This is the ultimate vegan broccoli salad! Loaded with lots of tasty add-ins and dressed with the tastiest vegan creamy dressing. This is a favorite salad side dish for summer!
Combine the finely minced red onion and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in the bottom of a large bowl and stir. Allow to marinate for a few minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. This is key to getting the most flavorful broccoli salad dressing, and it really helps soften the sharp flavor of raw onion.
Chop the broccoli florets into smaller bite-sized pieces. Don’t worry if the broccoli crumbles a little – you want all those tiny bits for your salad.
Toast the slivered almonds: Place them in a dry pan for 2-3 minutes over medium heat, or until they are golden brown and fragrant.
Add ALL the ingredients to the large bowl with the marinating onions. Mix well, taste and adjust the flavor with salt, pepper, or fresh lemon juice. Enjoy immediately, or you can chill the salad in the fridge for up to 24 hours to allow the flavors to meld and mellow. This salad will keep well for at least 2-3 days in the fridge
Notes
→ Vegan mayo: A really good, flavorful vegan mayo is the key to this salad! I highly recommend taking 5 minutes to make your own using my vegan mayo recipe. Otherwise, I like this store-bought mayo.→ Raw broccoli: You can microwave the broccoli florets for 2-3 minutes, or until softened, if you prefer.→ Swap almonds for chopped walnuts or pecans, or use sunflower seeds for a nut-free broccoli salad.→ Try a different cheese, such as shredded vegan pepper Jack for a little spice, or crumbled vegan feta for more creaminess.→ Swap dried cranberries for raisins or sliced grapes.→ Make it lighter: swap half the mayo for plain plant-milk yogurt.→ Make your own vegan "bacon" bits! If you're skipping the bacon bits, you can add smoke flavor by using smoked paprika (make sure to get the sweet kind, otherwise you’re going to have a spicy broccoli salad!), or use regular paprika and a few drops of liquid smoke.→ Try adding finely diced bell pepper, sliced olives, cooked chopped potato, or chopped cauliflower florets to the salad.Serve this salad with: