Easy Vegan Broccoli Salad

Welcome spring with this easy vegan broccoli salad recipe that combines sweet and crunchy ingredients in a delicious light dressing. It's a twist on my grandma's recipe, veganized for a healthier version. It takes only minutes to make!

I love broccoli, and I could eat it every day! Yes, I'm a bonafide broccoli fanatic. So, craving salad and broccoli, I remade one of my favorite recipes my grandma used to make. This easy vegan broccoli salad recipe is a spin on my grandma's recipe with a few slight changes and a much healthier, plant-based outcome.

Jump to:

• Superfood Broccoli Salad Recipe
• Vegan Broccoli Salad Ingredients
• Vegan Broccoli Salad Ingredient Substitutions
• How to Cook Broccoli for This Broccoli Salad Recipe
• How to Make the Best Vegan Broccoli Salad
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• Great Vegan Last-Minute Potluck Ideas
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

Superfood Broccoli Salad Recipe

Broccoli is high in many nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, and potassium.

Broccoli has a reputation as a superfood. It is low in calories but contains a wealth of nutrients and antioxidants that support many aspects of human health. Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable.

Additionally, raw broccoli contains almost 90% water, 7% carbs, 3% protein, and almost no fat.

Furthermore, broccoli is very low in calories, providing only 35 calories per cup, or 90 grams.

For example, the nutrition facts for 1 cup (90 g) of raw broccoli are:

• Calories: 35
• Protein: 2.3 g
• Carbs: 5.6 g
• Fiber: 2.2 g
• Fat: 0.3 g
• Vitamin C: 91% of the Daily Value (DV); Vitamin K: 77% of the DV
• Folate: 15% of the DV

Vegan Broccoli Salad Ingredients

• Broccoli: For this broccoli salad, I chose heads of broccoli, as it contains all florets, and I didn't want to waste the stems. However, you can use the stems if you want.
• Red Grapes: Red grapes are firm and sweet. Red grapes, also known as crimson or burgundy grapes, have a sweet and slightly tart flavor and are commonly used in fruit salads, jams, and jellies.
• Red Onion: Red onion is sweet and delicious, combined with the other ingredients.
• Chickpeas: I used canned chickpeas, drained, and rinsed.
• Celery: Celery adds a lovely crunch to the salad.
• Walnuts: Although an optional ingredient, walnuts add a crunchiness and an earthy taste.
• Lemon Juice: I prefer using fresh lemon juice whenever possible.
• Dijon Mustard: Dijon definitely has a distinctive mustard flavor, and is more intense, sharp, and complex than yellow mustard
• Cashew Mayo: I make homemade cashew mayo, but if you need a nut-free option, see the substitutions below.
• Maple Syrup: Maple syrup adds a sweet flavor without adding refined sugar.

Vegan Broccoli Salad Ingredient Substitutions

• Broccolini works well in the recipe. If you don't like broccoli, however, try cauliflower.
• Green grapes are an excellent substitute for red grapes. Or many people enjoy dried fruit, such as cranberries, cherries, or raisins.
• I like green onions in a broccoli salad recipe when I don't have red onions.
• Instead of chickpeas, try white beans such as navy beans, lima beans, butter beans, or cannellini beans.
• Fennel is often used as a substitute for celery in recipes. But fennel tastes faintly like black licorice.
• Pecans are similar to walnuts in salads.
• Or, skip the nuts for a nut-free option.
• If you don't have fresh lemon juice, choose bottle of lemon juice.
• Stone-ground mustard is very similar to dijon mustard.
• For nut-free vegan mayo, substitute white beans, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, or silken tofu for the cashews in the cashew mayo recipe.
• Use your favorite store-bought vegan mayo.
• Date syrup or agave nectar substitutes for maple syrup.

How to Cook Broccoli for This Broccoli Salad Recipe

Boiling

• In a large pot, add a teaspoon of salt and water (¾ full).
• Heat on high until a roaring boil.
• Add the broccoli florets.
• Boil for 3 minutes.
• Remove from the heat, and drain into a colander.
• Use cold water to run over the broccoli to cool it.
• Shake the colander and place wet broccoli onto dry towels or paper towels to remove excess water.

Blanching

• To blanch the broccoli, bring a pan of water to the boil.
• Have a bowl of iced water ready and a tray lined with kitchen paper.
• Cook the broccoli in the boiling water for 2-3 mins.
• Remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon and plunge it into the bowl of iced water, then leave for another 2-3 minutes.

Steaming Basket/Stovetop

• Add water to a large saucepan and place a steam basket into the pot. 
• Next, place broccoli into the steam basket. 
• Bring water to a boil and then cover the pot. 
• Let the broccoli steam in the pot for 4 minutes. 
• Remove from heat and enjoy. 

Microwave

For a swift and easy method, the microwave is a modern miracle for quick steamed broccoli.

• The microwave is a fast, smart way to steam broccoli. The only downside is that you have to open it up frequently.
• Add your freshly washed broccoli florets to a microwave-safe bowl.
• Don’t dry them off because you’ll want some water clinging onto them.
• It’ll drip into the bottom of the bowl; if you don’t see any there, add several tablespoons. This water will turn into steam.
• Cover the bowl with a microwave-safe plate.
• Microwave the broccoli on high heat, checking every 30 seconds for doneness. All in all, this should take about 3 minutes, although cook time depends on the size of your florets.

Roasting

Many people enjoy roasting broccoli for crispy rather than soft yet firm broccoli in the oven.

• Preheat the oven to 400°F and line with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
• Place the broccoli florets and lemon halves on the baking sheet.
• Spread evenly in a single layer on the baking sheet.
• Roast 15 to 22 minutes or until browned around the edges.

Air-Frying

Another crispy broccoli option is to air-fry the broccoli.

• Preheat the air fryer to 370 degrees.
• Place broccoli in the air fryer tray in a single layer.
• Air fry at 370°F for 8-10 minutes.
• Toss halfway through to promote even cooking.

How to Make the Best Vegan Broccoli Salad

Regardless of how you cook the broccoli, it takes very little time, and overcooking it happens quickly, so set a timer because 3-4 minutes happens swiftly.

• Cut the florets in similar sizes so they cook evenly.
• Salting water also helps it boil (slightly) faster. While salting water does increase the temperature at which it boils, the effect is so small that it has no impact on cooking time.
• Cool the broccoli completely before assembling the salad.
• Allow the broccoli to drain, and use towels or paper towels to remove excess water from cooking the broccoli.
• Once the broccoli is cool, transfer to a large bowl.
• Add the sliced grapes, red onions, walnuts, celery, chickpeas, and walnuts.
• Combine the cashew mayo, dijon mustard, lemon juice, maple syrup, and whisk together.
• Pour the dressing into the bowl and toss the ingredients in the bowl.
• Chill until ready to serve.

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• Steamed broccoli will keep for a few days in an airtight container in the fridge. If you're meal prepping and plan to reheat, undercook the broccoli a bit so that it doesn't turn to mush at lunchtime.
• While frozen broccoli is convenient, I don't recommend steaming it. Instead, it's best reserved for adding directly to soups and casseroles. 
• Cut the broccoli into florets up to 1 to 2 days ahead of time.
• Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
• Flash-freeze broccoli in a single layer on a baking sheet for a couple of hours before transferring it to a Ziploc bag. Store in the freezer for up to 6 to 8 months.
• Warm the broccoli back up in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals.

This easy vegan broccoli salad recipe is refreshing and delicious as a side dish or entree salad.

Great Vegan Last-Minute Potluck Ideas

If you love this vegan broccoli salad, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!

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