Broccoli Salad with Pickled Red Onion, Cranberries, and Cashews Recipe
A vibrant and tangy broccoli salad featuring crisp broccoli florets, sweet carrots, tart dried cranberries, and crunchy toasted cashews, all tossed in a zesty maple-lemon vinaigrette with pickled red onions for a burst of flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 300g broccoli florets, broken into small pieces
- 2 carrots, peeled lengthways into large ribbons
- 50g dried cranberries
- 50g cashews, toasted, roughly chopped
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
Pickling liquid and dressing
- 80ml cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- ¼ tsp sea salt flakes
- 50ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 2 tbsp cold water
Instructions
- Make the pickled onion: Heat 80ml cider vinegar, 1 tbsp caster sugar, and ¼ tsp sea salt flakes in a small pan. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute until the sugar fully dissolves. Add the finely sliced red onion 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.
- Prepare the salad base: In a large mixing bowl, combine 300g broccoli florets, 2 carrot ribbons, 50g dried cranberries, and 50g toasted, roughly chopped cashews. These ingredients provide a balance of textures and natural sweetness to the salad.
- Combine dressing and salad: Pour the cooled pickled onion mixture into the bowl, reserving the pickling liquid. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the reserved pickling liquid with 50ml extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp maple syrup, the juice and zest of 1 lemon, and 2 tablespoons of cold water. This creates a vibrant, tangy dressing. Pour this dressing over the salad ingredients and mix gently but thoroughly until everything is evenly coated.
Notes
- For extra crunch, toast the cashews carefully until golden but not burnt.
- The salad can be made a few hours in advance to allow the flavors to meld.
- Adjust the maple syrup in the dressing to taste for sweetness balance.
- Use fresh lemon juice for the best brightness in flavor.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature for the best taste.
Keywords: broccoli salad, healthy salad, vegetarian salad, pickled onions, maple dressing, broccoli recipe, easy salad, lunch salad
