The creamiest, most decadent and delicious vegan broccoli salad that comes together in just minutes! The perfect potluck dish. You'd never guess it was healthy and dairy-free!
I'm gonna go ahead and tell you that this quite possibly may be the only broccoli salad recipe your face will ever need. And when I say quite possibly, I mean definitely. Because it's...perfect. Did I just say that? I just said that. I don't use that word lightly!
Whether you do or don't like mayo or mustard or marshmallows or butterflies, I'm fairly certain this will be a winner in your book (like all my healthy broccoli recipes!).
Broccoli salad and I go way back. I have vivid memories of my mom bringing it home from Heinen's when I was in high school. I'd eat it right out of the container no matter how desperately she wanted me to put it in a bowl. What a difficult child I was.
It had oodles of mayonnaise and bacon and the like, and obviously, it tasted good. I never considered making it at home until I bought grapes and broccoli at the same time a few days ago and it dawned on me.
MAYONNAISE.
JK. Cashews. And broccoli salad! Like the one I used to eat! Nostalgia at its finest.
How to Make Vegan Broccoli Salad
I just KNEW I could achieve that same creamy decadence with cashews, and I was right. The dressing could not be simpler. Just blend up raw cashews with a splash of pure maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in the Nutribullet and you may just not know what hit you.
The base of this salad is raw broccoli. No groundbreaking news there. Let's talk mix ins!
We've got almonds, red onion, dried cranberries, and grapes. Crunchy, crisp, tangy, sweet, chewy---gang's all here. As far as almonds go, roasted and salted for the biggest flavor bang for your buck.
I like the grapes for that little pop of sweetness, but if you're a traditionalist, go raisins all the way. Or dried cranberries. Whatever bite of sweetness that floats your boat.
The best part about this recipe is that you don't have to cook anything. All you need is a trusty cutting board!
I originally published this recipe in 2016 and seeing as I have oodles of delicious old recipes that have rather scary photos to go along with them, I figured I should spend time updating some of them. Since many of you clearly know and love this one, it made the cut.
This broccoli salad is one of those dishes that non-vegan folk would never in a gabillion years know was dairy-free and actually packed with wholesome goodness. We can keep that secret between us, mmmk?
This salad also makes a terrific potluck dish. Broccoli is in peak season from October through April, meaning it's high time to whip up a batch and share with the people you love the mostest. THIS IS NOT AN APRIL FOOL'S JOKE.
If you make this vegan broccoli salad recipe and love it, let me know by leaving a 5-star rating and/or comment! I LOVE hearing your feedback.
Into broccoli? Check out my other recipes that are full of green goodness:
- Healthy Broccoli Salad
- Creamy Vegan Broccoli Cauliflower Soup
- Broccoli & Mushroom Breakfast Strata
- Kale and Broccoli Salmon Burgers
- Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup
The Best Vegan Broccoli Salad
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 0 min
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
The creamiest, most delicious vegan broccoli salad with grapes, onion, almonds, and cranberries--the perfect potluck dish! You'd never guess it was completely vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- ¾ cup raw cashews, soaked
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp minced garlic
- heaping ½ tsp sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the salad:
- 2 large broccoli crowns (florets only), finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups red grapes, halved
- ⅓ cup roasted salted almonds, finely chopped
- ¾ cup diced red onion
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries or raisins
Instructions
- Place cashews in a bowl. Cover with water and soak for 2 hours or overnight. If you have a Nutribullet or high speed blender, simply soak them in hot water for 10 minutes.
- Drain cashews. Add to blender with with rest of the dressing ingredients. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
- Place broccoli, grapes, almonds, red onion, and dried cranberries in a medium or large mixing bowl. Add dressing and toss thoroughly to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve chilled.
Robin says
It was absolutely the best broccoli salad that I have tasted in a long time! Even during this 2023 Thanksgiving dinner, my meat-eating guests lOVED it and kept asking for more!
Alexis Joseph says
How wonderful, thank you so much Robin!
Leona Simao says
Love this broccoli salad recipe! The crunch of broccoli and almonds with the sweetness of the grapes and cranberries …perfect combo. This will be the 3rd year making it for the holidays.
Jordan says
We have a cashew allergy in the family. Could I use vegan mayo in place of the cashews?
Alexis Joseph says
I haven’t tested it but I think that will work well! You may want a bit more sweetener so just add to taste.
