Creamy Vegan Broccoli Salad
This vegan broccoli salad is so good because it’s a no-cook, low-fat recipe that’s incredibly easy to prepare. Packed with fresh, crunchy vegetables and a tangy dressing, it’s a nutritious and delicious dish perfect for any meal!
This delicious broccoli salad is so creamy and light, that even broccoli haters will like it. Broccoli salad lovers will never realize it has a fraction of the fat and calories of the traditional recipe they are used to.
I love green salads and this Napa cabbage salad and our vegan country coleslaw are more of my favorite healthy salad options, and they are great vegan side dishes for picnics and outdoor cookouts too!
Reasons you will love this broccoli salad
- Crunchy and Fresh: This vegan broccoli salad offers a delightful crunch from fresh broccoli, seeds, and nuts, making it a refreshing and tasty side dish.
- Great for Gatherings: With a tangy, creamy dressing and a mix of colorful veggies, this broccoli salad is both flavorful and versatile, perfect for picnics, potlucks, or everyday meals.
- Easy to Make: Simple and quick to prepare, this salad can be made ahead of time, making it a convenient and delicious addition to your weekly meal plan.
Ingredients needed
- Broccoli- Use a combination of broccoli florets and shredded broccoli slaw precut in a bag.
- Onion- I love to add purple onion to my broccoli slaw for the delicious taste and extra pop of color.
- Rasins & Dried Cranberries- I use both because raisins are sweet and cranberries are tangy.
- Seeds- Sunflower seeds add a perfect crunch to this salad.
- Vinegar- Use seasoned rice vinegar for a tangy zesty punch.
- Sweetener- I like to use less refined pure cane sugar. Date sugar is another good option.
- Low-Fat Vegan Mayo- I have included my easy-to-make vegan mayonnaise recipe.
Tips and substitutions
- Buy precut veggies- I love to buy the pre-shredded broccoli slaw in bags from the produce section at my local grocery store. It usually includes broccoli stalks, carrots, and purple cabbage. Having it in addition to the broccoli florets makes this a perfect salad.
- Cranberries- Make sure to use oil-free cranberries to reduce fat.
- Marinate- Making this at least 30 minutes ahead of time gives it time to marinate and enhances the flavors.
- Make ahead dish- This broccoli slaw salad can be made a day ahead.
- Soy allergies- If you need soy-free mayo, try this Soy & Oil-Free Vegan Mayo from Cooking with Plants.
How to make vegan broccoli salad
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
STEP #1: Cut broccoli florets and stems into bite-size pieces and dice purple onions. Better yet, buy one of the bags of florets already cut up to make this recipe even faster. Place them in a large bowl and add shredded broccoli slaw, raisins, cranberries, and sesame seeds.
STEP #2: In a small bowl, mix together low-fat egg-free mayo (recipe below), vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper to make the simple broccoli salad dressing. Whisk together until well blended.
STEP #3: Pour the broccoli salad dressing over broccoli and other ingredients and mix thoroughly. Let stand for about 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to blend.
I am often asked which knives I use personally, and I have to say that it is Victorinox. They are the same company that makes Swiss Army Knives and the quality is excellent.
Frequently Asked Questions
I highly recommend making the vegan mayonnaise recipe because it is surprisingly delicious in this recipe as well as on sandwiches and wraps. If you are in a rush and are not avoiding oil, a store-bought brand will also work.
Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days depending on how fresh your broccoli is.
Yes, you can prepare vegan broccoli salad ahead of time. It actually tastes better after the flavors have had a chance to meld together. Simply store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!
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Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
Broccoli Salad
- 3 cups broccoli florets cut into bite sizes
- 2 cups shredded broccoli salad I buy the prepackaged in a bag
- 1/2 cup purple onion diced
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds optional
- 1/3 cup low-fat mayo recipe below
- 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespooon sweetener turbinado or sucanat work great
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Low-Fat Mayo
- 1 block silken tofu, shelf-stable firm or silken both work well
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon sugar sucanat, turbinado, etc.
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Start by making the tofu mayo. Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. If you're using shelf-stable tofu (which I recommend), there's no need to press it since it's not packed in much water. Makes approximately 1 quart and keeps in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.
- Cut broccoli florets and stems into bite-size pieces. Dice onions. Better yet, buy one of the bags of florets already cut up to make this recipe even faster.
- Transfer to a large bowl and add shredded broccoli slaw, raisins, oil-free cranberries, and sesame seeds.
