Our CSA share provides a fair bit of broccoli to our home in the summer months and that means all manner of stir fries, summer rolls, and salads. But when it comes to salads featuring broccoli, one gets turned to more often than others because of its ease to make, the absolute powerhouse of ingredients in it, and a solid storage time in the refrigerator that runs five days. So I'll make a big batch (double or triple sometimes) and have it for lunch during the week and as a side for all manner of summer favorites.
What makes this salad work is the blend of ingredients that last so well under refrigeration. To help that along, consider seeding the cucumber before dicing it … you can probably stretch the storage time to a full week by taking that extra step. In addition to how well it stores, this salad is simply beautiful. A blend of bright greens, deep blues, reds, purple, and more make it healthy but also gorgeous on a plate or in a bowl. You can tweak it to include things like chopped peppers or different/additional dried fruit, but I simply adore it the way it is. You can use just about any dressing you like (avoid extra creamy varieties), but his maple mustard vinaigrette brings me a lot of joy. You can use honey in the dressing, but it will take it from vegan to vegetarian.
I love this salad as a quick and easy lunch during the week. I make it on Sunday evening or Monday morning and have some each day of the week when lunch rolls around. Otherwise, it's happy alongside basically everything that's happy on a grill (burgers to salmon and more) and does so much to elevate a picnic sandwich into a meal. However you choose to serve it, I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!
Broccoli Blueberry Salad
- 4–5 cups chopped broccoli
- 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 1 cup finely shredded carrot
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
- ½ medium sized red onion, diced
- ½ cup toasted, salted pumpkin or sunflower seeds
- ½ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1–2 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Wash and dry the broccoli well. Chop the broccoli into small, bite sized pieces, using both the flowerets and stems. Remove any tough outer layers from the lower stems.
Add the broccoli to a large bowl. Add the chickpeas, blueberries, cucumber, carrot, dried cranberries, red onion, and pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
Add all the remaining ingredients (olive oil through salt & pepper) to a jar, lid the jar, and shake to combine well. Give the dressing a taste and adjust any ingredients as needed. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix together, until all the ingredients are combined with the dressing. This salad can be served immediately or refrigerated for 4-5 days.
- Yields: 6-8 servings
- Preparation Time: 20 minutes