A classic, modernised – this vegan broccoli salad is made without mayo and has fresh, bright flavours. Roasted onions and broccoli florets, thinly sliced raw stems, lemon (preserved lemon if you have it), nuts, pomegranates, and raisins make up the salad. The broccoli and onions are roasted with warming spices so the end result is vaguely Levantine, light but packed with flavour.
Top it all off with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon or white wine vinegar and you’re set. I really like to use some of the brine from my preserved lemons for this salad, especially as I don’t buy lemons out of season.
It’s a great salad, soft, crunchy, sweet, savoury. We couldn’t stop eating it. If you have a head of broccoli hanging around, give it a try!
If you love broccoli or have lots on hand, try this vegan broccoli pizza crust or roasted broccoli and sweet potato lentil bowl.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Broccoli: this is a broccoli salad so I won’t give subs for it, but would like to note that this cauliflower salad is excellent if you prefer that. You could mix the two for this recipe.
- Red onions: sweet onion or shallots can replace the red onion if preferred.
- Hazelnuts: use any nuts or seeds you like. These can be toasted for a stronger flavour.
- Add-ins: any dried fruit can be used in place of raisins, and here are parsley substitutes. If you don’t have preserved lemon, use fresh as outlined in the recipe.
Recipe Notes
The salad is so easy, and so flexible (see below for substitutions). While the broccoli florets roast, you quickly prep everything else – i.e. put it into a bowl – and it’s ready to go as soon as the broccoli is. Including chopping time it’s less than 20 minutes altogether.
Serve the salad immediately for a nice hot/cold mix, or leave it to come to room temperature before serving. It’s great either way. At room temperature, the vegetables have had a bit more time to take on the lemon flavour and acidity. Served immediately, it’s a bit more of a mixed bag of flavours and every bite is different.
How to Store
Storage: leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Make Ahead: the salad is best served warm, but tastes good at room temperature too. If you want to make it ahead, you can do that a day in advance, but note that it isn’t as nice chilled. I would recommend prepping all the elements a day in advance but still roasting the broccoli right before serving.
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Expert Tips
- Choose green broccoli: the florets, the uppermost part of the broccoli, should be a fairly even dark green with no yellowing. If it’s yellow, it’s started to spoil and will taste off.
- Keep the stem: broccoli stem is quite sweet and crunchy, kind of similar to kohlrabi. I love the stems. They should be peeled, but make a nice addition to the salad and can also be steamed or roasted as you would usually cook broccoli.
More Warm Salads
Roasted Carrot Salad with tahini and lentils
Pumpkin Salad
Asparagus Potato Salad
Moroccan Roasted Vegetable Salad
If you make this Vegan Broccoli Salad or any other vegetarian sides on Occasionally Eggs, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more OE, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, purchase the Occasionally Eggs cookbook, or subscribe for new posts via email.
Vegan Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
Roasted Broccoli
- 1 large head of broccoli florets only (reserve stem)
- 1 small red onion cut into wedges
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste
Salad Ingredients
- Broccoli stem peeled and julienned
- 40 grams hazelnuts roughly chopped, or other seeds/nuts
- 60 grams raisins
- ¼ pomegranate seeds only
- ¼ peel preserved lemon or zest and juice of 1 lemon
- Handful of chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for topping
- Extra lemon brine from preserved lemons or fresh juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
- Cut the broccoli florets into smaller pieces (this is purely to shorten cooking time). Add to a large baking sheet with the onion, olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne.1 large head of broccoli, 1 small red onion, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Mix the vegetables well to coat in the oil and spices, then roast for about 15 minutes, or until the edges are crisp and golden.
- While the broccoli is roasting, prepare the rest of the salad. Either julienne or roughly grate the broccoli stem and place it into a large bowl with the nuts, raisins, pomegranate, lemon peel or zest, and parsley. Set aside.Broccoli stem, 40 grams hazelnuts, 60 grams raisins, 1/4 pomegranate, Handful of chopped parsley, 1/4 peel preserved lemon
- Once the roasted broccoli is finished, add it to the bowl with the other ingredients. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and a bit of preserved lemon brine or lemon juice and mix well.Extra lemon brine, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Serve immediately or wait and serve at room temperature. This salad keeps well for a couple of days refrigerated in a sealed container, but is best served warm.
* For American cup measurements, please click the pink link text above the ingredient list that says ‘American’.
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
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