Vegan Broccoli Salad
Ligia Lugo
Published:
July 4, 2023
Last Modified:
May 8, 2024
Vegan Broccoli Salad- Chopped broccoli florets, matchstick broccoli stems, sweet apple pieces, red onion, raisins, and sunflower seeds are tossed in a sweet yet tangy dressing made with apple cider vinegar and maple syrup. This salad is fresh, simple to make, and surprisingly delicious!
Whether there is an Apple Hill or an Apple Valley around your home – get going! You can pick your own or buy a bushel.
Well, okay. The grocery store and farmer’s markets are full of apples too so it is all good.
I never met an apple I didn’t like. Especially fresh off a tree. We were lucky enough to live down the street from Apple Hill in Placerville, California.
If you know the area and Snows Rd. then you know what I mean by down the street. Long, steep, narrow and windy but there we were. Close to the very end.
Even though I had four apple trees in my yard I still bought a couple of bushels of two different varieties from my favorite farmer.
He lived at the top of the hill and had a much smaller farm than the ones that were mapped out for the visitors. I canned like crazy back then.
This vegetable and fruit salad can be made with your favorite apple although Granny Smith is probably too tart.
I used Gala for this apple broccoli salad but believe me there are so many great ones out there.
cropped black and white bowl filled with fresh fruits and vegetables.
Of course, broccoli always seems to be around but its true growing season is in the cooler weather.
Ingredients
For The Salad:
Broccoli – gives a great crunch and taste along with major health benefits.
apples – are fruity sweet and are the perfect flavor compliment.
red onion – is milder and sweeter than any other onion when eaten fresh.
raisins – are also sweet but there aren’t too many of them so the balance is just right.
sunflower seeds – aren’t used enough and they give extra taste and are even high in protein.
For The Dressing:
apple cider vinegar – is super healthy and the flavor is even better than red wine vinegar.
extra virgin olive oil – balances out the acidity of the vinegar.
garlic – adds a pungent seasoning for depth.
maple syrup – just goes so well with a mixed veggie and fruit salad.
salt and pepper – seems to be a seasoning necessity in almost every recipe in existence.
How To Make Apple Broccoli Salad At Home
To make homemade broccoli salad, you’ll want to break the process down into two parts, the salad and the dressing for the salad.
Wash your broccoli under running water, cut the florets from the stalks, and set the stalks aside. Cut the florets into small pieces and place them into a large bowl.
Cut the hard outer skin off for the stems to get to the more tender inside and discard the skin. Cut the inner stems into matchstick-like pieces. Add the matchstick broccoli pieces to the large bowl. Dice your red onion and apples and add them to the bowl with the broccoli, raisins, and sunflower seeds.
Now it’s time to make the dressing. Add all the dressing ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk until well combined. Once the dressing is mixed well, pour it over the broccoli apple salad, and toss it, coating everything evenly.
Chill the broccoli salad in the refrigerator until it is ready to serve.
How to pare broccoli stems
Fresh broccoli is easy to prepare. It’s just a matter of cutting with a knife.
People often wonder if they eat the steams. Yes, you do but after cutting away the hard outer part.
First, cut the stem off close to the florets.
Then stand it on it’s cut end or lay it on its side. Cut far into the stem until you get to the lighter pale green insides.
Roll on it’s just cut side and repeat the cut. Do this for the whole stem and you’re left with the tender inside the stem.
Slice the stem thinly as in julienne and then cut into shorter strips. Done.
Now cut close to the base for each floret. Cut those florets into smaller clumps for this salad. You can see none of them are very big.
Popular Substitutions & Additions
While this sweet and tangy salad is delicious as written, there are a few substitutions and additions you could make.
Nuts- If you don’t have sunflower seeds on hand or are looking for a different flavor, try using chopped walnuts, almonds, or pecans. You could also use roasted peanuts for a bit of a salty crunch.
Fruit- I like the sweetness that apples add to this salad, but if you don’t have apples, you could use pears, grapes, or mandarin oranges.
Veggies- You could also add in other chopped veggies such as carrots, celery, or radishes.
Cheese- For a great cheesy flavor, add vegan crumbled feta cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, or sprinkle on some nutritional yeast.
How To Reheat & Store Broccoli Apple Salad
This salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Broccoli apple salad is best served cold or at room temperature when you’re ready to eat it; give it a good stir and enjoy!
FAQ
Can I freeze homemade vegan broccoli salad?
I do not recommend freezing this salad as the broccoli will get mushy when thawed. If you have leftover broccoli that you won’t be able to eat within a few days, I suggest chopping it up and storing it in the freezer so you can use it for other recipes like stir fry or soup.
Vegan Apple Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 4 cups broccoli cut up and shredded (about 2 medium heads)
- 3 apples of your choice, diced right before you add them to the salad, I used Gala
- 1/4 cup onion red, diced
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds shelled
For the Dressing:
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup you could use up to 2 tablespoons
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
To prepare the salad:
- Wash broccoli under running water. Cut the florets from the stalks and set the stalks aside.
- Cut the florets into very small pieces. See the photo for a visual. Place in a large bowl.
- Cut the hard outer skin off of the stems to get down to the tender inside. Discard the outer peelings.
- Cut the tender inside stems into matchsticks. Or if you have a mandolin that would work well too. If your food processor has an attachment that will cut the stems into long strips (not grated) then that would work also. Scissors work too. The idea is to have very small sticks of raw broccoli stems. They will hold their shape.
