If there are two things I want you to take away from this recipe it is that: 1.) blanching is the best way to cook green vegetables and 2.) you should be dressing your vegetables as you would your salads!
Let’s unpack. A properly cooked green vegetable, let’s say an asparagus for example, should stand up straight when you hold it up. Far too often I see home cooks roasting or grilling the shit out of their asparagus until it is a limp, slimy, and stringy grey spear. No thanks!!!!!!!! In contrast, when you blanch asparagus you’re left something that is bright green and snaps when you bite into it. Same goes for broccoli, broccolini, broccoli rabe, green beans, ect.
Now for the dressing. If you didn’t know already, acid makes food taste good and it is just as important as salt when seasoning food. Have you ever wondered why you love putting hot sauce on literally everything? Because it’s acidic! Hot sauce is literally just spicy vinegar. So I challenge you to start incorporating other sources of acid in your cooking during times you would normally turn to hot sauce.
In terms of blanched vegetables, at the absolute minimum you should be dressing them in extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice / zest, and salt and pepper. If you really want to kick it up a notch, I suggesting using a nice bright and tangy vinaigrette as I do in this recipe!
My favorite short cut when making any vinaigrette is incorporating any homemade pesto or salsa verde I have on hand. This way, you have a quick and delicious dressing using only 4 ingredients. Get the recipe for my pesto and salsa verde below!
