Broccoli Chopped Salad with Tahini Vinaigrette {Pure Delicious}

Fresh, crunchy, and full of flavor: this broccoli chopped salad is the perfect way to eat your veggies and liven up any summer meal! Jump to the recipe here, or read on.

Broccoli Chopped Salad with Tahini Vinaigrette

Broccoli might just be one of the most under-appreciate vegetables I can think of. It’s the poster child for picky eaters. Its name has become synonymous with words like “icky,” and parents have dreaded their children’s reactions to it for generations. It is forever cast aside and looked down upon. Under-rated, and under-served.

It seems to me, we need to rethink this humble veggie. In fact, I’m not even sure where all the broccoli-hate comes from. Even as a child, I’d happily munch on raw florets, or take seconds if they were nicely steamed or sauteed. Melted cheese or ranch dressing was a bonus, not a requirement.

Where did the notion that broccoli is bad come from, anyway?

Broccoli Chopped Salad with Tahini Vinaigrette

Now a’days, I rarely go to the store without buying a bunch of broccoli. It’s so quick to prepare, and with a bit of roasting or sauteeing it becomes tender, sweet, and downright addictive. I’ve been known to eat an entire pan of the stuff, roasted in the oven with nothing but a little olive oil and salt, or crunch away on an entire stalk of it raw.

As much as I love it, though, I do tend to fall into the same old routine. Roasting, stir-frying, steaming… it’s always on the side, or a component of, a dish, but never the star.

Well, broccoli, here it is: here’s your time to shine. This salad is all about you.

Pure Delicious by Heather Christo

This recipe comes straight out of my latest cookbook love: Pure Delicious, by Heather Christo. If you aren’t familiar with Heather’s blog, you’re missing out on some amazing eats. Her recipes are all gluten-free, and cater to many other allergies and sensitivities, too. In fact, I believe every recipe in the book is nut-free, soy-free, egg-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free, as well, which is no small feat.

Now, you might be looking at me funny and thinking “why would you want a allergen-free cookbook when you don’t have any allergies?” and I’ll tell you: because the recipes are delicious. I kinda want to make every recipe in this book, and the fact that it caters to those with sensitivities just mean more people can enjoy them. There are tons of recipes for breads and desserts and such in there, too — the fact that I chose this recipe to start with is just a sign of how much I love broccoli.

Broccoli Chopped Salad with Tahini Vinaigrette

This salad checks every box for healthy summer eating: it’s light, flavorful, and comes together in minutes. No turning on the oven or stove required, which is a bonus for those of us who suffer from NACS (No Air Conditioning Syndrome). The tahini vinaigrette is a simple, throw-it-all-in-the-blender kind of dressing that adds a punch of bold flavor, and the sweetness of the fresh pomegranate seeds brighten the whole thing up. If you’ve never had these juicy gems in a  savory dish before, you are in for a treat!

What’s your favorite way to eat broccoli? Let me know in the comments below! (Oh, and for more of Heather’s recipes, I highly recommend giving her book a look-see. You can find it on Amazon, here.)

5.0 from 3 reviews
Broccoli Chopped Salad with Tahini Vinaigrette (From Pure Delicious, by Heather Christo)
 
Cook time
Total time
 
Vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, and sugar-free.
Author:
Serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients
  • 4 cups finely chopped broccoli stems and florets
  • ½ cup finely diced red onion
  • ½ up pomegranate seeds
  • 2 TBSP tahini
  • 1 garlic clove
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 TBSP toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, toss together the broccoli, red onion, and pomegranate seeds.
  2. In the blender, combine the tahini, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice. Puree until smooth and then season with salt.
  3. Pour the tahini dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Season with salt and sprinkle the salad with toasted sesame seeds. Serve at room temperature or chilled. (I found that leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to a few days.)
Notes
Reprinted from Pure Delicious by arrangement with Pam Krauss Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2016, Heather Christo LLC

For my tutorial on how to open a pomegranate, CLICK HERE.

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20 Responses to Broccoli Chopped Salad with Tahini Vinaigrette {Pure Delicious}

  1. Christine | Vermilion Roots June 8, 2016 at 4:29 pm #

    I’ve loved broccoli all my life! There’s always broccoli in my fridge. It keeps well, is easy to cook and is downright delicious. I’m also happy to eat raw broccoli and can’t wait to try this tahini vinaigrette!

    • Willow Arlen June 15, 2016 at 7:41 pm #

      Glad I’m not the only one, Christine! It does keep really well, too — such a bonus with a vegetable!

