Author Notes: Since the moment I discovered that raw broccoli is absolutely delicious, I've riffed on this raw slaw so many times that I probably couldn't pick the original out of a line-up. Thin slices of broccoli go with literally every other salad-friendly ingredient—from citrus, to dried fruit, to hearty, cooked grains, to pickles, to breadcrumbs, to canned or fresh legumes, to cheese. And best of all, broccoli stands up well to time. 

Broccoli Salad With Pesto, Apples & Walnuts

Serves: about 3 (or more as a small side) 
Prep time: 10 min

Ingredients

• 1 1/3cups tightly packed, cleaned and dried basil leaves
• 2cloves garlic, peeled (the newer/fresher, the better)
• 1tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2teaspoons lemon juice, plus more as needed
• 1teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1cup roughly chopped walnuts, divided into 2/3 cup and 1/3 cup (raw)
• 1/2cup olive oil
• 1small head of broccoli
• 1large Honeycrisp apple (or similar), rinsed but not peeled

Directions

1. Make the pesto: In a food processor, combine basil, garlic, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and 2/3 cup walnuts. Pulse until everything is the size of small grains, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Then, run the motor as you stream in the oil until a smooth, creamy pesto forms. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed with more salt and lemon juice to balance—it should be very flavorful and zingy. Add to a large bowl.
2. Take your head of broccoli and cut off the florets with about 2-inches of stem attached to each, then slice them as thinly as you can until you have about 3 heaping cups of thinly sliced broccoli and pieces. It’s fine if some stalk gets in there, but it should be mostly floret/stem (and the stuff that falls off the florets as you’re slicing). Add the 3 heaping cups of broccoli to the bowl with the pesto, and give it a stir to coat.
3. Slice the apple into 1/4-inch thick half-moon pieces (avoiding the seeds and stem), as if you’re making apple slices for a snack (but much thinner). Then, cut those in half horizontally so you have twice as many, half-as-tall slices. Add those to the bowl, along with the remaining 1/3 cup crushed walnuts. Stir all to combine and serve immediately, or cover and keep in fridge up to 3 days.

https://food52.com/recipes/78432-broccoli-salad-with-pesto-apples-walnuts