- Add to the large bowl along with the florets. Add the apples, red onion, raisins and sunflower seeds.
To make the dressing:
- In a medium bowl whisk together all of the dressing ingredients.
- Add the dressing to the salad and toss. Chill until ready to serve.
Video
Nutrition
119 responses to “Vegan Broccoli Salad”
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Absolutely delicious. I’ve made this four times in two months because we have broccoli in the garden. Thanks so much for this recipe. -
I loved this recipe!!!, my daughter took it to her first day of school today and it made her day happier too!!!, thank you for sharing your recipe ♥️♥️♥️♥️ -
This is very good!!! You can use orange insted apple too. -
I noticed one person omitted the oil which is what I would do. Would I need to double the rest of the dressing ingredients to compensate?
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Probably Malina. I think it would need more if the oil was omitted.
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This might be my new favorite summertime cookout dish to share! I’m always looking for recipes that can stand to be out of the fridge for a little while. Also…love using the broccoli stems! The dressing was a perfect tangy sweet (though I did slightly reduce the oil and increase the vinegar to 1/3c of each as I’m watching my macros and I’d rather have extra sunflower seeds than extra oil). Thanks for a delicious combination of fresh flavors! -
What can I substitute with apple cider vinegar?
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A white wine vinegar will work very well Ada. Tarragon vinegar would be very good too.
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I took an improvisation approach, and had a great time concocting a modified version of your great recipe. I used raw broccoli and cauliflower, a golden delicious apple, dates instead of raisins, a scallion instead of red onion. It was a big hit! I will definitely make it again. I like that it lends itself to improvising, and being able to use what’s on hand. -
I’m making this for my church potluck tomorrow but I have a question. Will the apples brown if I put the salad together today and keep sealed in fridge?
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They might be ok for a day if you put them in an airtight container. I’d probably try and add apples the day off if at all possible.
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So Emily, you gave your recipe 5 stars.
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Just put this together to have for dinner later. It looks so good. I’ve topped with walnut pieces instead of sunflower seeds. I have been trying to up my vegetable intake the past month and this dish will truly satisfy. -
From a husband who really doesn’t like salads.. “OMG! This is absolutely delicious! I really like this! Put it on our rotation!” Yay! -
Loved this salad. Subbed the maple syrup with Agave Nectar and added sliced almonds to the salad.👌 -
I think I would double the dressing recipe, overall a delicious and refreshing salad. Just great. The grandkids enjoyed the salad too because I was told they love broccoli. -
I used dried cranberries instead of Raisins (bc it’s what I had on hand) and added 1 T honey. Very delicious on a hot summer day! -
can’t wait to make this! -
I made this with a few tweaks.
Added Craisins instead of raisins bc I had them on hand. Added 1 TBS of honey to the dressing. Excellent food for hot summer days! My husband works in a hot factory and he had this as side all week! -
I make my broccoli salad like this , but I add chopped walnuts, and also cranberries.
Everyone loves my broccoli salad.
I use a sheet dressing.
Make a day a head of time. -
I made this and also added some shredded fiesta cheese because I had it on hand. This will truly satisfy my craving for broccoli salad. I love it.and it will be even better tomorrow. I also used sweet onion and walnuts. I live alone so this will be for a few meals for the salad part of my meal. This recipe is a keeper. I am not vegan but healthy choices are important to me. -
Very good. I added shredded carrots. Will make it again & again!! Thank u for sharing. -
Delicious alternative to a mayo based dressing. I added some orzo because I had some left over. It made a nice dinner salad. -
Absolutely fantastic and delicious recipe. It is good even without the dressing, but the dressing is so tasty you really should add it! It makes me want to eat broccoli. I normally have made thr broccoli salad with creamy mayonnaise dressing and bacon bits. I actually liked this better. -
I made this salad for a family reunion. It appealed to us since several family members have allergies to eggs, dairy and gluten. It was a big hit! I kept strictly to the recipe, but only used half the amount of the dressing. It had a nice balance of sweet from the apple and maple syrup. Next time will add bacon to get the salty as well. This is a keeper!
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This is a delicious recipe, it has wonderful crunch and taste fantastic! -
Delicious. A wonderful addition to the summer menu. I’ve brought it to pot lucks and served it at a BBQ and have never had leftovers. Easy to adapt, I have added leftover home canned pears, dried cranberries when I was out of raisins, and chopped nuts instead of sunflower seeds. It’s good as written and with variation. -
I love this salad so much! I’m not a big fan of broccoli but I like it raw. Great for a side dish in summer with any grilled meat.
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Made the salad for Rosh Hashanah! Everyone liked it! my son was skeptical about trying the apple with broccoli. Once a picky eater no will try anything. Will be making it again next week. -
I’ve made this salad 3 times now and it’s one of our favourites. The dressing has a sweetness to it and but balanced out by the vinegar. My family asks for it all the time -
I’ve made this salad 4 times now for family dinners and it’s been a huge hit. I thought the dressing would be too sweet but it’s excellent and works perfectly with the bitterness of the broccoli and the sweetness of the apple. -
I took it to a dinner party and it was a total success. I live on an apple farm in apple country so it will be my go to salad from now on.
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This was so good. I added some match stitch carrots. Will save this to make often. -
So tasty and a great vegan substitute for the standard broccoli and bacon salad!
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