Gordon Ramsay’s broccoli salad is chargrilled broccoli florets with nutty bulgur wheat, fresh mint and a spiced yoghurt dressing, ready in about 25 minutes for around £1.20 per serving.
In Ultimate Home Cooking, Ramsay calls this his “Chargrilled Broccoli and Bulgur Salad” and pairs it alongside aromatic lamb cutlets with minty yoghurt. The technique that makes it stand out is almost absurdly simple: he puts the broccoli into a completely dry pan over a medium heat and leaves it there for up to 10 minutes without any oil at all. The direct contact chars the edges while the centre stays tender, concentrating the flavour instead of washing it away in boiling water the way most home cooks would.
The dressing is where competitors fall short. Most broccoli salad recipes lean on heavy mayo or sharp cider vinegar, but Ramsay goes in a completely different direction with buttermilk, harissa paste and chopped fresh mint. The buttermilk is tangy and light enough to coat the bulgur without drowning it, the harissa builds a slow background warmth, and the mint pulls everything back to fresh.
Gordon Ramsay Broccoli Salad Recipe
Course: Salads, Sides4
servings5
minutes15
minutes20
minutesFrom Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Home Cooking (2013), this chargrilled broccoli and bulgur salad uses dry-fried broccoli with a spicy harissa buttermilk dressing. Brilliant warm or cold, alongside lamb or as a standalone lunch.
Ingredients
150g (5 oz) bulgur wheat
300g (10 oz) broccoli, separated into medium florets
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the dressing:
Bunch of mint, leaves only
1 to 2 tsp harissa paste, or to taste
150ml (5 fl oz) buttermilk
Directions
- Cook the bulgur: Cook the bulgur wheat according to the packet instructions, then drain and transfer to a serving bowl.
- Char the broccoli: Place a large heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Add the broccoli to the dry pan with no oil, season with a pinch of salt and cook for 6 to 10 minutes without moving it too much, until the florets are charred in places and just tender when pierced with a knife. Add to the bulgur.
- Make the dressing: Finely chop half the mint leaves and place them in a bowl with 1 teaspoon of the harissa, the buttermilk and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well, taste and add more harissa if you want a spicier kick.
- Toss and serve: Pour the dressing over the bulgur and broccoli, scatter the remaining whole mint leaves on top and toss everything together before serving warm or at room temperature.
FAQs
Can you make this with raw broccoli instead?
Ramsay also has a raw Broccoli Slaw in the same book, designed specifically to sit alongside his slow-cooked pulled pork with chipotle mayo. Raw broccoli works if you slice the florets small and shred the stems on a box grater, but it needs a sharper dressing to stand up to that rawness. The charred version in this recipe has a smoky depth that raw broccoli simply cannot reach, and the slightly softened texture absorbs the buttermilk dressing much better. If you do go raw, dress it about 10 minutes before serving to give the acid time to soften the florets just enough.
What does Ramsay serve this broccoli salad with?
In Ultimate Home Cooking he pairs it with aromatic lamb cutlets and minty yoghurt, and the harissa in the dressing ties the two dishes together beautifully. It also works as part of a bigger spread: set it next to his crunchy coleslaw for a barbecue, or pile it alongside grilled chicken thighs for a weeknight dinner that feels like more effort than it actually was.
Can you serve this with pulled pork?
Ramsay specifically designs a raw broccoli slaw to go with his slow-cooked pulled pork butt with chipotle mayo in the same book, and the logic is sound: the crunchy raw slaw contrasts the soft, fatty pork. This chargrilled version works too, but if you are pairing it with pulled pork you might want to swap the harissa buttermilk dressing for something sharper, like a squeeze of lime with a splash of cider vinegar, so the acidity cuts through the richness more cleanly.
How does this compare to Ottolenghi’s chargrilled broccoli?
Ottolenghi blanches his broccoli for two minutes first, refreshes it in ice water, then chars it on a ridged griddle pan with plenty of olive oil. Ramsay skips both the blanching and the oil entirely, putting raw florets straight into a dry pan. The result is different: Ottolenghi’s version is more evenly cooked with distinct grill marks, while Ramsay’s has a more uneven, rustic char where some edges are almost blackened and others are still bright green. Ottolenghi dresses his with a garlic and chilli oil, making it punchy and Mediterranean. Ramsay goes North African with the harissa and buttermilk, which gives a creamier, warmer finish.
What can you use instead of buttermilk?
Ramsay notes in the same book that buttermilk is “the thin, slightly sour liquid left after churning butter” and suggests substituting it with two parts plain yoghurt mixed with one part milk if you cannot find any. Greek yoghurt thinned with a splash of water also works well. Avoid using cream or crème fraîche as the dressing will become too heavy and will not coat the bulgur the way it should.
Does this broccoli salad keep well?
Better than most salads, which is one of its strengths for meal prep. The bulgur absorbs the dressing without turning soggy, and charred broccoli holds its texture for a day or two in the fridge in a sealed container. The only thing that suffers is the mint: the chopped leaves in the dressing darken overnight, so add a few fresh whole leaves before serving the leftovers. For another salad that travels well as a packed lunch, his chicken salad holds up for two days in the fridge, and his caesar salad dressing keeps separately for even longer. Browse all his salad recipes for more make-ahead options.