Susan Basile says
Woke up craving broccoli salad yesterday and found this recipe as a healthier, plant based option. OMG! This is a total keeper! I’d share a picture but it is gone! Everyone, including non-vegans, loved this. I made it exactly as written, used raisins to keep it close to the classic. The grapes add so much flavor and juicy crunch to this recipe and the roasted, lightly salted almonds are perfect, you’ll never miss the bacon. Looking forward to trying your other recipes soon, thank you for this! 🙂
Carol says
This recipe is soooo much better than the store bought and non vegan versions! So delicious and perfectly balanced flavors. I used the 32 ounce bag of broccoli from Costco so I doubled the dressing recipe which was perfect. I also used the Korean bbq flavored almonds from blue diamond which were nice and smoky. I would definitely make this for a crowd but will happily it all myself over the next few days!!!
Alexis Joseph says
You made my day, thanks Carol!
Cari says
Made this yesterday for a holiday dinner and it was easily the best thing on the table. Easy and delicious!
Chris says
I am trying to eat plantbased 75% of the time but have found it difficult to find things that I like. This salad is very good! Thank you! I don't always like raw broccoli so I steamed it for about a minute, still firm, but not completely raw. The dressing is very good but mine did not have the creamy consistency that yours does. I used a small food processer and followed recipe exactly. Any suggestions for the creamier texture? Thank you! I will certainly be trying more of your recipes!
Alexis Joseph says
Hey there Chris! Do you have a Nutribullet at home? I find food processors don't achieve cashew cream creaminess the way blenders do. So I'd definitley recommend a high speed blender or Nutribullet here!
Erica Folse says
This was a simple and delicious recipe. I substituted fresh corn kernels for grapes, because we love grapes, but not in salad. Plus, I wanted a broccoli and corn salad. I found the dressing a tad sweet but compensated at the table with a little siracha sauce. Next time I may use only one tbsp. of maple syrup to make the sweetness to my taste.
Alexis Joseph says
Perfection, so cool to try corn! Thanks so much for the review, Erica!
Amanda says
So yummy! Made this dish as a main meal so added some extra protein by adding a tin of chickpeas, a cup of cooked quinoa, lots of spinach leaves and 1/4c pepitas. I roasted the broccoli (plus a chopped courgette) with the chickpeas and almonds. Such a delicious and nutty crunchy salad!! Thank you!!
Alexis Joseph says
Perfection, thanks so much for leaving a comment and star rating!
Susie says
This broccoli salad is incredible! I was looking for a healthier version of the one with mayonnaise, cheese and bacon. This is it! Never missed the bacon. The dressing is so delicious. I make double the dressing now when I put and save some for another yummy salad.
Alexis Joseph says
You made my day, thank you so much Susie!
Stephanie Stawski says
So good! I didn’t have any grapes, but I thought some roasted sweet potato sounded like it would work and it does! Really it would matter what was in it the dressing makes this salad! I could drink it.
Alexis Joseph says
Oh wow I love that idea!!
Megen Smith says
Someone asked if there is a substitution for the raw cashews. I found that I only had about a fourth of a cup of raw cashews left so added a fourth of cup of raw walnuts in a fourth of a cup of sunflower seeds. It was so so good!
Alexis Joseph says
Sunflower seeds would be an amazing nut free option, thanks Megen!
Anna says
Oh my goodness. I am very, very new to a vegan lifestyle and when I tell you this salad really confirmed that I can still create and eat seriously delicious food without dairy or meat, I mean it! We’ve made it twice with very few adaptations. I was trying to replace a specific broccoli salad that my mother makes that has cheddar cheese and bacon in it. I didn’t have grapes so they were omitted. I added about 3/4 shredded carrot to make the salad look like the one I was trying to replicate. Did a mix of dried cranberries and raisins and chopped them up a bit for more distribution. The dressing is heavenly. I dream of this salad. So wonderful.
Alexis Joseph says
Your comment made my day, thank you so much Anna! Carrot sounds delish here. So thrilled you loved it!
Tonje Bekken says
I dont remember if I already put a rating and comment, but even if I did - this one deserves to be dubble rated!
It is a hit wherever you take it, loved by all (who are not allergic to cashews, almonds or onion) and easy to bring along to any gathering. The meat-eaters don't miss the bacon or mayo, and the vegans don't miss out on the great food. Yeay!
