Vegan Broccoli Salad Recipe with Quinoa
Looking for a delicious, healthy salad? Look no further than this quinoa broccoli salad recipe! Packed with nutrients and flavor, this dish is sure to please everyone at your next potluck or around the dinner table. This easy broccoli salad recipe is also a great addition to your Daniel Fast meal plan.
The main difference between regular broccoli salad and this broccoli salad recipe (besides leaving out the bacon bits) is in the homemade oil-based dressing. Instead of using a prepared dressing or one that contains mayonnaise, you'll be flavoring with oil and your plant-based ingredients.
Here's one of the best broccoli salad recipes for strictly plant-based eating; we're sure you'll enjoy it!
Tasty Quinoa Vegan Broccoli Salad Recipe
4-6 servings
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1 lb broccoli florets
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup dried cranberries
2 green onions, sliced
Dressing
1/3 cup avocado oil (or olive oil)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional)
Cook quinoa according to package directions and allow to cool.
Wash broccoli thoroughly and cut it into bite-size broccoli florets.*
Combine broccoli, chopped red onion, chopped red bell pepper, and quinoa in a large bowl.
In a separate small bowl, combine avocado (or olive) oil, garlic powder, salt, and dijon mustard (optional) and whisk until combined.
Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and toss until thoroughly coated. Add sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and green onions.
Allow the salad to sit for at least an hour for the best flavor and texture, or it can be served immediately.
*To save time, you can use packaged pre-cut raw broccoli florets or broccoli slaw. Frozen broccoli is not recommended.
Benefits of Fresh Broccoli
Broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables, but it has to be cooked just right. When you steam broccoli, it can go from crunchy to mushy in seconds.
On the other hand, raw broccoli can be a bit rubbery and difficult to chew.
This vegan quinoa broccoli salad is the perfect compromise. Although the broccoli is raw, the oil softens the vegetables after it's had the opportunity to sit, giving it the perfect texture.
Fresh broccoli has many nutritional benefits, including:
dietary fiber
Vitamin C
antioxidant-rich
And broccoli also provides a good amount of vitamins A, K, B6, folate, potassium, and magnesium.
Scientific research has even shown that a high intake of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower may reduce cancer risk because of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.
For another of my favorite ways to serve broccoli, be sure to check out the roasted broccoli recipe below.
More Veggie Recipe Posts You Might Like:
Roasted Chickpeas Recipe
Why Include Quinoa?
Quinoa is an excellent source of plant-based protein. It's also packed with fiber, B vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals like iron, manganese, and zinc.
Adding quinoa to this vegan broccoli salad increases the amount of protein per serving without sacrificing flavor. Plus, it adds a bit of texture to the dish that pairs well with the crunchy broccoli.
What Makes a Broccoli Salad Vegan?
First, you may be wondering what the difference is between a regular broccoli salad and a vegan broccoli salad. After all, this is a vegetable recipe!
Although the base of the salad is broccoli, which is great for all types of eaters, many broccoli salads call for crisp bacon, cheddar cheese, and other animal-based products.
You also have to check into a creamy homemade dressing. Most creamy salad dressing contains mayonnaise or miracle whip (both made from eggs). Others contain ingredients like plain greek yogurt.
That's all good if you're eating everything. However, you can make this a vegan recipe with just a couple of adjustments.
Others may be on a Daniel Fast. In this case, you're not just trying to eat vegan. You also want to avoid sugar or vinegar. Many dressing recipes call for adding white sugar and apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
Vinegar is traditionally avoided on a Daniel Fast because it's fermented and may contain trace alcohol or yeast.
But never fear; this vegan broccoli salad is still delicious. The dried cranberries taste sweet, and the red onion provides a tangy flavor. With a few modifications, you can take a standard broccoli salad dressing or recipe and make it work for your meal plan.
Ingredients in Vegan Broccoli Salad Recipe
Need a quick shopping list for your broccoli salad recipe? This particular broccoli salad recipe calls for the following.
Broccoli Salad Ingredients
Broccoli
Quinoa
Red Bell Pepper
Red onions
Sunflower seeds
Dried cranberries
Green onions
Plus ingredients for the homemade dressing (which you may already have on hand in your pantry)
Salad Dressing Ingredients
avocado oil (or olive oil)
garlic powder
sea salt
Dijon mustard (optional)
Would you like to add other veggies? Pretty much any crunchy raw vegetable will make a good addition to this salad.
You could also sub or add almonds for a delicious addition.
How to Make Broccoli Salad
Making this recipe is pretty straightforward, but here are a few tips and answers to questions you might have.
Should you blanch the broccoli for this salad?
Blanching means boiling the broccoli briefly and then plunging it into an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
It's a great way to cook broccoli and remove the raw "edge." You can blanch your broccoli for this salad, but it's optional. The oil will soften the broccoli slightly.
Cut your broccoli into bite-sized pieces.
Have you ever tried to crunch up a huge piece of broccoli? No fun! So, make sure to cut the broccoli into bite-sized pieces. This will make it easier (and more enjoyable) to eat.
Let your broccoli salad sit before serving.
As we hinted above, another tip to make this broccoli salad even better is to allow it to sit about an hour before serving. Although you're not using a creamy dressing, the oil-based broccoli salad dressing will add flavor and soften the broccoli after it's had a chance to sit.
How to Serve Broccoli Salad
This vegan broccoli salad is great served as a side dish. It's also perfect as a main meal, especially if you serve it with additional plant-based protein like marinated or roasted chickpeas.
You can cook up additional quinoa, and serve your broccoli salad over it for more substance.
It also makes a great addition to your lunchbox. Just toss in some greens and top with your favorite plant-based protein and a little additional salad dressing, You'll have a delicious vegan lunch.
How Long Does Broccoli Salad Last in the Fridge?
You can store broccoli salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Keep in mind, the texture will change over time.
Enjoy!
Vegan easy broccoli salad is a tasty, nutritious dish everyone will like. Enjoy the crunchy sweetness of this colorful salad and feel good knowing that you are eating clean and healthy ingredients. Unprocessed food never tasted so good! Bon appetite!