This Vegan Broccoli Salad is creamy, crunchy, sweet, and salty. Made with vegan bacon bits and a Cashew & Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing, this No-Mayo Broccoli Salad is a healthier version of the potluck classic! Perfect for sharing at your next BBQ, cookout, or holiday party.
You've gotta love a healthy update on a classic dish, and this Vegan Broccoli Salad definitely hits the mark. I adapted this recipe from the many raw broccoli salads I've tried over the years, but it was particularly inspired by the one my mother-in-law makes at all of the family gatherings.
To make this vegan, I swapped real bacon for vegan bacon bits and the regular dressing for the non-dairy cashew version. I also added dried cranberries for tartness and sunflower seeds for extra crunch.
This is easily the best vegan broccoli dish for sharing at a BBQ, potluck, or the Fourth of July because it's perfect for making ahead. Just wait to stir in the sunflower seeds and bacon bits until right before serving to keep them crunchy. Your non-vegan friends won't even know the difference!
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Ingredient notes
- broccoli florets - raw broccoli is the star of this salad!
- onion - ideally a red onion for a little punch of flavor.
- sunflower seeds - for crunch and a little extra protein.
- dried cranberries - For a touch of tartness and sweetness (raisins are also fine).
- vegan bacon bits - you can use store-bought or follow the linked recipe.
For the Dressing
- raw, unsalted cashews - the base of this creamy dressing is cashews. Blanched almonds or unsalted sunflower seeds can be used as a substitute. If you don't have unsalted cashews, just leave out the added salt.
- water - to thin the dressing out.
- apple cider vinegar - for acidity.
- maple syrup - for flavor.
- garlic powder - Garlic cloves are also fine if you prefer a stronger garlic flavor.
- sea salt - just to enhance the flavors.
- fresh cracked pepper (to taste)
*See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Here are step-by-step instructions with photos.
Place the cashews in a small pot of water and boil for 10 minutes. Drain the cashews and add them to a high-speed blender with the other dressing ingredients. Blend until smooth. Taste to adjust seasonings and set aside.
While the cashews are boiling, wash and prep the veggies. Chop the broccoli into small florets.
Finely dice the onion.
Add the broccoli florets, diced onion, dried cranberries, and dressing to a large bowl. Mix to combine.
Save the sunflower seeds and bacon bits for later.
Place the broccoli mixture in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour but up to 24 hours.
(If you need to make the bacon bits from scratch, you can do that while the salad is resting in the refrigerator, following the linked instructions.)
Right before serving remove the broccoli salad from the refrigerator. Add the bacon bits and sunflower seeds. Mix to combine. Serve and enjoy!
Variations
Here are a few ways to switch things up!
- You could try pumpkin seeds or pecans in place of the sunflower seeds
- Substitute raisins or halved red grapes for the dried cranberries.
- Almonds or sunflower seeds can be subbed for the cashews in the dressing.
- You can substitute store-bought vegan bacon bits for the homemade version.
- To keep this WFPB, used diced tempeh bacon (or air fryer tempeh bacon) instead of the TVP bacon bits.
Equipment
For this plant-based broccoli salad recipe, you'll need a small pot and a blender to make the dressing. You'll need a cutting board, knife, and a large bowl for making the salad.
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How to serve
- This broccoli salad makes a perfect accompaniment to veggie burgers or tofu kebabs. You can find some great ideas in this collection of Vegan Grill Party Recipes.
- Serve as a side dish to my favorite Vegan Chick-fil-A Style Tofu Nuggets or Air Fryer Tofu Nuggets.
- Bring this to your next Potluck, BBQ, or Cookout to share with friends.
- It's also an easy make-ahead lunch recipe.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Do not freeze!
Top Tip
Be sure to refrigerate the salad for at least one hour before serving. However, for best results, make the day before, store in the fridge overnight, then add the bacon bits and sunflower seeds right before serving.
FAQs
Definitely! Since this recipe is perfect for bringing to Potlucks and BBQs, I've included instructions for how to make this recipe ahead. You can make this anywhere from several hours to 2 days in advance. The most important thing is to make sure that you keep the bacon bits and sunflower seeds separate from the rest of the salad so that they don't get mushy in the fridge. Just mix them in right before serving and you're good to go!
Most of the components of this salad are already gluten-free. However, the vegan bacon bits do contain soy sauce. So be sure to use gluten-free soy sauce or tamarind sauce if you're making the bacon bits from scratch.
To make this nut-free you can swap out sunflower seeds for the cashews. Alternatively, you could try it with 1 cup of silken tofu or unsweetened vegan yogurt.
This broccoli salad recipe just calls for the broccoli florets. If you don't want to waste the stems, you can save them to use in other recipes like broccoli slaw, stir fry, or soup. Here are a few examples of delicious vegan recipes that use broccoli stems:
Easy Vegan Broccoli Soup
Vegan Broccoli & Pea Soup by The Vegan Lunchbox
Low-Waste Broccoli Stem Stir Fry by Grateful Grazer
More vegan salad recipes
📖 Recipe
Vegan Broccoli Salad (No Mayo)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 cups broccoli florets
- ½ red onion diced
- ⅓ cup sunflower seeds
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup vegan bacon bits
Dressing
- 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews
- ¾ cup water
- 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- fresh cracked pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Place the cashews in a small pot of water and boil for 10 minutes. Drain the cashews and add them to a high-speed blender with the other dressing ingredients. Blend until smooth. Taste to adjust seasonings and set aside.
- While the cashews are boiling, wash and prep the veggies. Dice the onion and chop the broccoli into small florets.
- Add the broccoli florets, diced onion, dried cranberries, and dressing to a large bowl. Mix to combine.
- Place the broccoli mixture in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour but up to 24 hours.
- (If you need to make the bacon bits from scratch, you can do that while the salad is resting in the refrigerator, following the linked instructions.)
- Right before serving remove the broccoli salad from the refrigerator. Add the bacon bits and sunflower seeds. Mix to combine. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- If you plan to make this ahead, keep the sunflower seeds and vegan bacon bits separate. Wait to mix them in right before serving (to keep them from getting soggy)
- 8 cups of broccoli florets are roughly equivalent to 2 pounds of broccoli, or roughly 2 broccoli heads (stems included).
- If you buy pre-cut broccoli you probably only need 14 to 16 oz. You will need to cut the florets into smaller pieces.
- Some broccoli salads have a TON of dressing, this recipe tends to go on the lighter side, so if you're used to having more dressing, reduce the amount of broccoli to 6 or 7 cups.
- If you want to make it WFPB, use diced Tempeh Bacon instead of the bacon bits.
Nutrition
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Carmelle Jean-Francois says
I enjoyed this thoroughly!! It was refreshing, filling and super tasty!! Packed with flavor and nutrients, I felt great that I was doing my body and my taste buds good! I tried to photograph it to look as much like yours as possible. lol. Proud of my turn out. Looking forward to trying out more of your recipes!
Julianne Lynch says
Thanks! I'm so glad you liked it! This is one of my favorite recipes too! If you have a photo, you can post it on Instagram and tag me, or you can join my Facebook group and post it there. I'd love to see it! (Here's the group: Easy Vegan Recipes and Tips:https://www.facebook.com/groups/167911941187899)