Only downside is the time it takes to cut broccoli crowns, but that is a sacrifice I'm more than willing to make since the result is so scrumptious. Note: if you like your salad to me on the moist side, up the dressing portion a bit.
Alexis Joseph says
Your comment made my day, thank you so much Tonje!
Richie says
I am obsessed with this salad. I have made it so many times now!
Lia Stewart says
Absolutely out of this whorls delicious! I am trying to eat more raw cruciferous veggies and this is gonna be a regular. Thank you!
Alexis Joseph says
Amazing, I’m thrilled it was a winner!!
Meredith says
This is delicious. I actually normally hate broccoli and usually gag at it. But I've been trying to find recipes that will help me eat it because I know it's so healthy. This did not disappoint! I followed the recipe exactly, and it was *amazing.*
Juliann says
This is amazing! I committed the chopped almonds since I am monitoring my fat intake from nuts, but it is still delicious. This recipe is a keeper. My non-vegan family would even like this one.
Alexis Joseph says
So glad it was a winner!
Reid says
This is one of those recipes that is so much more than the sum of it's parts. Everybody loves it, vegan or not. So refreshing, yet the earthiness from the cashews is so much better than non-vegan alternatives.
Alexis Joseph says
You made my day, thank you Reid!
Lisa says
Our late summer broccoli is still cranking out gorgeous stalks here in Seattle; frost just makes it sweeter! This is a wonderful recipe…I did cut the maple syrup a bit the second time I made it, but that’s just my preference (plus our broccoli is pretty sweet to begin with!) This recipe is a keeper and most folks will never guess that it’s vegan.
Toni says
That was delicious! Thank you!
Alexis Joseph says
Yay!!
Anya says
Do you in have a substitution suggest for the cashews in the dressing? (Allergy). Thanks!
Alexis Joseph says
Unfortunately I don't have a sub, so sorry! You can try this Healthy Broccoli Salad !
Trish Conroy says
Try hemp hearts.
Erica Folse says
Try tahini and adjust the water for the right consistency.
Teresa Sterns says
I’ve made it three times now. It’s so delicious. One thing of interest is that 2 large broccoli crowns is quite imprecise measure. My last produce far more broccoli such that I needed another batch of dressing. All fine for the experienced cook. For beginners I’d say your looking for 5-6 cups of chopped broccoli. So good!
Nikki says
What is the serving size for this? Thanks!!
Reid says
Such an awesome salad. I used shallots and followed the rest. This is my favorite side dish of the summer!
Alexis Joseph says
Yay, love shallot here! Thanks for letting me know, Reid.
Sandra says
We love this salad! Thank you for sharing.
Alexis Joseph says
Yay! Thanks, Sandra!
JA says
Delicious!!! I subbed walnuts for the almonds, but did everything else according to your recipe. I set half aside for my husband to eat when he gets home, but I’m not sure it will make it till then. Thanks for the terrific recipe!!
Alexis Joseph says
Amazing, love walnuts! Thanks for reviewing, JA!
Elizabeth says
Can you make this recipe ahead of time and let it sit in the refrigerator for four or five hours? It sounds delicious I’d like to bring it to a family dinner tonight.
Alexis Joseph says
Definitely! Enjoy!
Anita says
Fantastic!!!
I made the dressing with lemon juice instead of ACV, and coconut water instead of water for bonus hydration and goodness.
I picked the broccoli straight out of the garden; it was so tender and delicious I used all of it instead of just florets.
I used organic dark purple grapes which were full of flavor and wonderfully firm .
This was just sooo delicious.
Thanks for the inspiration; this is high on my “let’s make it again” list
Alexis Joseph says
Oh wow, I can't imagine how spectacular this would be be with garden fresh broccoli! I'm thrilled you loved this one, Anita 🙂
Tonje says
This has become my all-time favorite for gatherings and bring-something-parties and such. It's enjoyed by everyone - no matter what diet (almost, exception for those with certain allergies) and it's incredibly easy to combine with other dishes. Because of where I live, certain ingredients are hard to find (ie roasted, salted almonds) - but it's all very easy to modify and it comes out perfect every time. The secret is in the cream! It's DELICIOUS!!!
Thank you for sharing your recipe with us!
Alexis Joseph says
I'm so glad you found it easy to whip up! And you're right--it totally is delish with lots of different add-ins. Thanks, Tonje!
