Vegan Broccoli Salad
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Make this quick and easy Vegan Broccoli Salad recipe for a majorly nutritious side dish with lots of flavor!
With tender steamed broccoli and a tangy dressing, this is the perfect accompaniment for meals from casual weeknight dinners to holiday feasts and makes a great summer salad.
Not sure what to serve with broccoli salad? My go to is something simple like this Slow Roast Chicken Recipe or these Baked Salmon Patties, but you can also make it a simple bowl dinner by adding some of this shredded Slow Cooker Lime Chicken.
Why you’ll love this vegan broccoli salad
- Good for you: With broccoli, sweet cranberries, and toasty pine nuts, this dish is packed with nutrition!
- It’s WARM! I don’t know about you, but I’m not crazy about cold broccoli salads, especially the creamy ones. This is the perfect dressed up side salad that’s still easy to throw together!
- Quick and easy: It will only take you 20 minutes from start to finish to make this side dish and if you’re serving it for the holidays or a dinner party, you can prepare it in the morning without having to worry about it getting soggy.
- Can be served as a main course: Mix in your protein of choice (chicken is my favorite for this one) to take this salad from a healthy side to a filling entree!
Steamed broccoli is a classic way to get veggies on the table easily, but if you’re looking for something a little more elegant and flavorful, this vegan broccoli salad with cranberries is the perfect choice!
It combines tender-crisp veggies with sweet cranberries and a homemade dressing for a 20-minute side that’s great for serving a crowd.
And if you need another fantastic side dish to bring along with you to a cookout, picnic, or potluck, this Summer Corn Salad or my Radish & Cucumber Salad are also excellent options. Bought too much broccoli? Make Air Fryer Broccoli and feta for another night!
Warm broccoli salad ingredients
Broccoli: I like to buy a nice head of fresh broccoli from the produce section of my grocery store! You’ll want to keep the stems in tact.
Dried Cranberries: These add some tart sweetness and add flavor to the broccoli. Golden raisins also work well.
Pine Nuts: Toasted pine nuts give this salad a warm, earthy undertone. You could also use sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or another kind of nuts like walnuts, almonds, or pecans.
Feta Cheese: Replace feta with goat’s cheese or blue cheese if you prefer, or use vegan feta cheese to make this salad properly vegan. You can also make this salad without any cheese at all!
For the Dressing
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: You’ll want a good quality olive oil here since you’re not cooking with it, it’s going to act as the base of your dressing.
Red Wine Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar is also a fine option.
Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves are best, but you can also use jarred minced garlic or garlic paste to save time.
Dijon Mustard: Adds a nice punch of flavor without being too overpowering.
Honey: To make this dish vegan, use maple syrup or agave nectar instead.
*For a detailed list of instructions, ingredients and measurements, please reference the recipe card down below.
Can I use frozen broccoli?
You can use frozen broccoli for this salad! If you’re using a microwavable steamer bag, you can soak the cranberries in hot water for a few minutes instead of adding them to the steamer pot.
How to make warm broccoli salad
- Steam Broccoli: Steam the broccoli for 5 to 7 minutes, or until fork tender.
- Add Cranberries: For the last 2 minutes of steaming, add the cranberries to help them re-hydrate. This will also make them sweeter.
- Make Dressing and Toast Nuts: Meanwhile in a separate mixing bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients. Toast the pine nuts in a pan over medium heat until golden brown.
- Chop Broccoli: Separate the broccoli from the cranberries and chop into smaller pieces.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the chopped broccoli with cranberries, toasted nuts, feta cheese, and dressing. Toss to combine and serve!
How to store
Allow the broccoli salad to cool down a bit to prevent excess water building up, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
The leftovers can be served cold, or you can let them sit at room temperature for a bit, or pop them in the microwave for a minute or two to serve hot again!
Make ahead tips
If you want to make your warm broccoli salad ahead of time, I recommend making it one day beforehand at most! Just heat it up when you’re ready, either in the microwave or in a pot or skillet over medium heat.
You can also use this recipe for meal prep if you like! Add some cubed chicken (I like grilled chicken) or air fryer tofu for some protein to make this a main course. I also love playing around with the flavors by adding diced red onion, green onions, vegan bacon bits, purple cabbage, sun-dried tomatoes (sub these for the cranberries), or raw cashews.
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Vegan Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
- 2 heads broccoli with steams, cut into large florets
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled*
Red wine vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup, optional*
Instructions
- Place the broccoli florets in a steamer basket and set over a pot with 1-inch of water. Bring the water to a simmer, cover, and let steam 5-7 minutes, until the broccoli is fork tender.Add the dried cranberries to the steamer pot with the broccoli during the last 2 minutes of cooking. This adds some life back into them and makes them juicier, a little sweeter, and more delicious to eat.Note: You want it to have a bit of a firm bite to it, if you cook it too long you will have mush.
- Meanwhile, heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts, tossing occasionally, until they are lightly toasted.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, grated garlic, salt, and pepper.
- When the broccoli is finished cooking, separate it from the cranberries and transfer it to a cutting board. Roughly chop the broccoli and then add it to a large mixing bowl with the cranberries, feta cheese, and toasted pine nuts. Add as much of the vinaigrette as you like and toss to combine. if you have any vinaigrette leftover it will last in the fridge up to a week.
- Serve warm or at room temperature and enjoy!
Notes
- If you want to add more crunch to your broccoli salad, you can toast 1/4 cup of panko bread crumbs in a pan with 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat and add them to the top of the broccoli salad.
- While the sweetener is listed as optional, I personally think this salad needs it to balance the tartness from the vinegar and dijon mustard but if you are on a low sugar diet, it will still taste good with out it!
- Feta cheese: you can use vegan or regular feta cheese depending on your dietary preferences.
