A truly delicious recipe for Creamy Vegan Broccoli Salad (using no mayo) made with raw broccoli, farmers market veggies and a Creamy Herby Hemp Dressing you will want to drink! (No hemp seeds? Try Cashews! )A delicious, healthy make-ahead salad, perfect for weekday lunches. Easy, packable and full of flavor! Vegan and Keto!
This Creamy Vegan Broccoli Salad is so good, it’s actually hard to tell it is vegan! It’s tossed in the most flavorful Herby Hemp Dressing- that you will seriously want to put on everything. The salad is a great way to use those farmer’s market salad turnips or radishes or other stray veggies in your fridge. Anything crunchy, raw and fresh- snow peas, matchstick carrots, jicama, etc…
By the way, my husband couldn’t tell it was vegan- not a clue-and ended up eating up all the leftovers the next day. I was actually a little sad about it.
You know it’s good when you are sad the leftovers are gone. 😉
What I love about this salad is how tasty it is, even a few days after making it. It seems to get even better.
Oh and FYI, if you are looking for more healthy vegan salads to pack up for work lunches make sure to look at these Make-ahead Vegan Salads!
How to make Broccoli Salad
Step one: Chop the veggies
The Broccoli Salad starts with broccoli and the veggies. Add 4 cups of fresh raw chopped fresh broccoli to a bowl. Chop it small!
Salad Turnips are nice here because they are crisp and watery and crunchy- but if you can’t find these, a couple of Turkish cucumbers would suffice.
Radishes add a nice bite- and watermelon radishes are especially pretty.
I love the addition of shredded purple cabbage here-not only a pretty contrast, but also adds good texture.
Thinly sliced red onion adds a nice bite.
Step 2: make the dressing
This delicious Herby Hemp Dressing makes the salad. Now, if you can’t get hemp hearts, not to worry, raw cashews work too!
The great thing about this Herby Hemp Dressing is both Vegan and Low carb.
And it can be used as a dip- see this post!
Step 3 Toss
Then just toss veggies with the dressing, coating everything well. Don’t be skimpy with the Hemp Dressing! Coat those veggies well.
Step four: Let it marinate
Allowing the salad to marinate 15-30 minutes before eating allows the flavors to meld and the broccoli to soften just slightly.
Step five: Garnish!
Serve up the salad with homemade microgreens if you like. An extra burst of nutrients! Broccoli sprouts are one of the most nutrient-dense things we can eat!
Sprinkle the salad with more hemp hearts– or sunflower seeds and add fresh herbs or sliced avocado on the side for extra heartiness. This how it turns into a meal. 😉
Trust me when I tell you how good you’ll feel after eating this. It is energizing and filling.
On the home front: It’s my birthday week, we’re here in Santa Barbara for the winter, and as a birthday gift, Brian got me a wetsuit. I’ve been looking at it for a couple of days nows now, trying to muster up the courage to squeeze into it. Honestly, I’m pretty terrified. Haha! 😉
But, at the same time looking forward to getting this old body back into the Pacific Ocean again, where I spend so much of my time growing up.
I’ve had such grand plans of learning how to surf while being down here, but perhaps I liked the idea of it more than the reality of it. So I’m taking it slowly and signed up for some lessons… I’ll keep you posted.
I’ve heard there are sharks around here, so if this is the last time you hear from me, you’ll have a clue of my fabulous, dramatic ending.
And just so know, it’s been amazing friends. All of it. 🥂
Hope your year is off to a good start.
xoxo
More broccoli recipes you may like:
- Creamy Broccoli Pesto Soup
- Roasted Broccoli Salad
- Pasta with Broccolini, Preserved Lemon and Chickpeas
- Broccoli Manicotti with Burrata
- Vegan Broccoli & Cheddar & Soup
- Broccoli Quinoa Cakes!
- Orecchiette Pasta with Broccoli Sauce
- Tofu Stir-Fry with Broccolini and Mushrooms
Vegan Broccoli Salad with Creamy Hemp Dressing
- Prep Time: 20
- Total Time: 20
- Yield: 6 cups
- Category: vegan, salad, keto
- Method: tossed
- Cuisine: American
Description
Creamy Vegan Broccoli Salad is so good, you won’t even realize it is vegan! Tossed in a creamy Hemp Dressing- it is easy, healthy and full of flavor! Vegan and Keto!
