plant-based, free of gluten and top 8 allergens<\/p><\/div>\n

This crisp and refreshing fruit and broccoli slaw takes a dynamic twist from the classic coleslaw.<\/p>\n

We’ve traded the sweet mayo dressing for a homemade dressing made with papaya, onion, Dijon style mustard, white balsamic vinegar, a little agave, and sriracha.<\/p>\n

To make it more interesting, the salad is studded with strawberries, grapes, and bananas. Yum!<\/p>\n

A dressing made with papaya seeds? You’d better believe it!<\/p>\n

This past week, my brother Dan sent me some food pics for inspiration, saying it’s gotta be tough coming up with recipe ideas. Wasn’t that sweet?<\/p>\n

One of the pictures was a broccoli and fruit slaw. It looked great, but there was no slaw. Fruit, nuts and broccoli florets were tossed with bottled poppy seed dressing. It got me thinking…<\/p>\n

I’ve been on a mission to create recipes using the much neglected broccoli stems. Why not make a fruit and broccoli slaw using the broccoli stems?<\/p>\n

As for the dressing, you can definitely substitute your favorite prepared poppy seed or coleslaw dressing. We like making our dressings from scratch, because we know what’s going into it.<\/p>\n

This fruit and broccoli slaw was made with ingredients we had on hand. We didn’t have poppy seeds, but we had papayas. While most people throw them away, papaya seeds are edible. They are similar to black peppercorns, with a peppery flavor.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

With just a few ingredients, this delicious dressing is a breeze to make.<\/p>\n

Combine white balsamic vinegar, papaya flesh, onion, mustard, sriracha, agave or honey, and salt in a food processor or blender. Mix well. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture emulsifies. Add papaya seeds and pulse just until the seeds are coarsely chopped.<\/p>\n

mise en place for papaya seed dressing<\/p><\/div>\n

For the slaw, trim the broccoli stems and square them off for easier cutting. Make sure to remove enough of the outer broccoli stems or the slaw will be woody and taste bitter. We used a mandoline to cut the stems into thin strips, about 1 1\/2-inches in length. It’s time consuming to cut by hand, so if you don’t have a mandoline, grate the stems.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Place the broccoli, cabbage, strawberries, celery, grapes, and bananas in a large bowl. Pour in 1\/2 cup of dressing, tossing gently to coat evenly.<\/p>\n

Whatever you do, don’t leave out the bananas! They’re simply amazing in this slaw.<\/p>\n

mise en place for fruit and broccoli slaw<\/p><\/div>\n

And talk about crunch! This delicious slaw is as refreshing and crisp as they come.<\/p>\n