Spring

Roasted Broccoli and Red Onions with Caramelized Shallots and Aioli

March 24, 2015
5
1 Ratings
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

This salad plays beautifully to spring's first ingredients, with sweet caramelized shallots and roasted red onions and broccoli, all tossed with a light, lemony aioli dressing. —Elizabeth Stark

Ingredients
  • For the aioli:
  • 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon minced shallot
  • sea salt
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • ground black pepper
  • For the salad:
  • 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 3 large shallots, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch slices
  • Sea salt
  • 1 pound young broccoli, stems trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch floret
  • 2 red onions, quartered with core intact
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
Directions
  1. For the aioli:
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or working with a handheld electric mixer, beat the egg yolk, lemon juice, garlic, shallot, and a generous pinch sea salt on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes. When mixture is pale and opaque, add a splash of olive oil and beat until fully incorporated. Continue beating on medium speed while adding the olive oil a little at a time. Once you've added two-thirds of the oil, you can add it in bigger splashes. After adding all of the olive oil and the consistency is thick like mayonnaise, add sea salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in enough lemon juice so that the aioli is a bit thinner and forms soft peaks. Keep leftover aioli sealed in the fridge up to 3 days.
  1. For the salad:
  2. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
  3. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil, then add shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Turn heat to low and sprinkle on sea salt. Cook shallots, stirring occasionally, over low heat for 30 minutes, or until they're golden brown and sweet.
  4. Meanwhile, toss broccoli with 2 more tablespoons olive oil and spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss the red onions with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and stir them into the broccoli. Sprinkle with sea salt, paprika, and black pepper. Roast for 12 to 15 minutes, or until broccoli has started to brown on the edges and the onions are tender.
  5. Toss the broccoli and onions with 1/4 cup aioli. Fold in the caramelized shallots. Finish with sea salt and pepper to taste, then serve warm. Though best warm, this salad keeps well in the fridge for a day or two.

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Elizabeth Stark, along with her husband Brian Campbell, chronicles her passion for simple, fresh recipes on the award-wining food blog Brooklyn Supper.

1 Review

lunule March 30, 2015
I think that this would make a delicious side dish or lunch with a poached egg on top.