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This Vegan Broccoli Salad is a stunning assortment of fresh green florets, dried berries, and crunchies tossed in a light vinaigrette dressing. A merge of amazing colors, flavors, and textures that create a perfect light and refreshing salad. Make this delectable fall raw salad in just 10 minutes!
While broccoli is available year-round, this cool-weather crop is best when freshly harvested during the fall season. As it can be enjoyed uncooked, it is perfect for raw salad making! Adding some dried cranberries, nuts, and pumpkin seeds give it a fun and festive autumn flair. It will be a great addition to your Thanksgiving (45 Vegan Thanksgiving recipes) and Christmas menu!
Quick and Easy Vegan Broccoli Salad
Fresh raw salads are one of the easiest things to ever make and one of the healthiest too! All you have to do is clean, chop, and toss everything together in a bowl! No cooking required and no pans and pots to clean up later on. And since the broccoli goes into the salad unprocessed, you get the full nutritional value of this superfood!
Fresh broccoli florets are crunchy yet tender enough for chewing. With its fresh, herbaceous taste, it goes well with almost anything you mix it with. Combining it with dried cranberries gives the salad a fruity and chewy element, while the walnuts and pumpkin seeds provide bites of savory crunch!
Ingredients:
Variations and Add-Ons
- You can enjoy this salad with other dressings like my Avocado Green Goddess Dressing, Cilantro and Green Chili Dressing, or a simple Lemon Dressing.
- You can also add some chopped red onions and pomegranate seeds for more color and flavors.
How to make Vegan Broccoli Salad
Step 1: Make the vinaigrette by adding all the dressing ingredients to a small mixing bowl.
Step 2: In a larger bowl, add all the salad ingredients
Step 3: Pour the dressing, toss, and then serve!
Since there are a lot of crevices in a floret, merely rinsing them in running water is not enough. It’s better to soak them in cool water for a few minutes first, then place them in a colander and rinse with running water to dislodge loosened dirt.
Yes, if you do not mind the extra step and would like to make the broccoli softer, you can do so. This is also a great way to clean them quickly. Just place the florets in hot water for
Helpful Tips when Making Vegan Broccoli Salad
- Make sure that you dry the broccoli pieces really well to prevent a soggy salad. Dry by giving them a few sharp flicks while holding the stem, then placing them on top of an absorbent cloth or paper towels for a few minutes. Or you can use a salad spinner if you have one.
- Chop the broccoli florets into small bite-sized pieces. This will ensure that they are coated with more dressing making them super flavorful. Plus, smaller pieces of broccoli mean more space in a mouthful for the berries and crunchies.
- Toss the salad with the dressing at least 10 minutes before serving them. This will give the broccoli time to absorb the flavors but not lose the crunchiness.
- When making ahead, do not add the nuts and seeds yet. Toss them right before serving to make sure they do not lose their crunchiness.
What to do with Leftover Broccoli?
- Broccoli and Potato Soup – If you are looking for a super easy weekday dinner, then you are in luck! This broccoli potato soup is quick, healthy, and delicious!
- Broccoli and Onion Pakora – Traditionally served as snacks in India, pakora is chickpea flour fritters made with a wide variety of vegetables.
Make-Ahead and Storing Leftovers
You can make the salad dressing 3 days ahead of time and store it in the fridge. This will actually give the dressing enough time to meld for a richer taste. You can prep the salad ingredients the day before and store them in separate containers. Just assemble at least 10 minutes before serving.
If you have Vegan Broccoli Salad leftovers, place them in the fridge for up to 3 days. No need to reheat as they are great eaten cold!
Don’t just store them in the fridge and forget about them. There are so many ways to enjoy this cruciferous veggie!
Vegan Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- ⅛ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons agave
- 1 ½ teaspoon minced mint
- 1 tablespoon orange juice optional
For the salad:
- 4 cups chopped broccoli
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- In a standard bowl, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, agave, mint, and orange juice (if using), until thoroughly combined.
- In a large bowl, add the broccoli, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and dried cranberries.
- Pour in the dressing and toss it together
Notes
- Make sure that you dry the broccoli pieces really well to prevent a soggy salad. Dry by giving them a few sharp flicks while holding the stem, then placing them on top of an absorbent cloth or paper towels for a few minutes. Or you can use a salad spinner if you have one.
- Chop the broccoli florets into small bite-sized pieces. This will ensure that they are coated with more dressing making them super flavorful. Plus, smaller pieces of broccoli mean more space in a mouthful for the berries and crunchies.
- Toss the salad with the dressing at least 10 minutes before serving them. This will give the broccoli time to absorb the flavors but not lose the crunchiness.
- When making ahead, do not add the nuts and seeds yet. Toss them right before serving to make sure they do not lose their crunchiness.
Tried this tonight because I had leftover lightly-steamed broccoli that I wanted to use up. I skipped the mint and used some curry powder in the dressing instead, but otherwise followed the recipe, using toasted pumpkin seeds and walnuts and dried cranberries with the chopped broccoli. It was fantastic! I’ll definitely make this again.
the added curry powder sounds amazing!
So glad you enjoyed the salad! It’s a yummy one!
Very good! I substituted pecans and sunflower seeds instead of the walnuts and pumpkin seeds because I’m allergic to walnuts and pumpkin seeds were too pricy, but they worked just fine. I also used the optional orange juice. Multiple people complimented the salad–especially the dressing. This salad tastes light and healthy, but still very yummy! I’d definitely make it again. 🙂
So glad everyone enjoyed it! Love the walnut and pumpkin subs!
Fantastic salad recipe for winter! Whole family enjoyed it, and I will make it again, for sure!
I love broccoli and I’m always looking for more ways to cook it. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Yay! You’re going to love it! It’s so delicious!
This broccoli salad looks super tasty, definitely can see it being a great holiday meal.
I love all of the crunch in this broccoli salad. It’s perfect year round!