  2. Heather Christo June 8, 2016 at 10:59 pm #

    I am so happy that you posted this recipe! It’s one of my favorites and I love that you shared it- thank you very much for making it look so good!!

    • Willow Arlen June 15, 2016 at 7:40 pm #

      Aw, you’re welcome, Heather! It’s a fantastic recipe, and I’m happy to share it. Thank YOU for making such an awesome book! :)

  3. Ellen Molony June 14, 2016 at 7:55 pm #

    Mmmmm-mmmmmm good! I’ve never prepared pomegranate – ever!! so this will be a first. First I have to eat up leftovers and take an out-of-town trip but when I return, this is what’s on the menu :))

    • Willow Arlen June 15, 2016 at 7:38 pm #

      Ooh, fun! I love pomegranates! I actually have a tutorial on opening them in the archives, if you haven’t seen it already. I’ll add a link to it in the recipe notes. I hope you like the salad!

  4. mimi June 15, 2016 at 11:14 am #

    This definitely looks delicious! Your photos are gorgeous.

  5. Thalia @ butter and brioche June 17, 2016 at 5:34 pm #

    such a beautiful + vibrant salad! i just adore that tahini vinaigrette too. (tahini is something i manage to eat by the spoonful) I’ve been meaning to get my hands on heathers book too, so thanks for the motivation Xx

  6. Jill June 18, 2016 at 3:48 pm #

    Hi Willow! I made this today and it is delicious! I substituted Craisins for the pomegranate seeds because our store didn’t have any. Also my dressing came out a lot creamier than yours looks. I think it’s my turbocharged blender. Thanks for posting this!!!!

  7. shannon @ a periodic table June 23, 2016 at 6:48 pm #

    I love this. Reasons:

    We also tend to grab broccoli b/c it’s so easy to roast up for dinner, and everyone likes it.
    I also love broccoli salad – a childhood holdover – but i kinda hate all the mayonnaise-y gunk it’s typically swimming in when i buy it at the deli. Like, i want the salad, But maybe not the dressing so much anymore.
    All the stuff in this looks AMAZING. way more chic than my deli broccoli salad.
    Tahini vinaigrettes have become my favorite things: they feel creamy and satisfying, but not heavy and gross like most creamy dressings. I never thought about putting the broccoli salad and the tahini together, but now? I’m totally into it.

    • Willow Arlen June 25, 2016 at 12:42 am #

      Thanks Shannon — I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one who liked broccoli as a kid! And the tahini dressing goes so well with the broccoli. This recipe makes the perfect amount, too — just enough to coat all the florets without them drowning in a sea of it, so it still feels really fresh and light. Definitely a keeper!

  8. Lauren @ Lauren Caris Cooks July 4, 2016 at 3:46 pm #

    Broccoli really does get an unnecessarily bad rep!! I love it! I’ll eat it cooked, raw, whatever. I think I’ve always loved it as well, I was the weird kid who liked all vegetables haha!

    • Willow Arlen July 15, 2016 at 6:48 pm #

      Haha, that was me, too! I distinctly remember getting weird looks from my friends as I helped myself to seconds on all kinds of veggies. :)

  9. Allyson Meyler July 9, 2016 at 5:26 pm #

    I agree! Why did broccoli get such a bad rap? I love it and CRAVE it, especially with some good butter. I keep a huge bag of organic frozen broccoli in the freezer because it is too easy not to. :)

    • Willow Arlen July 15, 2016 at 6:42 pm #

      Yes! I’m so glad to know I’m not the only one who’s a broccoli addict. I almost always roast my broccoli in the oven (which is ah-mazing!) but this salad is a total summer game changer!

  10. Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day July 10, 2016 at 8:34 pm #

    Very beautiful salad! I enjoy raw broccoli.

  11. Nicholas Ng | Food For Thought September 23, 2016 at 4:17 am #

    Is the tahini sauce similar to the Japanese gomadare sauce? Nutty and buttery in flavour?

    • Willow Arlen September 23, 2016 at 10:07 am #

      Hi Nicholas,

      I’m not super familiar with gomadare, but I don’t see much similarity between that and this dressing. The dressing is quite thick so it clings nicely to the broccoli, and the flavor is pretty much as you’d imagine from the ingredients here: rich and slightly bitter from the tahini, a little acidic from the lemon juice and vinegar, and a little garlicy but not overpoweringly so. You could certainly dress it up with some other ingredients to make it more like a gomadare sauce, though — I’m sure it would be delicious!

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