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It can be hard to be in the mood for salads in the winter. The last thing I want to eat when it’s cold outside is an ice cold salad. My solution? Broccoli gives the salad heft, and I like to char the florets in the broiler for extra smoky flavor. Couple that with a hearty tahini dressing and some baby arugula and you’ve got a salad that you’ll want to eat, even if it’s snowing outside. My Whole30 broccoli salad is the salad you’ll want to eat this winter.
Never Underestimate Your Broiler
The broiler is an underutilized function in most ovens, usually reserved for browning the tops of casseroles. But, the broiler doesn’t have to be limited there.
Because the broiler provides high heat from the top, it can be used to quickly roast the broccoli in this Whole30 salad and create a nice char at the same time. The browning reaction (Maillard reaction) only happens at high heat, so the broiler is the perfect way to achieve beautiful browning and richer color on the broccoli florets. And a little char on the broccoli will only add to the smoky flavor of this salad.
Be sure the broccoli is fully dry before tossing in the avocado oil and placing under the broiler. The florets will steam, rather than roast, if there is water left in the florets.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Broccoli
Broccoli is the star of this salad. It is a cool weather crop and a winter farmers market staple.
Broccoli stems are edible, so if you are cutting down the heads into florets, be sure to chop up the stems into similarly sized pieces as well. They will brown and char the same way as the florets.
Don’t have any broccoli lying around? Try this with cauliflower, which will have a milder flavor than the broccoli, or carrots. The flavor of the herbed tahini sauce is incredibly versatile and can be tailored to just about any vegetable you could roast. Cooking times may need to be adjusted for other vegetables.
Arugula
I prefer baby arugula, as it is more tender and the pepperiness is more emphatic than the inherent bitterness.
If you don’t like arugula, substitute with baby kale or spinach. Both are milder in flavor than arugula, but won’t be entirely overwhelmed by the herbed tahini sauce.
Tahini
Tahini is a sesame seed paste typically used in Mediterranean dishes. It has a mild nutty flavor and can commonly be found as an ingredient in hummus or baba ganoush. However, it is perfect for heartier dressings and sauces, and is 100% Whole30 compliant. It’s vegan too, if you care about that sort of thing.
Herbs
Feel free to switch it up in the herb department for this Whole30 broccoli salad. I used parsley and chives, as these are much more available in winter than many other herbs, but you could easily swap those out for any combination of dill, mint, tarragon, or even finely chopped rosemary.
Tips and Tricks
In order for the broccoli florets to brown and char under the broiler, they must be completely dry. I suggest using a salad spinner, which will use centrifugal force (really, inertia, but y’all didn’t come here for a physics lesson), to push the water out of all the nooks and crannies of the broccoli florets. Then I lay them out on a clean towel and pat them until they are completely dry.
Lemon twists look fancy, but they’re really easy to make if you want to spruce up your presentation. Simply cut a thin cross section of your lemon; the thinner the slice, the easier the twist will be. Then, make one cut from the center out. Move the ends on either side of this cut in opposite directions, and you’ve got a lemon twist.
Serving Suggestions
My favorite pairing for this salad is a nicely seared ribeye steak, but it can be easily paired with pretty much any protein you want. Salmon, chicken, or even sesame-crusted tuna would all make excellent choices.
If you are not doing a Whole30, you could easily make this a grain bowl by serving the broccoli salad over warm quinoa or brown rice.
Whole30 Broccoli Salad with Herbed Tahini Sauce
Broccoli gives this salad heft, and the florets are charred in the broiler to add a nice smoky flavor. The charred broccoli is tossed with baby arugula and an herbed tahini dressing.
Ingredients
Herbed Tahini Sauce
- 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp chives, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- Up to 2 tbsp water
- Kosher salt
Broccoli Salad
- 1 large head of broccoli, or two smaller heads
- 3 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 cups baby arugula
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
Instructions
Herbed Tahini Dressing
- Mix parsley, chives, garlic, and tahini together in a small bowl.
- Stir in lemon juice. The sauce will thicken at first, and then begin to loosen.
- Slowly add water to thin the sauce to your preferred consistency, up to 2 tbsp.
- Add salt to taste.
Broccoli Salad
- Preheat the broiler, typically 525°F if given a choice.
- Cut broccoli head into florets. Peel the stem, then chop into similarly sized pieces as the florets. Wash and dry thoroughly.
- Toss broccoli with avocado oil, salt, smoked paprika, and crushed red pepper flakes. Spread out in a single layer on a sheet pan and place under the broiler for 15-18 minutes, or until the broccoli is mostly golden brown with a little charring.
- Remove broccoli from the oven and toss in a large mixing bowl with the arugula and juice of one lemon.
- Plate the broccoli salad with a generous drizzle of the herbed tahini dressing. Garnish with a lemon twist to be fancy.
Notes
Herbed tahini sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for 5 days. Alternatively, double the batch and use as a salad dressing later in the week.