Susan says
Tried it tonight. We loved it!
Alexis Joseph says
AMazing, thanks a ton Susan!
Robin says
Absolutely one of my favorite salads. When I take to potlucks, NO ONE knows its vegan. You have to try this one. The combo of the sweet grapes and crunchy almonds takes it over the top!!
Alexis Joseph says
Woop woop! I appreciate you, Robin!
Natalie says
We are non-vegans but I wanted a healthier broccoli salad without bacon so tried this recipe. I didn't change a thing and used dried cranberries. It was absolutely delicious! What a great recipe. Thanks!
Alexis Joseph says
Heck yes! Recipes for all eaters 🙂
eva says
Fantastic salad. I roasted the broccoli and added crispy chick peas and voila. It IS the best vegan broc salad for sure.
Alexis Joseph says
Oh wowwww love that idea for texture. Thanks, Eva!
Tammy says
Wow it’s really delicious and healthy!
Jacinta says
Can not wait to try this! I don't know much about cooking so I love how simple this is! How long could you keep leftovers?
Alexis Joseph says
It will keep up to 4 days in the fridge! Enjoy!
Jennie Mimnagh says
This is absolutely delicious!! I literally could not stop eating it lol! Definitely a keeper!
Christa Callen Tarr says
The dressing is so delicious! I'm thinking it would be good drizzled on a grilled portobello mushroom sandwich!
Alexis Joseph says
Oh yyummmmm!
Eric Lovelace says
Just finished our family Christmas get-together and this was universally enjoyed and admired. So delicious!
I made only 1 minor addition to the dressing -- blended in 2/3 block extra firm tofu (we are trying to sneak more calcium in our diet).
Thank you for a keeper!
Alexis Joseph says
Perfection! So glad this was a hit for Christmas 🙂
Deborah A. says
Both sides of the family requested that I bring this to thanksgiving, this year. I did, and have just texted it to them.
Sity says
My family has always enjoyed Broccoli Salad and I have modified it through the years to make it a bit healthier. This year I will have a Medical Medium follower at my table, which means (amongst other things) needing a dairy, egg, and vinegar free Broccoli Salad recipe for Thanksgiving. I gave this a test run today. I replaced the vinegar with lemon juice, and chose raisins. Had a bit of a hard time blending the dressing, even having soaked the cashews overnight. However, I was making only 1/2 the recipe and I think that may have contributed to, or caused, the problem. Changed direction and used my immersion blender and that did the trick. Not sure what the family will think, but I love it!
Carlie says
So good! I wish I had made this earlier! It will definitely become a regular dish for me now
Alexis says
Amazing, thanks Carlie!
Kirsten says
Been making this recipe for a few years now and it slays every single time! Even my non-vegan family members love it. Truly an amazing recipe!
Alexis says
Thanks so much for your lovely comment, Kristen! Love that the non-vegan are obsessed.
Carrie Ivicic says
This was absolutely delicious and even my non-vegan eaters loved it!
Barb says
I used 1 cup of walnuts, 3 /4 cup pine nuts finely chopped, extra fresh chopped fresh garlic, added 1 diced crisp apple. Used cauliflower & broccoli chopped fine.
Hope my family loves it as much as I do❤️
Stacey says
Delicious but I made mine way too salty!
Ravit says
This salad was THE star of the brunch I made. Since then I made it again. Super yummy and very fulfilling. Thank you so much🙏
Alexis says
You made my day, thanks a bunch Ravit!
Annette says
This is fantastic. I made the dressing as is, but used ingredients I had at home. I used a chopped apple instead of grapes and sunflower seeds instead of almonds, and raisins. Tastes exactly like I want it to taste, AWESOME! Thanks, I will now explore your site for more great recipes.
Alexis says
Ohhh apples, yum! Thanks so much, Annette!
Tammy says
Incredible!!
Alexis says
Awww thanks, Tammy!
Alyssa says
This dish is so good and easy! Thanks, Alexis!
Alexis says
Amazing, thanks Alyssa!
Samantha says
Welp ... this truly is THE.BEST. vegan broccoli salad. You won't need to bother looking anywhere else. It's incredibly easy to make, keeps well in the fridge for a few days and tastes even better the longer it sits. Don't wait, make this gem!
Alexis says
Awesome! That means the world, Samantha 🙂 Let me know if you try any other recipes!