Ingredients (Serves 5-6)

• 1 1/2 lb. / 680 g broccoli OR 1 lb. / 450 g broccoli and 1/2 lb. / 230 g romanesco broccoli, freshly harvested and possibly organic
• 1/4 cup / 60 ml broccoli cooking water
• 1 ounce / 30 g walnuts
• 1 tablespoon / 20 g mild red miso (see Note below)

Instructions

Note

Miso (fermented soybeans with rice or barley and salt) comes in several varieties, i.e., various degrees of flavor intensity and saltiness. The one I use has a nice balance of both characteristics and it is also in balance — in terms of quantity — with the vegetables, so the flavor of the dressing does not overwhelm that of the broccoli. You may need to adjust the amount of miso up or down based on the kind you use and your personal preference, but try to keep the balance so no note rings louder than the others.

Prepare the broccoli

Wash and cut broccoli heads into florets. Halve large florets lengthwise to get bite-sized pieces. Peel the tough outer layer of the stalk(s), quarter if very thick, and cut crosswise into coins. Steam to desired softness. (I like both broccoli and cauliflower soft, but I know that not everybody shares my preference.)

Remove broccoli from the steam basket and let cool in a salad bowl. Set aside the cooking water.

Prepare the walnuts

If your walnuts are freshly cracked, toast them lightly in a dry pan, shaking the pan often.

Otherwise, in her “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone”, Deborah Madison gives instructions on how to treat walnuts to improve their flavor when they aren’t freshly cracked, and make them less irritating for people who are sensitive to their skins. Bring a pan of water to a boil, add walnuts and let them stand for one minute, then drain them and absorb the excess moisture with a towel. Finally, spread the walnuts on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat and place them in the oven preheated to 300 F until they have dried out, 15-20 minutes. Remove them from the oven as soon as they are dry. (I do this for 6-8 ounces / 170-225 g walnuts at a time since I use walnuts often in my recipes. Store walnuts in the refrigerator.)

Prepare the dressing

Close to serving time, place walnuts into a blender and chop finely.

Add miso and water and blend.

Pour dressing onto the broccoli, using a slender spatula to get all the dressing out of the blender.

Stir well and serve. (The amount of salt in the miso I use is sufficient; depending on the miso of your choice, you may need to adjust the salt.)

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Go to the full post on broccoli al vapore con salsina al miso e noci / steamed broccoli with walnut miso dressing