Rejuvenating Winter Broccoli Salad.
Rejuvenating Winter Broccoli Salad, aka the prettiest salad…ever.
It was only just yesterday that I talked about my love for winter color. So I just had to share with you this amazing salad! I love its deliciousness, but I think I might just love its pretty colors even more.
The one thing I always say is that people eat with their eyes first, and trust me, just looking at this salad will make you want it. If you’re feeling bored with your usual salads, this salad is sure to liven things up. You’ll find yourself actually craving this salad. I know, I know, right. Craving a salad? Too good to be true?
NOPE.
I promise not only is this salad pretty, it also tastes incredible. The whole family…while the whole family minus the two pickiest brothers who do not eat “green trees” (that’s what they call broccoli)…all agreed that this salad was one of the best ever. It’s basically a flavor bomb, health bomb, and color bomb, and you know…I think you guys are going to love it.
If you didn’t already know, broccoli is one of my very favorite vegetables, I eat it just about every day. I almost always roast it in the oven, however, recently I was craving a little bit of a switch up from my go-to roasted broccoli. I remembered back to when I was a kid and my dad used to serve me raw broccoli when making his nightly salads. He’d simply toss the florets in a little vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper and I loved it.
This got me thinking about new ways to use my favorite veggie. So I began to build this salad out of the contents of my refrigerator produce drawer and my pantry shelves. Wow, honestly, if there was ever an extra healthy salad to love and crave, this has got to be it. And you know, that’s saying a lot coming from a girl who thinks a cheese-less salad is the most boring thing in the world.
Yes, even though this salad has zero cheese, I still LOVE it. Of course, you could always add a little crumbled feta or goat cheese and you know I’d be down with that too.
Actually, you should just do that…
The base of the salad is raw broccoli and kale. Now I know that may not sound so scrumptious to some, but hear me out. The broccoli and kale are marinated in a garlic, ginger, sesame, olive dressing situation. That marination helps to break down and soften the veggies, almost as if they had been cooked. This dressing is honestly the secret to the salad’s delicious flavor. It’s poured over the veggies while still warm, infusing them with the most amazing citrusy, gingery flavor.
Also included in this bowl of goodness is kale, bell peppers, carrots, avocado, some winter citrus, and pomegranates.
Side Note: someone recently took the time to write me a rather long message about how my use of pomegranates truly annoyed them. They rather rudely suggested that I stop adding them to my recipes. My response? Yeah, right…I love pomegranates. If you don’t, that’s totally fine, just leave them out of the recipe. I mean, that’s easy enough, right? I’m feeling as though their insulting message may have just made me want to use pomegranates even more. So guys, here I go with another recipe that includes pomegranates…
This is actually one of those rare salads that gets better as it sits. It’s perfect for making the night before and packing up to take to work for lunch. If you let the salad sit longer than a day or so, some water might form in the bottom of the bowl, but just drain it off and all is good.
Also, if you’re looking for a way to get in more greens at breakfast, I’m loving this salad topped with a fried egg and served with a side of toast. Perfect quick and easy breakfast…or lunch…or dinner.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Rejuvenating Winter Broccoli Salad
By halfbakedharvest
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy salad, meal prep
This is actually one of those rare salads that gets better as it sits. Thus it's the perfect salad to make the night before and pack up to take to work for lunch.
Ingredients
- 3 heads broccoli, roughly chopped
- 1/2 bunch Tuscan kale, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated
- 1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 large carrots, shaved into ribbons
- 2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup each fresh cilantro and basil, chopped
- arils from 1 pomegranate
- 1 blood orange or grapefruit
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
-
1. In a large bowl, toss together the broccoli and kale.
2. In a medium skillet, combine the olive oil, garlic, and ginger over medium heat. Simmer 5 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant. Remove from the heat and add the sesame oil, lemon juice and zest, soy sauce, honey, salt, and a large pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
3. Pour the warm dressing over the broccoli and kale, massaging it into the the greens. Add the carrots, bell peppers, cilantro, basil, and pomegranate arils, and toss to combine. Taste and season with salt. If time allows, let the salad sit 30 minutes or up to overnight in the fridge to allow the salad to marinate.
3. Just before serving, add the orange and avocado. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Eat!
Eating the rainbow and loving every bite.
Our Favorite Recipes
Healthy Chai Banana Pancakes.
A beyond worthy salad creation!
Thank you Liz!
LOoks very appetizing!!
Thank you Ruth!
This salad looks amazing. I can’t wait to make it. Thanks for all of the amazing recipes you share so freely and generously. Happy 2018.
Thank you Toni! Happy 2018, hope you’re having a great year!
Just wanted to say that you inspired me to try pomegranate and I love it!! Also, this salad looks delicious!
That is amazing!! It is seriously one of my favorite fruits, so I am super excited you love it as well! Thank you Jamie!
