Vegan Broccoli Salad with Tahini Poppy Seed Dressing (VIDEO)

I hope you'll make this recipe soon. If you do, please tag me #innichka_chef on Instagram, Facebook, Patreon, or Pinterest.

I’ve always liked the broccoli salad that’s traditionally made with bacon, raisons, red onion, and poppy seed dressing. I never made it myself, but I would always eat it if I saw it at potluck. This vegan broccoli salad is absolutely delicious, and you won’t miss the bacon at all! I can’t get enough of it, my children love it, and even my picky-eater husband (who never eats raw broccoli) ate the salad!

This salad is super simple to make, and it can stay in your fridge for a week. It’s a great summer lunch! Broccoli gives it a great crunch, raisins give it a touch of sweetness, sweet peppers brighten up the dish, and toasted almonds give the salad that little extra charm. And as if all that weren’t enough, the most delicious part of the salad is the dressing! The tahini-poppy seed dressing is creamy, sweet, and tangy with just a hint of nutty flavor.

What is Tahini?

Tahini is a sesame seed paste, and it has become quite popular in the US over the last 10 years. In the Middle East, this ingredient is a staple, much like peanut butter for Americans. Tahini has so many uses in the kitchen: baked goods, dipping sauces, hummus, and so on.

Sesame seeds and poppy seeds are superfoods. Sesame seeds are full of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. They’re so oily that they even feel oily when you rub them between your fingers. They’re also loaded with vitamin E, an antioxidant that supports the heart. It’s no surprise that research shows this tiny seed can play a big role in the health of your circulatory system. And did you know that sesame seeds also have more calcium than milk?

I hope you give this recipe a try, and I promise you are going to make this salad again and again!

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes

Author: Inna of innichkachef.com

Serves: 4 as a meal or 6 as a side dish

Salad Ingredients

3 small heads of broccoli with stems

1 cup chopped sweet pepper

⅔ cup raisins

1 cup roasted almonds

Dressing Ingredients

⅓ cup tahini

½ cup olive oil

Juice of 1½ lemons

1 teaspoon pink salt

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

2 teaspoons raw honey

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (with “mother”)

Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

⅓ cup water (I didn’t use it in the video, but I usually add it to achieve prefect creamiest)

Ingredient Notes

Apple Cider Vinegar

The rust-colored sediment at the bottom of the apple cider vinegar bottle is called “the mother,” and its good stuff. Make sure you always shake the bottle before every use. You want that stuff. Apple cider vinegar “with Mother” is not only good for you because fermented food has tons of good bacteria for your gut, but the fermentation can naturally preserve and keep your dressing fresh for a longer period of time.

Directions

1. Roast your almonds if they are raw: place them on a baking sheet and roast them for 10 minutes at 350F. Let them cool, then chop them up.

2. Cut up the broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Peel the stems and cut them up, too.

3. Mix all salad components in a bowl and set aside.

4. For the dressing, add all ingredients to the blender and pulse for 30 seconds or so until everything looks creamy. Scrape the sides of the blender with a spatula and pulse again. Check if you like the consistency. If it’s thicker than you want, add water a little bit at a time until it’s the right consistency.

5. Pour dressing over the salad and mix well.

6. Refrigerate for a couple hours before eating.

Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

You can make the dressing ahead of time and keep it in your fridge for up to a week. It’s good to dress up any greens like kale, baby Bok choy, and arugula.

This salad is better the next day. If you have to serve it the same day, let it sit at least 2 hours in the fridge to seal in the flavor and soften up the raw broccoli. It can stay fresh for a week in the fridge.

I hope you'll make this recipe soon. If you do, please tag me #innichka_chef on Instagram, Facebook, Patreon, or Pinterest.