Crisp broccoli, fresh carrots, crunchy pecans, and sweet raisins are engulfed in a creamy cashew harissa dressing in this Easy Vegan Broccoli Salad. This plant-based recipe is a delicious side dish both vegans ad non-vegans are sure to enjoy.
Ingredients
For the creamy cashew sauce with harissa
- 1 cup cashews quick soaked quick soaking will need Juice of 1/2 a lemon + water*
- 1 1/2 cups almond milk
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 tsp harissa
- salt and pepper to taste
For the vegan broccoli salad
- 1 red onion
- 4 cups broccoli
- 2 sml carrots
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup pecans
Instructions
For the creamy cashew sauce with harissa
- Peel the garlic cloves and discard the skin.
- Add the soaked cashews (see post instructions or notes below on methods to soak cashews*) into a blender.
- Also, into the blender add in the almond milk, maple syrup, ACV, garlic, and lemon zest, and blend until creamy. Then open the blender lid and add in the harissa and blend well.
- If the sauce is too thin, place it in a pan and simmer it for about 5 minutes, stirring it often, until it thickens.
- Then season with salt and pepper to taste.
To make the vegan broccoli salad:
- Add the chopped broccoli, grated carrots, diced red onion, pecans, and raisins in a large bowl.
- Add in the creamy cashews sauce and stir well until all ingredients are well incorporated.
Notes
*There are two ways you can soak the cashews for this recipe (I used the quick soak method and listed 35 minutes for cooking time).
Method One: if you have time, you can place the cashews in a container, fill it with water, cover it, and place the container with the cashews in the fridge and let the cashews soak overnight. The next day you will just drain the cashews and use them.
Method Two: If you don’t have much time and want to whip this salad up in a hurry, then you can quick soak the cashews. This is done by placing the cashews in a pan, adding water into the pan to cover the cashews. Then squeezing in the juice of half a lemon into it. Then you will place this pan on the stove and turn the flame/heat onto high. When this mixture comes to a boil, you will turn off the flame/heat and cover the pan and leave it covered for 30 minutes. When the time is up, you will drain the cashews and set them aside to use.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 224kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 194mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g
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