Broccoli Salad with Cranberries, Cashews, and Maple-Lemon Dressing Recipe
A vibrant and tangy broccoli salad featuring crisp broccoli florets, sweet carrots, dried cranberries, and toasted cashews, tossed in a zesty maple-lemon pickle dressing made with pickled red onions. This refreshing salad combines crunchy textures with a balance of sweet, sour, and savory flavors, perfect as a light lunch or a colorful side dish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Western
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 300g broccoli florets, broken into small pieces
- 2 carrots, peeled lengthways into large ribbons
- 50g dried cranberries
- 50g cashews, toasted and roughly chopped
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
Pickling Liquid Ingredients
- 80ml cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- ¼ tsp sea salt flakes
Dressing Ingredients
- 50ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 2 tbsp cold water (to loosen dressing)
Instructions
- Make the Pickle: Heat the cider vinegar, caster sugar, and sea salt flakes in a small pan. Bring to a boil and let it boil for 1 minute until the sugar has fully dissolved. Add the finely sliced red onion, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover the pan, and leave the mixture to cool completely, allowing the onions to pickle and soften.
- Combine Salad Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the broccoli florets, carrot ribbons, dried cranberries, and toasted cashews. Stir gently to mix all ingredients evenly.
- Add Pickled Onion: Add the cooled pickled red onions to the bowl, but reserve the pickling liquid separately to use in the dressing.
- Prepare the Dressing: In a small bowl or jug, whisk together the reserved pickling liquid, extra virgin olive oil, maple syrup, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add 2 tablespoons of cold water to loosen the dressing and whisk until fully combined and emulsified.
- Toss Salad: Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture. Toss gently but thoroughly until all the vegetables are evenly coated with the tangy, sweet dressing. Adjust seasoning if necessary and serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
- For extra crunch, feel free to add additional nuts such as almonds or walnuts.
- You can prepare the pickled onions a day in advance to develop more flavor.
- This salad pairs wonderfully with grilled chicken or fish for a complete meal.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 2 days for the best texture.
- Adjust the sweetness and acidity of the dressing to your taste by varying the maple syrup or lemon juice.
Keywords: broccoli salad, pickled onion, healthy salad, vegetarian salad, maple dressing, cranberry cashew salad