Ingredients
Herby Creamy Hemp Dressing:
- 1 cup hemp seeds (or sub 1/2 cup cashews)
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice ( 2 lemons)
- 2 tablespoon Apple Cider vinegar (or other pale vinegar)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional but tasty!)
- 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley ( or dill or basil, or a combo- and chives are nice too)
Broccoli Salad:
- 8 ounces chopped broccoli
- 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
- 1/4 cup finely sliced or diced red onion
- 1/2 cup sliced and quartered radishes (watermelon radishes are pretty)
- 1 cup sliced (or matchstick) salad turnips ( or sub sliced Turkish cucumber)
Garnishes: sunflower seeds or hemp seeds, avocado, sprouts, fresh Italian parsley leaves
Instructions
- Make the dressing: Place dressing ingredients (except parsly) in a blender and blend until very smooth. If you need a tablespoon more of water to get the blender going- so be it. Add the Parsley. Blend until chopped. Place in the fridge -this is best chilled. You can make this ahead, will last 3-4 days refrigerated. See notes below for cashews.
- Make the salad: Finely chop the broccoli and place in a large bowl -you should have about 4 cups. (Broccoli stems are ok, as long as they are finely chopped.) Add the cabbage, radishes, onion, turnips.
- Add most of the dressing (you will not need all- BUT at the same time, you want this really creamy and coated very generously!) Season the salad with more salt and pepper to taste.
- Before serving sprinkle with hemp or sunflower seeds, add sprouts, parsley leaves and avocado if you like.
Notes
Salad will keep 2-3 days in the fridge ( without the avocado).
THE DRESSING WILL MAKE MORE THAN YOU NEED for the salad, but I doubled it here so it blends more easily in a blender.
CASHEW SUB: If subbing cashews, blend cashews and water first until creamy. Then add remaining ingredeints. This works best with a high-speed blender. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, I recommend soaking the cashews in water ( for 4 hours) so they soften.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 122
- Sugar: 2.2 g
- Sodium: 215 mg
- Fat: 9.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.1 g
- Fiber: 2.3 g
- Protein: 5.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
So good, so healthy, and broccoli can be grown in California all year long ~ Thank you!
Thanks so much Daniella- so happy you like this one!
Hi Sylvia,
I live in NZ and absolutely love your site!
Being a vegetarian I decided to try this recipe, however it had a bitter after taste – is this how it should taste? I made it the night before and had it for lunch……not sure if I would make it again, but glad I tried it!
Would be good to get your feedback, many thanks
Megan
Perhaps taste the oil you used? Sometimes the oil can be bitter?
Do you not think if it was the oil it would have been bitter tasting in the beginning?
This was the first time I used hemp hearts, think I may try the cashews next time.
Thanks again,
Megan
Yes, so it either could be that or the hemp seeds which can go rancid. Cashews work great too!
I really like this recipe. It tasted so good right after I first made it. But when it sat overnight it got a very distinctly bitter taste. I couldn’t pinpoint where that was coming from- the dressing maybe? I used the hemp hearts. It’s my first time using those.
Hummmm…I’m not sure Helen, possibly? Sometimes olive oil can be bitter too.
The dressing (made with cashews) is soooo good! Thank you!
Great to hear!
Oh that green goddess dressing is so good! I made it with cashews. Fabulous on broccoli or any veggie ever!
Glad you liked it!
This salad is amazing, especially the dressing! I will definitely make this again.
Awesome Jay- great to hear!
This was awesome. Great blend of flavors. I also halved the dressing recipe and used an immersion blender – worked perfectly!
Great to hear Mariel- glad you enjoyed this!
Tasty, clean food. Great recipe. I added some chopped grapes and used kohlrabi in place of cabbage.
Love that Melissa- bet the grapes were good here!
Yum !!! This salad has a ‘bite’ to it that I just love, the tangy dressing makes it all come together and your tastebuds sing ! And I love all the glorious colors … So glad I have found your site, your recipes (so far) are super delicious !
Awesome! If you love the taste of mayonnaise-based salad dressings, you’ll love this dressing. I substituted matchstick cut carrots for the turnips. This is a fantastic salad to bring to potlucks.
I was reading your post today whilst meal planning to satisfy both keto and Mediterranean eating plans (your blog is a godsend btw–veggie driven eating yass girl). And I saw the post’s date was January 2020. Aren’t you glad you got out there and swam and surfed? Funny how sharks were probably the least of your worries in 2020. Here’s to a new year in 2021, and to swimming in new waters. And thank you for the recipe, we love the salad! It is nutritious and intersects both our ways of eating as we are reaching for new health goals this year.