I wonder if the person complaining about pomegranate actually doesn’t like them (I don’t know such people), or maybe just resents the time needed to prep it. I love pomegranate, but do sigh a little when I want to eat it because it’s not quite as quick and easy (or clean) as prepping other fruits. That being said, this salad looks fantastic!
It can be a pain to pick through, but it is totally worth it! I hope you love this salad, Pamela!
A trick I saw on a cooking show on pomegranates is to cut in half, submerge in a bowl of water, and work the seeds out in the water. Then strain. Easy. Oh, they freeze well, too.
This looks incredible! I’m making this tonight for dinner and I’m already excited for it. Excited for a salad, who would have thought it?! The perfect meal after all that rich Christmas food!
Honor xxx | honorjane.blogspot.co.uk
I am so glad you like this! I hope it turns out amazing for you, Happy Healthy January!
I say…..ROCK THE POMEGRANATE ARILS!!!!
They’re delicious and beautiful ?
Haha YES! Glad you’re loving this Kim! Thank you!
Oh YUM!!!!!!!!!!!! I have all the ingredients (even the pomegranates) in my fridge – definitely making this one today during the blizzard after realizing how much holiday weight I gained (ugh!). Thanks for another great recipe!
Perfect! I hope you absolutely love this salad Rose! I am sure you look amazing as well! Thank you!
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it! Please don’t stop using pomegranates in your recipes! I get so happy during the pom season because they are so much fun to incorporate. Keep rocking just as you are!!
Awh thank you Laura! I am so glad you enjoy this!
This is beautiful and looks so nourishing. Pomegranates are my favorite winter fruit, so I don’t understand the hate. I’m surprised someone would write you a long message complaining about that. Obviously tweaking recipes isn’t rocket science. Yeesh.
So glad you’re enjoying this Natasha! Thank you!
Love this salad. And, yes with the pomegranates! Love your flavors. Personally, not a fan of goat, blue and feta cheese, so I just leave them out or use a different cheese. That’s not so hard, is it. Thanks for the great recipes, Tieghen.
Thank you Joyce! I am really happy you like this salad!
Yeeeesssssss, you came through. My beloved print button is back. The printer is going clickidyclick while I type….that means Salat it is for tonight. Thank you!!!
Haha I hope you love this Sandy! Thank you!
This looks really great! Keep being you Teighan!
Thank you Cassandra!
Tieghan, you astound me at your wealth of culinary knowledge for someone so young!
Am truly impressed, and have loved trying out your recipes- pomegranates and all.
Roasted tomato soup has been a big hit here along with chicken and roasted squash.
Alas, being in Montreal we don’t always have the best produce to choose from.
Wish you and your family much peace, joy , and health for 2018 and keep adding the arils !
Anne
This is so sweet, thank you Anne! I hope you have an amazing new year!
Don’t you realize pomegranates are endangered? Or, maybe they are polluting the atmosphere with their manure – oh, wait that includes every living creature on Earth. ‘Course, us two-legs are the biggest polluters (and some actually pass gas). Makes for a funny read. A bit of info re pomegranates: may not be advisable for anyone fighting an estrogen-driven cancer. One of many foods that are a natural source of estrogen – like soy. Laugh this one off.
Haha thank you Gwyn! Some very interesting information ?
HA!! I love thinking about how wonderful someone’s life must be in order to be moved to action over a blogger’s use of pomegranate. That’s awesome.
One of my favorite things to hear about is weird stuff that strangers on the internet have said. I mean, at the time it probably didn’t feel great. But for me? It just makes my day.
And… I’m going to stop at the store on the way home from work because I want to eat this for breakfast.
That is amazing! So happy you are loving this and glad you shrug off the weird or mean comments! Thank you Libby!
This salad is amazing! I made it for a social function today and I loved the reactions after the first bite – “This is SO GOOD!” – It’s a perfect, beautiful salad for this dreary time of year. Thank you for sharing this with us. Yes, I added feta :)! This will certainly be a go to recipe.
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you Heidi!
Hey Tieghan,
I absolutely love this salad and the colors made me smile. Haha I think your love for pomegranates is wonderful and I think they’re great! 😉 This salad is beautiful and I like the idea of adding a fried egg!
I made my mom a roasted broccoli and farro salad tonight (with firm ricotta, scallions, parsley and red wine vinegar) that was perfect. But I’ll have to try this salad next!
I hope you’re staying warm! Are you still able to do your walks? Or have you been keeping warm inside?
Sleep well and I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s post. 🙂
Hi! I am so glad you like this and that salad you made your mom sounds super yummy! I am staying warm.. or trying to haha! I am still able to go on hikes though! Thank you Kristin!
Prettiest salad ever for sure!
Thank you Matt!
I am loving this!
Thank you Jennifer!
Totally love this reinvention Tieghan! Broccoli is one of my favorites too!
