Easy Broccoli With Blue Cheese Dressing

Salmon with broccoli

Kate Whitaker / Dorling Kindersley / Getty Images

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 2 servings

This broccoli with blue cheese dressing is hardly worthy of being called a recipe, and yet it's one of my favorite dishes, not in the least because it's so quick and easy. We love this stuff not only on salads, but smeared on crackers and stuffed into celery spears as an appetizer.

You can use this dressing with steamed asparagus spears, but broccoli is really the best since the blue cheese complements the broccoli perfectly.

We've used the Marie's Blue Cheese dressing (available in the produce section at your supermarket), but it's not the same as our homemade blue cheese dressing recipe. 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound broccoli (washed and trimmed)
  • For the Blue Cheese Dressing:
  • 6 ounces blue cheese (crumbled, divided; Point Reyes Blue, Maytag Blue, or Danish blue)
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil (see note below)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh)
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 pinch salt
  • Optional: 2 tablespoons buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon chives (finely chopped)

Steps to Make It

  1. To make the dressing: Place 4 ounces of blue cheese in a small food processor or blender and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil (see tip, below), 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper, pinch salt and optional 2 tablespoons buttermilk. Process until nearly smooth.

  2. Taste and adjust oil, lemon juice, and pepper to taste. This is when you may want to add up to an additional tablespoon of oil, and some buttermilk or cream if it's too potent or too thick.

  3. Scrape into a bowl or jar and add remaining 2 ounces of blue cheese and 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use. It will tend to solidify, so let it sit out on the counter for an hour before using on a salad.

  4. To cook the broccoli: Bring a small pot of water to a boil then reduce heat until water is simmering vigorously.

  5. Add a steamer basket and 1/2 pound washed and trimmed fresh broccoli and cook until just tender, about 13 to 15 minutes.

  6. Drain broccoli in a colander and spray with cold water to set the color, but don't let the broccoli get cold.

  7. Serve, drizzled with 1/4 cup blue cheese dressing.

Tip

  • This dressing should have a distinct taste of olive oil. It's actually a vinaigrette except that the cheese is relied on for acidity and is processed to produce something closer to what most of us consider a blue cheese dressing.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
561 Calories
49g Fat
11g Carbs
22g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 561
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 49g 63%
Saturated Fat 20g 98%
Cholesterol 65mg 22%
Sodium 1183mg 51%
Total Carbohydrate 11g 4%
Dietary Fiber 4g 13%
Protein 22g
Calcium 520mg 40%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)