Awwww… love this. You are right, what a year that was. Thanks so much. 🙂
So delicious! We put the dressing on broccoli salad, new potatoes and flank steak. Perfect on all three.
I have a question. I finally found watermelon radishes at my market. Do you peel them first? They are very pretty but much larger than I expected. BTW, I love all of your recipes. You are the only food blogger that I follow anymore.
I scrub but don’t peel. 🙂 I always look for smaller ones, so feel free to sliced those into half moons or quarters if too big. 🙂
What a genius update to one of my favorite old school recipes! It is perfect in every way!
I’m new to your blog but so thankful I found you! I’m a nutritionist but not a chef, so I’m always looking to sharpen my skills. Thank you so much for this recipe!!! So delicious! The dressing is amazing and will be a great addition to so many salads! I substituted the veggies with what I had on hand: broccoli slaw, carrots, celery, sweet bell pepper and zucchini. I can’t wait to make it as directed for the full experience! Thank you for your incredible work. I’ll be sharing your blog with my plant-based loving friends!! 💕
thanks Jill!
Can I use English cucumber since I cannot find Turkish cucumber or salad turnips?
Of course!
Another winner!! This is so tasty and fresh! I’ve been looking for a good vegan ranch dressing and haven’t been happy with any. While this dressing recipe isn’t ranch, I am going to make this for a green salad dressing too! Thank you for such a healthy delicious side dish!
Glad you liked this!
really excited to make this recipe, question about the dressing… the 1 cup of hemp seeds are to be used as decorative tossing or they go into the blender as well. we cannot get them where i live only hemp oil. thanks for clarifying
melissa
Hi, They all go in the blender- but you can sub 1/2 cup raw cashews if you cant find the seeds.
Yum! I love this dressing. I am starting to add it as a dressing to so many of my favourite salads!
Question: would you consider adding a choice of changing the measurement system to metric? I see many other US food blogs have that option. That would be so much appreciated.
Anyway, I wish you well and healthy during these difficult times.
Hi Emilie- We are hoping our recipe plug-in will start offering this soon. Keeping our fingers crossed.
I LOVED this salad. I had to resist the urge to eat too much at once because I didn’t want to accidentally make myself sick of it. SO good. I kept the extra dressing and threw it in the freezer. I hope it’ll defrost alright because I couldn’t stand the thought of throwing it away.
Great way to get your serving of cruciferous vegetables!! The herby dressing is so good I could hide in the pantry while eating it up with a spoon 😂. If only I could find watermelon radish in central NY.
thanks Kristina- so happy you liked this!
I brought this salad to a meat-eaters’ pizza gathering, and even though I was happy with the taste (and appearance!), I was surprised that the bowl was empty within the hour. It was fun telling people who asked about the dressing that its main ingredient is hemp hearts, a seed, not a vegetable. For pops of color like the photo, I set aside a few slices of watermelon radish and purple cabbage to sprinkle on after the salad was dressed. I topped with microgreens and more seeds – it was as pretty as it was delicious. Will try salad turnips and snow peas in the next version I make with the leftover dressing.
Awwwwww great to hear and so happy everyone enjoyed this Crystal! Miss seeing your beautiful face around here – hope all is well with you!
You’re so sweet and that is sooo nice to hear, Sylvia! Loving it here but no love deeper than for Spokane. I’ve been meatless (except for occasional game) for years now, and now with a suddenly meatless partner, I am even more excited to work my way through your recipes. Thank you for your beautiful work.
Thanks Crystal!
Delicious! I will be making this salad time and again. This dressing is so versatile and adaptable. I’ve used whatever herbs I’ve had on hand and it has always been wonderful. . Ive made many of your recipes and I’ve loved loved loved all of them!! Thank you for sharing your talent Sylvia!!
Thanks Liza, so happy you liked it!
Hello Sylvia
one day I stumbled on one of your recipes , since then I am hooked , thank you for your
healthy simple and beautiful cooking !
one small question the broccoli in this recipe is not steamed or cooked ?
regards helena
Thanks so much Helena- Im so happy you are here! Yes, broccoli is raw!
I loved the dressing. So hearty but clean!
Yay!!! I’m so glad you liked it. I’ve been loving it too. 🙂