This spicy broccoli salad is a big hit in my family because of its taste and crunchy texture. It's the perfect blend of spiciness and a sweet and tangy vinaigrette.
As the daughter of a 'veggie lover' father, I love to fill my plate with salads(we all love this Cucumber mango salad). But my guys at home are fussy when they find cooked broccoli in any of the dishes.
However, this spiced broccoli salad is the only salad they eat without any complaints.
Fresh broccoli florets tossed with apple cider vinaigrette make every bite delicious, making this spicy broccoli salad one of the most straightforward vegan side dish recipes.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe?
- It's a satisfying salad.
- Easy and quick to prep: Toss the ingredients together.
- Finding ingredients you might already have in your kitchen is easy.
- Party-friendly recipe that's ready in minutes
How To Make Spicy Broccoli Salad?
- In a small bowl, add apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, minced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and salt. Whisk until the mixture emulsifies and forms a thick consistency. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine broccoli florets, carrots, chopped cilantro, and jalapeño slices.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until all the vegetables are evenly coated with the spicy vinaigrette.
- You can serve it immediately or refrigerate it for 30 minutes before enjoying it.
♨️How To Adjust The Heat?
- This salad has a medium heat level. However, you can control the spice levels to make it mild and comfortable.
- Jalapeno and red pepper flakes are the heat source here; leave the seeds on for spiciness or remove the seeds and membrane for a milder version.
How To Store?
- You can store the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to two days or freeze them for up to two months.
- To thaw this spicy broccoli salad, place it in the refrigerator overnight. Alternatively, you can place the container in a water bowl for 3 to 4 hours.
- Enjoy the salad chilled or slightly warm in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
FAQs
Absolutely. To achieve a creamy texture, swap the apple cider vinegar for mayonnaise and follow the rest of the recipe.
This recipe calls for fresh broccoli, but you can use steamed or blanched broccoli florets.
This spicy broccoli recipe is ideal for fresh broccoli, but you can also use frozen broccoli if needed. Thaw it to room temperature and pat it dry with a kitchen towel to remove excess moisture.
You can customize this spicy broccoli salad by adding other veggies like cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, snap peas, red onion, red pepper, zucchini, and more.
If you're not comfortable adding apple cider vinegar, you can swap it with white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar. Or, if you want a creamy salad dressing, swap apple cider vinegar with mayonnaise or Greek yogurt.
📖 Recipe
Spicy Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 1 cup carrots sliced
- 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped
- 2 tablespoon jalapeno minced
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey or as required
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- Add apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, minced garlic, crushed red pepper, and salt in a small bowl.
- Whisk until the imxture turns into a thick consistency and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine broccoli florets, carrots, chopped cilantro, and minced jalapeño.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until all the vegetables are evenly coated with the spicy vinaigrette.
- You can serve it immediately or refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
Notes
- You can store the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to two days. Alternatively, you can freeze them for up to two months.
- To thaw this spicy broccoli salad, place it in the refrigerator overnight.
- You can enjoy the salad chilled, or you can slightly warm it in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Tayler says
This is my favorite broccoli salad recipe! Everyone always loves it and it’s so easy!
pepperbowl says
I’m so happy that it was a hit, Tayler!
Ali says
The jalapeno and chili powder actually go so well with the broccoli! This turned out great.
pepperbowl says
AMAZING! Thank you Ali!
Michelle says
Served at a gathering last weekend. So good. I got a couple of requests for the recipe!
pepperbowl says
Great to hear! Thank you Michelle!
pepperbowl says
Yay! Thanks Whitney!
pepperbowl says
Enjoy rebecca!