This creamy broccoli salad is the salad you didn’t know you needed in your life. Broccoli is such an underrated veggie, so I took it and I covered it in a delicious creamy vegan cashew sauce, mixed it with cranberries and almonds and turned it from drab to fab!
If you live in Brisbane you might know of this super delicious cafe called Botanica Real Foods. They make a version of this salad that I love SO much I had to recreate it. If you ever get the chance to visit Botanica definitely try this salad, it’s a game changer!
This cashew sauce is packed full of good fats and protein, with a cheesy, garlic, and rich toasty flavour (thanks to the sesame oil). You could even use this on pizzas, nachos or in a potato bake. The options are endless!
If you are on salad duty for your next BBQ or dinner party add this one to the list. It is fresh and wholesome and added bonus, looks super flashy in a nice bowl. Your friends will think you slaved in the kitchen when really your food processor did all the hard work.
Creamy Vegan Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
Creamy Cashew Sauce
- 1 cup cashews
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ½-¾ cup vegetable stock
- salt and pepper
Salad
- 1 large broccoli
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup flaked almonds
Instructions
Creamy Cashew Sauce
- Soak the cashews in a small bowl with 1 cup of water for 2 hours.
- Once soaked, drain the water from the bowl. Add all of the sauce ingredients to a blender and blend on high for 1 minute until combined. Start with ½ cup of stock and add in more if required to thin out the sauce. Anywhere between ½ – ¾ cup seems to be the perfect amount.
Salad
- Preheat the oven to 180° celcius. Place the almonds on a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes or until golden.
- Using a food processor with a grater attachment or a mandalin, thinly slice the broccoli. I use a Breville Kitchen Wizz food processor. I used the slicer attachment on level 3 to get this thickness and it was so quick and easy to slice the broccoli, it is done in a matter of minutes!
- Pour the broccoli, cashew sauce, cranberries and almonds into a serving bowl and mix well to combine. Season with salt and pepper if required. Place in the fridge until ready to serve. Serves approximately 6-8 people.
Nutrition
What’s a substitute for garlic paste? (Garlic irritates me). Thanks this looks divine!