Ina Garten’s Fresh Broccoli & Kale Salad Recipe – A Zippy Delight

Green powerhouses collide in this broccoli and kale salad that transforms ordinary vegetables into a culinary sensation.

Fresh ingredients dance together, creating a vibrant medley of textures and flavors that will surprise your taste buds.

Crisp vegetables bring robust nutrition and unexpected excitement to your plate.

The combination feels simultaneously elegant and rustic, challenging traditional salad expectations.

Each forkful promises a delightful balance of earthy greens and bright seasonings.

Complex yet simple, this recipe speaks to home cooks seeking something beyond standard leafy preparations.

Sophisticated yet approachable, the dish delivers maximum satisfaction with minimal effort: try it now.

What Makes Broccoli & Kale Salad a Winner by Ina

• Elevate Nutrition: This salad packs a powerful punch of green superfoods like broccoli and kale, delivering maximum nutrients in every delicious bite. Each ingredient brings incredible health benefits that make your body feel energized and strong.
• Master Precision Cooking: Ina Garten's recipe demonstrates expert culinary techniques with precise timing for blanching broccoli and perfectly soft-boiled eggs. Her method ensures crisp vegetables and creamy eggs with just-right textures that elevate the entire dish.
• Gourmet Simplicity: Despite looking restaurant-worthy, this salad comes together quickly with straightforward steps and minimal ingredients. Home cooks can easily recreate a professional-level dish that impresses without complicated preparation, making gourmet eating accessible to everyone.
• Versatile Meal Solution: Perfect for lunch, light dinner, or elegant entertaining, this salad transitions seamlessly between casual and sophisticated settings. Its balanced combination of greens, protein, and creamy dressing creates a satisfying meal that works for multiple occasions.

Your Grocery List for Broccoli & Kale Salad

• Broccoli: Fresh and crisp vegetable with a slight crunch, perfect for adding texture and nutrition to the salad.
• Kale: Hearty green with a robust flavor, provides excellent nutritional value and depth to the dish.

• Eggs: Soft-boiled eggs add richness and creamy texture, choose fresh large eggs for best results.
• Parmesan Cheese: Aged cheese with sharp, salty flavor, grated to enhance the overall taste of the salad.

• Caesar Dressing: Creamy and tangy sauce that binds the salad ingredients together.
• Croutons: Crunchy bread cubes that add textural contrast and a toasty flavor.
• Lemon Juice: Bright citrus element that provides acidity and freshness.
• Salt, Pepper: Essential seasonings to enhance and balance the flavors of the salad.

How to Toss Together Ina Garten’s Green Salad

Step 1: Blanch Broccoli

Grab a large pot and fill with water. Add salt and bring to a rolling boil. Prepare an ice bath in a separate bowl. Carefully drop broccoli into boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer broccoli to ice water. Once cooled, drain thoroughly and place in a large mixing bowl.

Step 2: Prepare Kale

Remove tough center ribs from kale leaves. Stack leaves and slice thinly crosswise into delicate ribbons. Add kale to the bowl with broccoli.

Step 3: Build Flavor Base

• Crunchy Croutons
• Fresh Lemon Juice
• Grated Parmesan Cheese

Step 4: Cook Perfect Soft-Boiled Eggs

Fill a medium saucepan with water. Bring to a gentle boil. Carefully lower eggs into water using a spoon. Reduce heat to maintain a soft simmer. Cook eggs precisely 6½ minutes. Remove and immediately rinse under cool water. Peel shells carefully.

Step 5: Plate and Garnish

Divide salad among six dinner plates. Crown each salad with a soft-boiled egg. Slice egg in half. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately while ingredients are fresh and vibrant.

Tips for Crunch and Flavor in Every Bite

• Master Blanching Technique: Precisely time your broccoli cooking to maintain its vibrant green color and crisp texture, ensuring perfect doneness every single time.
• Ice Bath Magic: Instantly cool blanched broccoli in an ice bath to lock in nutrients, preserve bright color, and stop the cooking process immediately.
• Slice Kale Like a Pro: Create uniform, thin ribbons of kale for a consistent bite and elegant presentation that makes your salad look professionally prepared.
• Upgrade Flavor Instantly: Select premium, fresh ingredients like high-quality Parmesan and freshly squeezed lemon juice to elevate the entire salad's taste profile.
• Nail the Perfect Egg: Achieve the ultimate soft-boiled egg by timing exactly 6½ minutes, creating a luxurious, runny yolk that adds rich, creamy texture to your salad.

How to Store Broccoli & Kale Without Wilting

• Seal Tight: Lock freshness in an airtight glass container to prevent moisture and preserve crunch. Glass containers maintain salad quality better than plastic, keeping ingredients crisp and preventing flavor absorption.
• Drain Moisture: Pat broccoli and kale completely dry before storing to prevent soggy texture. Use clean kitchen towels or paper towels to absorb excess water, ensuring salad remains crunchy and appetizing.
• Quick Consumption: Enjoy salad within 2 days for optimal taste and texture. Dressing tends to soften vegetables over time, so consuming quickly ensures the best eating experience with maximum nutritional benefits.

New Additions for Ina Garten’s Salad Base

• Green Power Boost: Replace half the broccoli with spinach or Swiss chard for extra nutrient density and a deeper green profile.
• Mediterranean Fusion: Swap Caesar dressing for Greek yogurt-based dressing and add kalamata olives and feta cheese for a Mediterranean-inspired version.
• Protein Punch: Include grilled chicken strips or roasted chickpeas to transform the salad into a complete meal with added protein.
• Spicy Crunch Edition: Incorporate toasted pine nuts, red pepper flakes, and a drizzle of chili oil to introduce heat and additional textural elements.

Broccoli & Kale Salad: Final Crunch

Green vegetables dance together in this Ina Garten masterpiece, creating nutrition-packed harmony.

Crisp broccoli and tender kale provide complementary textures that elevate classic salad expectations.

Caesar dressing adds sophisticated richness while Parmesan cheese contributes sharp, salty notes.

Mediterranean-inspired techniques transform simple ingredients into culinary poetry.

Perfectly cooked eggs crown this elegant dish with creamy golden centers.

Passionate home chefs can recreate restaurant-quality magic right in their kitchen – just follow Garten’s precise instructions and savor each remarkable bite.

Ina Garten Broccoli & Kale Salad Recipe

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4.8 from 18 reviews

• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x

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Description

Ina Garten’s broccoli and kale salad delivers garden-fresh nutrients with crisp textures and zesty flavors. Crunchy chopped vegetables mingle with a tangy lemon-dijon dressing, creating a wholesome side dish you’ll crave at every meal.

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Ingredients

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Main Ingredients:

• 8 cups broccoli florets, stems removed (2 bunches)
• 1 bunch baby kale
• 6 extra-large eggs
• 1 cup toasted croutons (about 100 g)

Cheese and Dressing Ingredients:

• ¼ cup grated Italian Parmesan cheese (25 g)
• Caesar Salad Dressing (recipe follows)

Seasoning and Citrus Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt (15 ml)
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 to 2 lemons)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

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Instructions

1. Initiate the broccoli blanching process by bringing a large pot of water to a rolling boil, seasoned with of salt. Simultaneously, prepare an ice bath in a separate bowl.
2. Submerge the broccoli in the boiling water and cook precisely for 4 minutes, ensuring crisp-tender texture. Swiftly transfer the broccoli to the ice water using a slotted spoon to halt the cooking process.
3. Once cooled, thoroughly drain the broccoli and transfer to a spacious mixing bowl, allowing excess moisture to evaporate.
4. Prepare the kale by meticulously removing and discarding the tough central ribs. Stack the leaves and slice them into delicate, thin crosswise strips.
5. Gently incorporate the julienned kale into the bowl with the blanched broccoli, creating a vibrant green base for the salad.
6. Drizzle the Caesar dressing over the vegetable mixture, ensuring each leaf and floret is lightly coated. Toss the salad with a gentle hand to distribute the dressing evenly.
7. Sprinkle crisp croutons over the salad, followed by a splash of fresh lemon juice and a generous dusting of grated Parmesan cheese.
8. For the soft-boiled eggs, fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a gentle boil. Carefully lower the eggs into the water using a spoon, maintaining a low simmer to prevent cracking.
9. Cook the eggs for exactly 6½ minutes, then immediately remove and place under cool running water to stop the cooking process.
10. Carefully peel the eggs, ensuring the delicate soft yolk remains intact.
11. Divide the dressed salad among six dinner plates, positioning a soft-boiled egg atop each portion.
12. Slice each egg in half, allowing the creamy yolk to cascade over the greens. Finish with a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
13. Serve the salad immediately to preserve the optimal temperature and texture of the ingredients.

Notes

• Quickly shock blanched broccoli in an ice bath to lock in its vibrant green color and crisp texture, preserving the vegetable’s nutritional integrity.
• Thinly slice kale leaves with precision, creating uniform ribbons that ensure every bite delivers consistent flavor and elegant mouthfeel.
• Select premium ingredients like freshly squeezed lemon and high-quality Parmesan cheese to elevate the salad’s overall taste profile and gourmet appeal.
• Master the art of egg cooking by boiling for precisely 6½ minutes, yielding a perfectly runny golden yolk that adds luxurious richness to the dish.
• Maintain consistent water temperature and timing during blanching to guarantee broccoli remains tender-crisp and retains its bright emerald appearance.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
• Method: Boiling
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 300
• Sugar: 6 g
• Sodium: 580 mg
• Fat: 20 g
• Saturated Fat: 4 g
• Carbohydrates: 20 g
• Fiber: 5 g
• Protein: 15 g
• Cholesterol: 190 mg