How do you cut broccoli for a broccoli salad?

Since the broccoli is going to be raw, you just want to use the florets and buds, not the woody stem. Start by slicing right where the florets start to branch off. You can keep some of the stem on (see photos for reference), but discard the rest. You'll end up with some very large florets, so you'll want to slice those in half or quarters until each piece is bite-sized.

Can you sub cauliflower for broccoli in a broccoli salad?

To be honest, I wouldn't. Raw cauliflower is much tougher than broccoli, so not only will it be harder to eat, but it also won't soak up nearly as much of the delicious dressing. If you really want to add in cauliflower, I would suggest using cauliflower rice (or very finely chopped cauliflower) so it's easier to eat.

Vegan Broccoli Salad with Tahini Mayo Dressing

Description

This is not your average vegan broccoli salad! It's packed with flavorful ingredients like dried cranberries, cheesy roasted sunflower seeds and a delicious tahini mayo yogurt dressing. It's the perfect side dish for summer entertaining and can be made a few days ahead of time!

Ingredients

Scale

Salad:

4 well packed cups small broccoli pieces, stems removed (~2 small-medium heads of broccoli)
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Dressing:

1/2 cup plain nondairy yogurt
¼ cup vegan mayo
3 tbsp tahini
1 ½ tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp white miso
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 tsp fine grain kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Cheesy Roasted Sunflower Seeds:

1/2 cup raw, unsalted sunflower seeds
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 250˚F/120˚C.
Toss 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds with 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1 tbsp olive oil, and 1/4 tsp salt. Spread on a parchment lined tray and bake on the middle rack for 25 minutes, making sure to stir every 6-7 minutes.
Whisk together the dressing ingredients. That includes 1/2 cup plain dairy-free yogurt, 1/4 cup vegan mayo (or more yogurt if vegan mayo isn't your thing), 3 tbsp tahini, 1 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 2 tsp mild white miso, 2 tsp apple cider vinegar, 3/4 tsp fine grain kosher salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and 1/2 tsp garlic powder.
(5) Chop or break broccoli florets into 4 cups worth of small, bite-sized pieces, removing most of the stem. Add to a salad bowl with 1 cup of thinly sliced celery, 1 cup of shredded carrots, 1/2 cup of dried cranberries and cheesy sunflower seeds.
Pour the dressing over and toss well to coat.
Refrigerate the salad for 1-2 hours before serving (optional), stirring occasionally, to let the broccoli soak up the dressing. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.

Notes

Broccoli: We've found that 4 cups of florets is roughly equal to two full small-medium heads of broccoli. Be sure to chop the broccoli into pretty small, bite-sized pieces. Nobody wants to chew on a massive hunk of raw broccoli! The smaller the florets, the more they'll soak up the dressing.

Cheesy sunflower seeds: these add a ton of flavor to this vegan broccoli salad, but if you're short on time, you can sub with store-bought pre-roasted and salted sunflower seeds.

Storage: this vegan broccoli salad will keep well in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Be sure to store in a sealed container to prevent it from stinking up your fridge!

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Salads
Method: No cook
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size:
Calories: 195
Sugar: 11.3 g
Sodium: 353.3 mg
Fat: 11.2 g
Carbohydrates: 20.4 g
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 5.2 g