Vegan broccoli salad is super creamy, crunchy, and delicious! It's loaded with crisp broccoli florets, sweet grapes, red onions, crunchy pumpkin seeds, and tangy dried cherries that are tossed in cashew cream sauce. Complete your summer cookouts or party with this easy to make gluten-free and vegan side dish!
Have you tried the classic broccoli salad at Sweet Tomatoes? I used to love it before I went vegan, so I made a vegan version without mayo that tastes just as delicious! This version is so much better for you too, because it's free of refined sugar, oil, and bacon!
This raw vegan broccoli recipe is crunchy, creamy, and loaded with flavor! The refreshing salad features crisp broccoli florets, red onion, tangy dried cherries, sweet red grapes, crunchy pumpkin seeds, and it's all tossed in the creamiest cashew-based sauce. Believe me, this is the best vegan broccoli salad and it always gets rave reviews from everyone who tastes it! It's also the perfect cold vegan side dish to bring to a summer picnic, potluck, or BBQ!
Ingredients
The ingredients needed to make the salad are fairly simple and you probably already have most of the cashew sauce ingredients in your pantry right now. Let's go over a few important ingredients.
- Broccoli Florets - You only need the florets for this salad, but you could finely dice the stems and add them too if you like or freeze them and add to vegetable soup in the future.
- Dried Cherries - I used the Fruit Bliss brand of dried cherries because it's the only option I could find that doesn't have any added oil or sugar. Plus, they taste delicious!
- Red Onion - I like to use red onion in this salad because it's mellow but you still get that bite to balance the natural sweetness of the grapes.
- Unsweetened Almond Milk - You can use any type of plant milk you want to make this recipe, but make sure that it's unsweetened and not vanilla-flavored.
- Raw Cashews - Raw cashews are used to make the sauce taste creamy. If you don't want to use them, I included other options in the substitutions section below.
How to Make It - Step by Step Instructions
First, you need to boil the cashews in water for 10 minutes to soften them and make them easier to digest.
Next, add the cashews, unsweetened almond milk, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to a blender and blend the sauce until smooth and creamy.
Next, cut the broccoli into bite-sized pieces and put the florets into a large mixing bowl. Add the dried cherries, roasted pumpkin seeds, diced red onion, halved grapes, and creamy dressing to the bowl.
Use a large spoon to mix it well so everything is coated in the creamy cashew sauce. You can eat it right away or put it in the fridge to chill for 1 hour.
What Can I do With Leftover Broccoli Stems?
This raw broccoli salad is usually made with just the florets but you could dice the stem and add it to the salad if you want. If you don't want to add the stems to the salad, don't discard them! You could freeze the diced broccoli stems and then add it to vegetable barley soup or vegan cauliflower curry (I often dice the cauliflower stem and leaves to add to the curry, so broccoli stems would be a great addition!).
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve this vegan broccoli salad with portobello mushroom burgers or smoky chickpea wraps, but it also goes great with any of the following recipes.
- Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Quesadillas
- Slow Cooker Vegan Pulled Pork Sliders
- Lentil Sloppy Joes
- Vegan Zucchini Avocado Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Can I Make it in Advance?
Yes, you can make this salad the day before and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. It will be just as delicious the next day!
How Long Does it Last in the Refrigerator?
Store the creamy broccoli salad in an airtight container in the fridge and it will stay fresh for 4-5 days.
Can I Freeze It?
I don't recommend freezing the salad because the creamy cashew sauce becomes a little watery once it's defrosted. This salad is best enjoyed fresh or made the day before if you need to.
Recipe Variations
- Add Plant-Based Protein: Top the salad with crispy baked tofu or stir in cooked chickpeas to make it a more substantial meal.
- Vegan Broccoli Pasta Salad: You could mix the broccoli, grapes, seeds, dried cherries, and cashew cream sauce with 8 ounces of cooked pasta and make a creamy broccoli pasta salad! If you do this, I recommend that you double the cashew cream sauce so the pasta salad is extra creamy.
- Vegan Broccoli Potato Salad: Use half the broccoli that the recipe calls for and sub cooked russet or gold potatoes for the rest of the broccoli. This is an easy way to make a lower-carb vegan potato salad!
Substitutions & FAQ
- Dried Cherry Substitutions: You could use raisins, golden raisins, dried goji berries, chopped Medjool dates, chopped dried apricots, or dried cranberries.
- Red Onion Substitutions: Green onions or chives can be used instead of red onion.
- Pumpkin Seed Substitutions: You could use roasted sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds, or pecans.
- Broccoli Substitutions: Cauliflower florets, broccolini, or cooked potatoes can be used instead of broccoli florets.
- Grape Substitutions: Instead of grapes, you can use mandarin orange slices (fresh or canned) or chopped Medjool dates.
- Maple Syrup Substitutions: You could use agave or date syrup (low glycemic index) instead of maple syrup.
- Almond Milk Substitutions: I've also made this recipe with unsweetened coconut milk, but you can use your favorite plant milk as long as it's unsweetened and not vanilla flavored.
- Cashew Substitutions: Vegan mayo can be used instead of cashews in the creamy sauce. Stir in the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup, and add salt and pepper to taste. Raw sunflower seeds can be substituted for cashews as well.
Success Tips
- Don't use frozen broccoli because it was already blanched before it was frozen so it won't have the same crispy texture as fresh broccoli does.
- Cut the broccoli into small, uniform, bite-sized pieces so it's easier to eat.
- Halve all of the grapes at the same time by putting them on a large plate and then put another large plate on top of the grapes. Then slide a long thin serrated knife in between the plates and slice all the grapes at once!
- I think the vegan broccoli salad tastes best chilled, so I like to refrigerate it for one hour before serving.
- Store the leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
Want More Vegan Broccoli Recipes?
Broccoli Stuffed Potatoes with Vegan Cheese Sauce
Creamy Vegan Lasagna with Roasted Broccoli
Vegan Broccoli Salad
Equipment
- Blender
- Large Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
Creamy Cashew Sauce
- 1 cup raw cashews (soaked or boiled)
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp sea salt (add more to taste)
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Broccoli Salad
- 2 lbs raw broccoli (stems removed)
- 1 ½ cups red grapes halved
- ¾ cup red onion diced
- ½ cup dried cherries
- ½ cup roasted pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Boil the cashews in water for 10 minutes. Drain any excess water and set the cashews aside to cool.
- Add the cashews, ½ cup unsweetened almond milk, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper to a blender. Blend on high until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Trim the stems off the broccoli and cut the florets into bite-sized pieces. Put the broccoli into a large mixing bowl along with 1 ½ cups halved grapes, ¾ cup diced red onion, ½ cup dried cherries, ½ cup roasted pumpkin seeds, and all of the cashew cream sauce.
- Use a large spoon to toss the salad together until everything is coated with the cashew sauce. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.
- You can enjoy the salad immediately or put it into the fridge to chill for one hour before serving.
Notes
- Don't use frozen broccoli because it was already blanched before it was frozen so it won't have the same crispy texture as fresh broccoli does.
- Cut the broccoli into small, uniform, bite-sized pieces so it's easier to eat.
- Halve all of the grapes at the same time by putting them on a large plate and then put another large plate on top of the grapes. Then slide a long thin serrated knife in between the plates and slice all the grapes at once!
- I think the vegan broccoli salad tastes best chilled, so I like to refrigerate it for one hour before serving.
- Store the leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally shared on 9/5/16, but I updated it on 9/7/20.