Thank you so much Mary Ann!
I could use all the rejuvenation! In salad form please. ANd yes to broccoli, my fav too!
Yes!! Glad you’re liking this Lindsay! Thank you!
I saw this salad the day it was posted and knew I needed to make it for dinner the same night! It was INCREDIBLE! So yummy and full of flavor!
Thank you Maegan!
what a gorgeous salad! So beautiful for this time of year!
Thank you so much!
I had to make a couple changes due to what I had (or didn’t have) – I used spinach instead of kale and didn’t have any pomegranate, but still, it was FANTASTIC! My husband and I enjoyed it for dinner last night and then I finished it for breakfast this morning. I’m planning on making it again this week – with pomegranate this time. Another great recipe from HBH!
Thank you so much Sarah! I am really glad you like this!
Looks great! Where did you get the blood oranges? I searched high and low in Eagle County for them. Did you find in Summit somewhere or special order? Thanks!
Hi! I bought mine at my summit City Market…but a couple weeks before I photographed this. I haven’t seen blood oranges since the end of December sadly. 🙁 That said, the cara cara oranges are delicious right now! Use cara cara or any variety of citrus you love. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
I love broccoli salad and the winter twist on this looks so good!
Thank you!
Looks Delish! Can’t wait to make this!
Thank you Stephanie!
This was maybe the best kale salad I’ve ever had. You weren’t kidding about that dressing combo – holy moly. I don’t normally get “full” from a salad, but I couldn’t stop eating this! I did roast the broccoli just a smidge to get that nice crispy texture I love so much, but other than that I followed the recipe to a T.
MORE like this please! You make eating healthy so easy and flavorful… I don’t know how you think of these amazing flavor combos!
I am SO happy you loved this Libby! Thank you so much!
I made this per the recipe last night. I loved the various flavors and textures. Next time I make it..i may switch the soy for Apple cider vinegar. But that is just my way to reduce the salt content from the soy :).
I am so glad you liked this! Thank you!
Made this with brown rice and two fried eggs for dinner. So delicious and filling!
Thank you Caroline! I am so glad you enjoyed this!
I made this on Saturday and OMG this salad is soooo good! I roasted the broccoli for extra crunch and added cranberries, because even though I love pomegranates I didn’t have enough time ahead (picking through these can really be a pain). The dressing is fabulous. I also love your garlic-lemon roasted broccoli salad, What makes me smile is that even “non-broccoli eaters” finish their plates 🙂
Thank you so much! So glad you loved this salad!
I absolutely had to let you know that this salad is delicious!!! My sister sent me the link to your recipe and now it has become our go to salad in my family. I am always looking for tasty, nutritional and veggie packed salads and eating it left me feeling good.
I have a blog where I share things I love (fashion,food and motherhood) and would really love to featured your salad recipe. I make the recipe, use my own pictures of it and write in my own words the recipe but mention that it is your original recipe and link to it.
Let me know as Always love to share with friends and family oh so good recipes!
?
This salad is definitely one of my all time favorite!
http://www.citruslove.com
I am so happy you love this salad! Thank you Christiane! I hope you love some other recipes on my blog as well!
Made this and it was delicious. How did you get the carrots so thick and curly? Mine just look like carrot shavings so it’s less visually appealing (pun).
Hi Alaina! I use full sized carrots, then just peel them with a potato peeler. They kind of curl up on their own, if not I just do it myself! Let me know if you have any more questions! Also, love the pun!
This was a refreshing salad! And you’re right, it gets better the more it marinates. Great colors (as always) and flavors (as always)!
Thank you so much Evelyn!!
OMG! So delish! And the pomegranate addition shoots it over the top! Love!
Thank you so much Mary!
Made this the other night and even my teen son loved it. I can’t wait to make it again. As good as it was the night I made it, the leftovers were stellar too. Not that they lasted long. My husband and I fought over them!
Wow I am so glad you both loved this recipe!! Thank you so much! xTieghan
It looks from the picture that you didn’t peel the blood oranges…? I used rapinri instead of kale with good results. Blood oranges are in season now.
Hi Barbara! I did peel the ones that went into the salad! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! xTieghan
Made this last night and it was really tasty, but today! Wow!
Thank you Jen! So glad you enjoyed this! xTieghan
Hi,
I would like to take this to my inlaws for Christmas day but need to make it two days before. How far in advance can I make the main part of the salad? Leaving out the pomegranates, oranges and avocado until I serve.
HI! You Can make the main salad 3-4 days ahead of time. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
I made this for Christmas Eve dinner this year and it turned out so great! Delicious and beautiful!
Hey Kim,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad you enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
The flavors in this salad were a treat to my taste buds! Not to mention, this is such a gorgeous looking salad. Thank you!
Hey Angie,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe. I am so glad you enjoyed! xTieghan