- In a small bowl, mix together low-fat mayo (recipe below), vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Whisk well.
- Pour over broccoli and other ingredients and mix thoroughly. Let stand for about 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to blend.
Video
Notes
- Buy precut veggies- I love to buy the pre-shredded broccoli slaw in bags from the produce section at my local grocery store. It usually includes broccoli stalks, carrots, and purple cabbage. Having it in addition to the broccoli florets makes this a perfect salad.
- Cranberries- Make sure to use oil-free cranberries to reduce fat.
- Marinate- Making this at least 30 minutes ahead of time gives it time to marinate and enhances the flavors.
- Make-ahead dish- This broccoli slaw salad can be made a day ahead.
- Storage- Keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for approximately 5 days.
- Soy allergies- If you need a soy-free mayo, try this Soy & Oil-Free Vegan Mayo from Cooking with Plants.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
This is delicious! So much better than I remember 😋 I didn’t have any broccoli slaw, so I grated some carrots instead. Absolutely wonderful and so easy to throw together. Thanks Terri!
Hi. Can I substitute lemon juice or something else for the dijon mustard in the mayo? So many vegan recipes call for dijon mustard and I don’t really care for the taste. Thanks!
I’m not a big fan of dijion mustard on its own either, but you really can’t taste it in the mayo recipe. Maybe give it a try with dijion, even if you reduce the amount the first time. I’m betting you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Otherwise, try substituting stone ground mustard.
Easy and excellent! I didn’t have cranberries on hand, but I substituted golden raisins and it worked out well. This would be a yummy picnic dish, too 🙂
THIS was wonderful! I had ordered the natural cranberries just for the recipe. It was a huge hit with my friend who made me an all WFPB Christmas dinner! And my meat eating husband liked it as well. This is a keeper!
Deborah- WooHoo! So glad everyone enjoyed it. I made two batches of this broccoli salad this week for Christmas functions we went to. It went over great for our crowds too. 🙂
When you mention to drain the tofu……..,,that is just for the firm tofu NOT the silken….correct? So excited to make this for Thanksgiving…I loved broccoli salad before I became vegan (almost 8 years) and your recipe really caught my eye.
Hi June- It really depends on the tofu–whether it’s the shelf-stable box type or the kind found in the refrigerator section of the grocery store. The shelf-stable silken type hardly has any water in it at all, but the refrigerator silken tofu has lots of water. The goal is to remove any excess water, so if yours is the kind that is packed pretty dry, there’s no need to press it or anything. Hope this helps and that you enjoy the mayo!
I had been looking for some ways to make a Broccoli salad, and your recipe was actually very good. Thanks a lot for creating something like this with Broccoli, me and my wife loved it.
I’m so glad that you and your wife enjoyed the Broccoli Salad. Thanks so much for letting me know!
This recipe was delicious. My husband is now requesting it over the Holidays. What a great way to get cruciferous vegetables!
Yay! That’s so awesome to hear. I love that it’s a combination between broccoli florets and shredded broccoli, and the creamy tangy dressing makes it a keeper at my house too. Thanks so much for letting me know that you all enjoyed it.
Do you know if you could freeze the leftover mayo?
Unfortunately, the mayo won’t freeze well. However, you could just make a 1/2 batch at a time. The other 1/2 of the tofu would be great to use with my chocolate mousse recipe.
Would this be raw Cranberries or Craisins? Thank you so much
You really could use either raw or craisins. Most of the time I use raisins too. Enjoy!
When you say raw, do you mean fresh or does that refer to something else, like dried but not sweetened and hence “raw”? I have fresh, uncooked cranberries, but I can’t help but think they would be too sour for this.
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Also, I have a package of kohlrabi salad I want to use (just kohlrabi in slivers, like broccoli slivers in broccoli salad); do you think that could substitute well for the broccoli salad in this recipe?
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Finally, I am tempted to lightly steam the veggies for a few minutes; do you think doing so would work well for this recipe?
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Thank you for the recipe and for all the advice!
Amelia- For this recipe, raw and fresh from the produce section is what is needed. I haven’t tried kohlrabi salad before, so I’m not sure. It’s certainly worth a try. I wouldn’t steam the veggies. It’s the raw crunch that makes this salad so delicious. Hope you enjoy it!
For the mayo, is that a 16oz block or an 8oz block?
I usually use the 12.5 oz shelf-stable box, but produce section type of tofu will work as well.