 min

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Ingredients

2 1/2 cups bite-sized broccoli florets
2 1/2 cups bite-sized cauliflower florets
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 to 1 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups lightly packed fresh spinach leaves
1/2 lemon, zested
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place the broccoli and cauliflower in a large bowl. Toss with the beaten eggs to coat evenly. Place the Parmesan in a large tray or baking dish and dredge the vegetables in the cheese, pressing to coat evenly.

Pour olive oil in a large heavy skillet until the olive oil is 1/4-inch deep, about 1/2 cup depending on the size of your skillet. Warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, carefully add the Parmesan-coated vegetables. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook in batches, if necessary. Let the vegetables cook until a crust forms, about 3 minutes per side. Turn the vegetables only when they easily release from the bottom of the pan. Drain on paper towels and season with salt.

Place the spinach in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Drizzle the spinach with the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Add the Parmesan coated vegetables. Toss and serve.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Parmesan Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad
stacey lowell, MA 11-07-2009
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Very good
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I baked my vegi's and it was so good. Careful on the dressing. If you pour too much on, the flavor can be a bit much.
recipe Parmesan Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad
Ro Baltimore, MD 07-01-2009
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Absolutely a Fabulous Salad
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Made this for family last night and everyone completely loved it. I thought frying the veggies would be a pain in the a## but... it so wasn't... whole thing was very easy. This will definitely become my new go to salad. If you are not into lemon, cut it back a little, and I didn't salt the veggies at all and they really didn't need it.Read more
recipe Parmesan Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad
Rebecca Gilroy, CA 06-26-2009
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Light, Fresh, Tasty!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This dish is amazing and I got so many compliments on it! My family loves fried cauliflower and when they tried it in the... spinach they were so impressed. The only thing I would suggest is not to salt the fried veggies too much because the parmesan cheese does some of the salting in itself. Also watch how much dressing you put on the spinach because mine turned out to be drenched. Besides those minor details I would highly recommend making this salad. A perfect and tasty side dish!Read more
recipe Parmesan Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad
Mary Scottsdale, AZ 06-25-2009
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Veggies
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Has anyone used any other veggies in this recipe? I was considering artichokes?
recipe Parmesan Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad
Christine Madison, WI 06-25-2009
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WELL worth the money!!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Fresh vegetables or any fresh ingredient is ALWAYS worth the money and the only way to go. If you consider you're doing it... for your health and taste buds as well as those of your family and friends, its one of the best daily gifts you can give or recieve. Anything canned and sometimes frozen pretty much immediately defeats the purpose, adding uneccesary salt and actually killing the vitamins and minerals that you're eating it for in the first place! Plus, I just watched the rerun of this episode and the theme was "healthier versions of junk food to make at home", not to do this to your veggies everyday. I totally love the idea of baking them by Teresa in TN, too. I think I'll be trying that tonight! Also, if anyone is having problems with the coating during frying, or it takes much longer than anticipated, it means your oil is not hot enough! Everyone's oven/stove is different. (Before adding the food) Turn up the heat!!! Read more
recipe Parmesan Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad
Sarah Flowery Branch, GA 06-20-2009
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new favorite!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Wow, what a great combination of ingredients! Of course, I could eat the broccoli and cauliflower all by themselves, but... serving it on the spinach makes me feel not so guilty, and I love the simple lemony dressing. I don't think the parmesan coating is meant to COVER the veggies like a batter, just adds a light crunch. I suspect I'll be making this one again!!Read more