Sharing a recipe for the best dairy-free broccoli salad. This is the perfect side dish for dinners, delicious leftovers for lunch, and an awesome healthy summer BBQ or potluck side dish.
Hey friends! How’s the day going so far? We’re back in town after a trip to Phoenix for Nationals, and have a mountain of laundry + have some virtual 1:1 appointments.
For today’s post, I thought I’d share a summer side dish recipe! Whenever we have friends over during the summer, finding recipes for the *fun* stuff like appetizers and desserts is always super easy. I always like to make sure we have some kind of salad or vegetable, and am always looking for new favorites. Mia recently shared her favorite broccoli salad recipe with me and I knew I had to post it here on the blog! It lasted about 15 minutes in our house.
I accidentally found out that the girls love raw broccoli when we were low on groceries and I was running out of options while packing their lunch + snacks for school. I’ll typically roast broccoli with dinner and they tend to be pretty meh about it. I needed one more spot to fill in their lunch bento boxes, so I added some raw chopped broccoli. When I picked them up, they both said how much they loved the broccoli in their lunch, and I’ve been adding it ever since. This broccoli salad was a HUGE hit in our house – we each had a bowl and it was gone.
Broccoli salad is a great source of fiber and vitamins. It’s also dairy-free, and includes blanched broccoli, which still has a crunch, but can be easier to digest than raw. You simply mix all of the ingredients into a bowl and enjoy! It’s also a versatile recipe; feel free to customize it as you like. You can swap out the almonds for another type of nut, or use a different type of dried fruit (like dried cranberries or raisins) instead of the dates. Just make sure that you don’t skip the celery seed, as it gives it a unique flavor and crunch.
The best dairy-free broccoli salad
Ingredients
1 head of broccoli (or a 12 oz bag of pre cut florets)
Avocado oil mayo (Chosen foods, Sir Kensington or homemade. I like to make my own, or order Sir Kensington from Thrive Market)
Maple syrup (or honey) for a little bit of sweetness
Celery seed – don’t omit this ingredient!
Salt & pepper, to taste
Onion powder
Red onion
Apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
Toasted, sliced almonds or pecans (you can also use walnuts, sunflower seeds or cashews)
Chopped dates
Bacon, cooked until crispy and chopped, optional (I used turkey bacon and it was SO good)
Instructions
Step One
Chop the broccoli into florets. Fill a 2 qt saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Salt the water and drop in the raw broccoli florets into the pot. Set a timer for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice and cold water. Set next to the stove. When the timer ends, skim the broccoli from the hot water and submerge into the ice bath. Let stand in the ice bath for 5 minutes.
Step Two
Remove broccoli from the ice bath and allow it to drain on paper towels or a clean kitchen cloth.
Step Three
In a large bowl, combine mayo, maple syrup, celery seed, salt, black pepper, onion powder, chopped onion, and vinegar. Whisk to combine.
Step Four
Add broccoli and stir to coat completely. Add toasted, sliced almonds and chopped dates. Next, add the optional bacon if you’re using bacon.
Step Five
Chill the salad until ready to serve. Can be made up to 4 hours before serving!
*Tip: to make this a fully vegan broccoli salad, use Vegan mayo and skip the bacon. I love serving this with some protein, like grilled chicken or fish.
How long is broccoli salad good in the fridge?
If you use blanched broccoli, which can be easier to digest than raw broccoli, it will keep for one day. If you choose to use raw (which absolutely works with this recipe!), it will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Here is the full recipe:
The best dairy-free broccoli salad
Cool and crispy salad that is perfect to pair with any protein. This salad is also easier to digest thanks to the blanched broccoli. Very versatile and easy to customize! Keep it low-carb by omitting the dried fruit or substitute raisins or diced apples for the dates. This dairy-free broccoli salad is the perfect summer side dish!
- Author: Gina Harney // The Fitnessista
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
1 head of broccoli, chopped into florets (or a 12 oz bag of pre cut florets)
½ cup avocado oil mayo (chosen foods, sir kensington or homemade)
1 tbsp maple syrup (or honey)
1 tsp celery seed
Salt & pepper, to taste
2 tsp onion powder
¼ cup red onion, finely minced
¼ cup apple cider or red wine vinegar
⅓ cup toasted, sliced almonds or pecans
¼ cup chopped dates
3 slices of bacon, cooked until crispy and chopped, optional
- Fill a 2 qt saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Salt the water and drop in the raw broccoli florets. Set a timer for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice and cold water. Set next to the stove. When the timer ends, skim the broccoli from the hot water and submerge into the ice bath. Let stand in the ice bath for 5 minutes.
- Remove broccoli from the ice bath and allow it to drain on paper towels or a clean kitchen cloth.
- In a large bowl, combine mayo, maple syrup, celery seed, salt, black pepper, onion powder, chopped onion, and vinegar. Whisk to combine.
- Add broccoli and stir to coat completely.
- Add toasted, sliced almonds and chopped dates. Bacon, optional.
- Chill the salad until ready to serve. Can be made up to 4 hours before serving.
The girls and I absolutely LOVED this one. If you’re looking for a delicious summer side dish, definitely give it a whirl!
So tell me, friends: what are some of your favorite summer recipes? Please link it up in the comments below!
xo
Gina
More summer recipes:
S’mores in a jar with vegan chocolate mousse