Broccoli Salad with California Avocado

By Elaine Gordon · Published: Jul 27, 2020 · Modified: Jun 24, 2022

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This vegan and raw Broccoli Salad with California Avocado is a simple and flavorful plant-based side dish that makes broccoli taste delicious! The addictive creamy tahini-based dressing is quick to whisk together and naturally softens the raw broccoli as it marinates so it is perfectly tender when served. Everyone is surprised by how incredible this nutritious salad tastes. This easy recipe uses the entire head of broccoli (including the stem) and is dairy-free, mayo-free, egg-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free, gluten-free, nut-free and soy-free.

Vegan Broccoli Salad with California Avocado

This vegan and raw broccoli salad with California avocado is an unexpectedly delicious side dish that is easy to make. Broccoli can oftentimes be considered boring or unappealing. But with this addictive tahini-based dressing you will feel different! The dressing is creamy from the tahini and olive oil whisked together. It has a bold and spicy garlic flavor and is slightly sweet from the maple syrup. I could use this simple dressing on just about everything this summer!

I love that this recipe uses the entire head of broccoli. I love the broccoli stem! I think it is sweet and has an amazing texture, especially once it starts to slightly soften when combined with the dressing. I love adding roasted and salted pepita seeds to the broccoli salad for added plant-based protein, healthy fats, iron (and a salty addictive crunch). I added green onions to this salad which also adds to the texture and flavor. I like green onions because they are not as overpowering as red onions but still offer a nice flavor boost. Finally, I added California avocado to compliment the crunchy raw broccoli salad. The creamy rich avocado pairs perfectly with the salad and adds healthy fats and additional nutrients to the side dish. It is a perfect pairing of bountiful flavor and nutrition with incredible texture.

This recipe is best prepared one to two hours in advance so the dressing can marinate with the broccoli and infuse it with flavor. The dressing also helps to soften the broccoli florets. If you need to serve immediately you certainly can. The broccoli will just be slightly crunchy. The smaller you chop up the broccoli the quicker it will soften once combined with the tahini dressing. So, if you are in a hurry then chop it up finely!

I like to serve the broccoli salad at room temperature so the olive oil does not become solid.

Health Benefits of Avocado

Avocados offer healthy fats, dietary fiber and nearly 20 vitamins and minerals such as potassium, folate, vitamin E, C and B6. To ensure you’re enjoying locally grown California Avocados, be sure to check for California on the label!

How to Select and Store California Avocados

When shopping for avocados, look for avocados with no soft spots. To accelerate the ripening process, place the avocado in a brown paper bag along with an apple, banana or tomato. Then place it in the warmest spot in your kitchen. You will know it is perfectly ripe when the skin changes from green to slightly black and it is still firm but yields a gentle pressure. Once ripe you can refrigerate for two to three days. For this recipe, it is best to use newly ripe avocados.

All About Tahini

Tahini, sometimes called Mediterranean peanut butter, is made from sesame seeds ground together into a paste. I encourage you to make this a new staple in your pantry because it’s packed with a surprising amount of nutrients! It’s a great source of fiber, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, iron, calcium, plant-based protein, and has vitamin B and antioxidants galore.

Lately I have been loving the Soom and Whole Foods 365 brand of organic tahini. As soon as I open a new jar I stir the oils well to fully incorporate them throughout the jar. I also give it a good stir before each use. This helps to prevent it from hardening at the bottom overtime. For this recipe (and most recipes that use tahini) you want the tahini to be runny (but not over oily) so stirring it vigorously each time is so important to maintaining good texture throughout the entire jar.

Health Benefits of Broccoli

Broccoli is high in folate and immune-boosting vitamin C. It is also a good source of dietary fiber and potassium.

Broccoli Selection and Storage

When selecting your broccoli, look for odorless broccoli heads that have tight florets that are bluish-green in color. Store broccoli in your refrigerator for up to five days.

Looking for more tasty side dishes?

Here a few of my most popular summer side dishes:

Lemon Olive Oil & Dill Potato Salad

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Vegan Tzatziki Beet Salad

Vegan Summer Slaw

Creamy Broccoli & Zucchini Pasta Salad

Garlic Cilantro Lime No Mayo Coleslaw

Vegan Tzatziki Potato Salad

Also be sure to check out this roundup which includes my 50 favorite summer cookout recipes.

Broccoli Salad with California Avocado