Broccoli Almond Crunch Salad
Jain-friendly broccoli almond salad with toasted almonds, cool crunchy vegetables, and a bright sesame-lime dressing. No onion, no garlic. Ready in about twenty minutes.
Ingredients
Salad
- 4 cups broccoli florets about 1 medium head; cut small
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds or slivered; toasted
- 1 cup cucumber diced or half-moons
- 1 cup shredded cabbage green, purple, or mixed; or lettuce
- 1/2 cup yellow capsicum diced
- 1/4 cup fresh coriander chopped
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds optional garnish; black, white, or mixed
Sesame-lime dressing
- 3 tbsp lime juice fresh
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil or neutral oil plus extra sesame seeds
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp chili flakes or 1 finely chopped green chili
- 1 pinch hing asafoetida; optional
- 1 pinch sugar or maple; optional if lime is sharp
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds optional; stir into dressing
Instructions
Prep the broccoli
- Cut broccoli into bite-size florets. Peel and dice tender stem if using; discard woody cores or save for soup.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch florets for 30 to 60 seconds until bright green. Transfer to ice water, drain, and dry thoroughly with a clean towel. For fully raw broccoli, skip the blanch and chop florets finer.
Toast the almonds
- Toast sliced or slivered almonds in a dry pan over medium heat for 2 to 4 minutes, stirring, until edges turn golden. Tip onto a plate to cool completely.
Make the dressing
- Whisk lime juice, toasted sesame oil, cumin, salt, chili, and optional hing. Taste and add a pinch of sugar or maple only if the lime tastes harsh. Stir in optional sesame seeds.
Assemble
- In a wide bowl, combine dried broccoli, cucumber, cabbage, capsicum, and coriander.
- Pour on most of the dressing and toss. Fold in cooled almonds last. Taste for salt and lime; add remaining dressing if needed. Serve right away.
Notes
Dry the broccoli completely after blanching. Wet florets thin the dressing and soften the almonds.
Fully Jain as written: no onion, garlic, or root vegetables. Omit hing if preferred.
Keep almonds and dressing separate for meal prep; toss just before eating.
Leftovers keep 1 day undressed in the fridge. Dressed leftovers soften by the next day.
For nut-free, swap pumpkin seeds. For extra protein, fold in cooked chickpeas or cubed paneer with an onion-garlic-free spice rub.
Pair with Masala Paneer Crunch Salad, Sprouted Moong Salad, or Millet Salad. Use sesame-lime dressing and tandoori tofu salad once those campaign posts are live.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!