Keto Broccoli Salad

Make broccoli even healthier with this prep tip!

Here’s a recipe that is soooooo good for you I just can’t do it justice in trying to describe how good it is for you!  It’s not the Keto part that makes it so good for you–in fact, I couldn’t care less about that–but it’s the way the broccoli is prepared.  (You can chop up those broccoli leaves too!  They add even more nutrition to this already nutrition-packed recipe!)

You see, broccoli and other cruciferous veggies such as cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and kale contain a substance called sulforaphane that helps you detox.  This is good in itself, but there is a little process you can do to reap sooo much more benefit from your sulforaphane-containing veggies!

If you chop those sulforaphane-containing veggies and then let them sit (covered and in the fridge) for about 90 minutes, you will have made that sulforaphane in your veggies much more bioavailable!

This recipe also contains onion which, along with garlic, contains sulfur.  And sulfur, when chopped and left to sit for about 20-30 minutes produce sulforaphane which also is very detoxifying!

This is important if you’re going to be cooking the sulforaphane or sulfur-containing veggie, such as throwing some chopped-up onion, garlic, and cabbage in a yummy soup.

If you are eating the veggie raw, there are enzymes in your mouth that will convert the sulforaphane or sulfur to a more available form.  However, if you put something acid on the veggie (such as mayonnaise or vinegar), it will halt the process.

I know this is a lot of picky little details, but they are so important!

So, when you make this recipe, to reap the most benefit from the sulforaphane in the broccoli, all you need to do is chop up the broccoli and onion ahead of time, let it sit tightly covered in your fridge for an hour and a half or more, and then mix in the rest of the ingredients!  (You can put the chopped bacon in there too as it won’t impede the production of sulforaphane and it will help to marinate the flavors.)

Here’s the recipe along with my instructions which have been adapted to reap the most benefit from the veggies.  This recipe is a great start to Having Better Digestion Now!

Keto Broccoli Salad

Ingredients:

2 heads broccoli, chopped into small pieces (about 4-5 cups)
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked bacon (optional)
2 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup mayonnaise (I use mayonnaise made with avocado oil)
1/4 cup maple syrup

Instructions:

Chop broccoli, onion, and bacon (if used) and place in the fridge in a tightly covered bowl for 90 minutes or more.

Mix apple cider vinegar, mayonnaise, and maple syrup together and stir into the broccoli mixture.   Serve chilled.