Beet and Broccoli Salad
Beet and broccoli salad is a vibrant, flavorful side dish. It has earthy beets, crisp-tender broccoli, and a tangy dressing. It’s a fresh and delicious way to enjoy your veggies. This easy recipe is dairy free and dairy free.
Looking for more healthy recipes? Try my homemade chicken tender salad, salmon caesar salad with chickpea croutons, or southwest mango black bean salad with quinoa.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this beetroot and broccoli salad:
- Whole beets – either red or golden beets. I used store-bought pre-cooked beets to make it even quicker, but I will include roasting instructions in the recipe card.
- Broccoli florets – this salad also utilizes the broccoli stems for minimal waste.
- Toasted sliced almonds – add extra crunch and a nutty flavor.
- Dressing – extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, dijon mustard, freshly cracked black pepper, maple syrup, kosher salt,
How to Make Beet and Broccoli Salad: Step By Step
Here are some quick visual instructions. The full instructions and ingredient list will be in the printable recipe card below!
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Set aside.
- Prep the broccoli. Chop the broccoli into small florets and remove the leaves and tough ends at the bottom of the stems, then use a vegetable peeler to remove the outer woody layer of the stems before cutting them into small pieces.
- Blanch the broccoli. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and prepare an ice bath. Drop the broccoli florets and chopped stems into the boiling water for 2 minutes, then immediately transfer to the ice bath with a kitchen skimmer to keep them crisp and bright green.
- Drain, toss, & assemble. After 2-3 minutes, drain the broccoli as thoroughly as possible, then add it to a large bowl with the bite-size pieces of beet and toasted almonds. Pour the dressing over and toss to combine. Then plate and serve!
Helpful Tips
- If roasting the beets, do it in advance. They will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days and will greatly speed up the prep time.
Quick Tip: If you’re super short on time, you can use pre-cut broccoli florets.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations
Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.
How can you make this beet broccoli salad using what you already have? Here are some ideas…
- No balsamic vinegar? – you can also use red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- No maple syrup? – raw honey is great.
- No almonds? – use any type of roasted nuts or seeds.
- Add-ins – feta cheese, citrus fruit, pumpkin seeds, thinly sliced red onion, fresh herbs, etc.
- Turn it into a meal – add chickpeas, quinoa, steak, or grilled chicken to turn this salad into a main dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, if you want to make a roasted beetroot broccoli salad, I recommend only roasting the beets. Roasted broccoli tends to get a little dried out, so having the textural contrast between the roasted beets and blanched broccoli gives the salad a nicer texture.
Canned beets work great. Just drain and dice them before adding to the salad.
If you don’t mind the earthy taste of raw beets, use a box grater to shred them into the salad with the blanched broccoli.
Yes, just make each component, but wait to add the dressing until serving so it tastes fresh.
Rub a little lemon juice and salt on the stains before washing your hands with soap and water.
More Side Salads
- Kale Crunch Salad
- Harissa Roasted Cauliflower With Fresh Herbs
- Italian Green Bean Salad
- Bell Pepper Cucumber Salad
I hope you love this Beet and Broccoli Salad! If you make this recipe, please leave a comment & a star rating below. Thank you!
Beet and Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
- 3 medium cooked beets, chopped into bite-size pieces see instructions below for roasted beets
- 1 medium head broccoli about 5 cups
- ¼ cup toasted sliced almonds or nuts/seeds of choice
Balsamic Dijon Dressing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, dijon mustard, maple syrup, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Set aside.
- Chop the broccoli into small florets and remove the leaves and tough ends at the bottom of the stems, then use a vegetable peeler to remove the outer woody layer of the stems before cutting them into small pieces.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and prepare an ice bath. Drop the broccoli florets and chopped stems into the boiling water for 2 minutes, then immediately transfer to the ice bath with a kitchen skimmer to keep them crisp and bright green.
- After 2-3 minutes, drain the broccoli as thoroughly as possible, then add it to a large bowl with the bite-size pieces of beet and toasted almonds. Pour the dressing over and toss to combine.
How To Roast Beets
- Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin of the beets then cut them into bite-size pieces.
- Toss the chopped beets with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper then spread them into a single layer.
- Bake at 400ºF/200ºC for 30-40 minutes, until fork tender.