Vegan Broccoli Salad made with a delicious blend of broccoli, red grapes, toasted slivered almonds and a tangy, creamy dressing. It's perfectly crunchy, creamy, sweet, and savoury and great for making ahead!
PREP TIME: 15 minutesminutes
COOK TIME: 2 minutesminutes
Optional resting time for flavours to meld 30 minutesminutes
TOTAL TIME: 47 minutesminutes
Servings: 8as a side
Ingredients
½ cup (55grams)slivered or flaked almonds, or pumpkin or sunflower seeds for nut-free
2 headsbroccoli
2 heaping cups (about 340grams)red grapes
For the dressing
¾ cup (150 grams)vegan mayonnaise, see the FAQs for alternatives
1½tablespoonsDijon mustard
1tablespoonwhite wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
¼of a small clovegarlic, finely grated/minced
2 tablespoonsfreshly squeezed lemon juice
½teaspoonfine sea salt, see recipe notes
½teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper, see recipe notes
OPTIONAL 1tablespoonmaple syrupor 2 teaspoons white/cane sugar. (See recipe notes)
INSTRUCTIONS
Warm a small pan over a medium heat and add the slivered almonds. Keep them moving around the pan for a 2 to 3 minutes until they smell really nutty and toasty and are turning golden. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Cut the broccoli into bite sized florets. Cut the stalks into thin matchsticks too if you don't want to waste them. Wash thoroughly and shake dry or use a salad spinner. Put in a large salad bowl.
Wash the grapes, dry them well and cut them all in half.
In a small bowl mix up the dressing ingredients until well combined and smooth.
Toss the dressing through the broccoli making sure to coat it all very well, then add the grapes and stir them through gently. Adding the grapes after the broccoli has been coated helps to keep them looking good and stop them from getting squashed.
Leave the salad to sit for at least 30 minutes so the broccoli can tenderize a little in the acidic dressing and so the flavors meld together.
Sprinkle over the toasted almonds just before serving.
NOTES
A couple of ingredient notes:
MAPLE SYRUP/SUGAR - Adding this is optional and the amount you need will depend on what brand of vegan mayonnaise you use. This dressing needs a tiny touch of sweet but some mayos are sweeter than others. You might find you don't need any or you might need less or a little more. Add it to taste very gradually at the end.
SALT & PEPPER - It is important to slightlyover-season the salad dressing because it's going to be mixed through a lot of unseasoned broccoli. By the time this happens the seasoning will be perfect.
MAKING AHEAD & STORAGE - This Vegan Broccoli Salad keeps well for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Keep in an airtight container and stir well before serving. Store the toasted nuts in a separate airtight container and add just before serving to conserve their crunch.