Ola my friend! The salad of the week is a simple Broccoli Salad. This salad is … yes, you guessed correctly: healthy and very easy to make! This salad recipe is inspired by one of my auntie’s favorite go-to salads in the summer time. This salad is perfect for when you’re hungry but your appetite is fleeting because it’s too hot. I only remember eating my auntie’s salad once or twice and it left such a big impression on me.
You will love the simplicity of this salad especially if you are in a time crunch but need/crave something healthy and tasty. I added a couple of things to make it my own and I encourage you do the same … but promise to share with our friends in the comments section.
Broccoli Salad Main Ingredients
Broccoli salad comes in various styles and tastes. This version is super simple. Here are the stars of the show:
- Broccoli: is a cruciferous vegetable. Cruciferous means relating to the cabbage family. I underestimate the number of florets on a large broccoli stalk every time. Cutting the florets into small pieces is key for this recipe because big jumbo florets can become a hassle to eat real fast.
- Cucumber: honestly cucumbers are so cool and refreshing. They’re in most of my salads. Every time I chop up cucumber to make a salad, the scent attracts people … especially the hungry ones LOL. But people always say something like, “It smell so good in here!”. And I’m like yeah cucumbers are awesome. The scent and taste are so invigorating which is signature for this salad.
- Olives: as you may already know. Olives are one of my favorite salad and sandwich toppings. These squishy delicious things are essential in this salad. It provides the perfect texture needed to gracefully steady all the crunching that will take place.
Other Key Ingredients
These ingredients are optional but you may enjoy them so much in this salad.
- Raisins: these little dried grapes are my favorite toppings because they add a sweet almost sticky twist making the salad super fun.
- Sunflower Seeds: sunflower seeds are my seeds of choice but you can substitute with pumpkin or pepita seeds. The seeds add more crunch but they’re complimentary in taste for an overall memorable experience.
Broccoli Salad Recipe Gallery
Health Benefits
Here are my favorites for broccoli:
- support healthy digestion and regulates blood sugar thanks to being an excellent source of insoluble fiber which ensures healthy bowel movemenets and gut health.
- boost bone health thanks to being a rich source of calcium, which strengthens your bones, and vitamin K, which helps your bones absorb the calcium.
- promote glowing skin thanks to be an amazing source of vitamin C which helps produce collagen which in turn prevents skin damage.
- neutralize cell damage and lowers inflammation thanks to being plentiful in superpower antioxidants.
- the vitmain C and calcium found in broccoli also improves oral health and prevent oral diseases and cancer.
Read more details here.
Cost Break Down
My budget was $10. Budget goal met.
| Item | Qty | Price |
| Broccoli | 1 large & 1 small bunches @ $.99/lb | ~$2.00 |
| Black Olives | 3 cans @ $1.69/can | $5.25 |
| Cucumbers | 2 large @ 3 for $.99 | $0.66 |
| Raisins (optional) | ~ 1/3 cup @ $.25/ounce | ~$0.75 |
| Sunflower (optional) | ~ 1/4 cup @ $.25/ounce | ~ $0.50 |
| Lemon | 1 medium | $0.79 |
| Total | – | $9.95 |
Until Next Time
Well, what do you think? I know this is not the typical and classic mayo based broccoli salad. My version of that is coming soon haha. I’m so excited. What do you like most about this simple broccoli salad recipe idea? The dressing I want to pair with this salad is a vegan creamy cilantro ranch dressing. Please drop a comment below or email me. I would love to hear your feedback and/or stories. If you need another fun salad idea then check out this crispy fried tofu lime red kale salad.
Well, I will take my leave for now. I look forward to our time together again soon. Be inspired to have an appetite to Live and Live well.
Adaeze
A Simple Lemon Broccoli Salad Recipe You Will Love
Equipment
- 1 large bowl
- 1 chopping knife
- 1 a small container for the dressing (optional)
- measuring cups
- a mixing utensil.
Ingredients
Broccoli Salad
- ▢ Broccoli – 1 large bunch and 1 small bunch
- ▢ Black Olives – (3) 6 oz cans
- ▢ Cucumbers – 2 large
- ▢ Raisins – ⅓ cup (optional)
- ▢ Sunflower seeds – ¼ cup (optional)
Dressing
- ▢ Olive Oil – 3 tbsp
- ▢ Pink Himalayan Salt – 1-2 tsp
- ▢ Lemon Black Pepper – 1-2 tsp
- ▢ Lemon – 1 medium
- ▢ Lemon zest (optional)
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients and equipment.
Salad Prep
- Rinse all vegetables well.
- Open the cans of olives rinse well and set aside.
- Chop the broccoli into small chunks and add them to the bowl.
- Chop the cucumbers in small chunks and add them to the bowl.
- Add the olives, sunflower seeds, and the raisins to the bowl.
- Pour the dressing and combine well.
Dressing Prep
- Squeeze lemon juice into a small container.
- Zest the lemon by lightly grating the lemon peel and add to the container. (optional)
- Add the olive oil, seasonings, and zest to the container and stir or shake well.
Notes
- Adjust the amount of ingredients and seasonings per your preferences.
- Chopping the broccoli into small, almost tiny florets is best as large raw florets can make the salad overbearing.
- Finely diced beets are a great alternative to raisins.
- Pepita or pumpkin seeds are a great alternative for the sunflower seeds.
- Adding finely diced spinach is a great addition to this salad.
- Skip the jar for the dressing and add the dressing ingredients directly to the salad.
- Feel free to use another salad dressing of your choice. (but promise to share what you tried in the comment section so we can try too lol)
- See 5 easy ways to zest a lemon here.
Leave a Reply