Meet the easiest, most savory and tangy vegan broccoli salad you’ve ever seen! It is 100% dairy-free and comes together in less than an hour. It’s perfect for picnics, cookouts and more, and is a great make-ahead recipe.

If you are looking for more plant-based barbecue foods, try my Mushrooms Kebabs, No Mayo Potato Salad and my Healthy Pasta Salad too!

Vegan and Gluten-free Broccoli Salad with Sweet Miso Dressing on Healthy Seasonal Recipes with cranberries, sunflower seeds and roasted shiitakes

Why This Recipe Works

While I love cooked broccoli in so many different ways, like my Grilled Broccoli, this Steamed Broccoli and even mashed broccoli, I also love it raw in a salad in the summertime.

Though I love a good old-fashioned Broccoli Salad like my grandmother’s recipe, I also wanted to come up with a Vegan Broccoli Salad to be able to share with my vegan friends for picnics and potlucks this summer.

But since we’re talking raw broccoli here, I knew I had to somehow add more delicious flavor. So I came up with this sweet, tangy and savory combination with miso dressing and crispy Vegan Shiitake bacon.

This recipe is particularly wonderful as a side dish alongside your pick of protein, or even by itself as a main salad.

Recipe Highlights

  • Can be made in less than an hour
  • Great make-ahead for entertaining
  • Under 200 calories per serving
  • Mayo-free and vegan

Key Ingredients For Vegan Broccoli Salad

Shiitake mushrooms

Bacon is a common ingredient in broccoli salads, so for this recipe, I made vegan bacon using shiitake mushrooms. I love adding a little smoked paprika to them. This adds lots of flavor. They are crispy and chewy at the same time and very meaty tasting.

Red miso

Red miso is a fermented soybean paste. I have miso in my fridge always, and it keeps forever. There are all different kinds of miso (red, white, etc). Right now I have been using red, though they are all interesting and unique.

Broccoli

Since broccoli is the staple ingredient in this recipe, make sure your broccoli is nice and bright green. I would recommend buying whole broccoli heads, or crowns, but pre-cut florets are also fine. Once you wash your broccoli, cut it into bite-sized pieces. You can also rinse it in a salad spinner if you like.

Additional toppings

I added dried cranberries, sunflower seeds and red onion for some crunch, added flavor and a little extra sweetness.

Step-by-Step Instructions to Make This Vegan Broccoli Salad

Step 1: Preheat oven

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 2: Make vegan shiitake bacon

Toss the shiitake mushrooms with 1 tablespoon oil, smoked paprika and salt in a medium bowl. Spread out on a large rimmed baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake, stirring and turning occasionally until the mushrooms are dried out and browned, 22 to 28 minutes. Let the mushrooms cool on the baking sheet.

Step 3: Make miso dressing

Whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, miso, vinegar and agave in a large bowl. Add the broccoli, cranberries, onion, sunflower seeds and shiitake mushrooms. Toss to coat the broccoli and other ingredients in the dressing.

white bowl with raw broccoli salad in it

FAQs and Expert Tips

Can the miso dressing be made ahead?

Yes absolutely! Make it up to 1 week in advance. Make sure to store it in the fridge in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature before tossing with the salad.

How to store leftovers?

Since the broccoli is raw, it makes for great leftovers. Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

Can this broccoli salad be made ahead?

Yes! Keep the shiitake bacon separately so that it stays crisp. Keep the dressing in a jar separately too. Make up to 1 day ahead and toss just before serving.

Variations To Try

  • Instead of our sweet miso dressing, try mixing plant-based yogurt with vegan mayonnaise for a creamy version of the dressing
  • Use sliced grapes instead of the cranberries
  • Use almonds or chopped peanuts instead of sunflower seeds.

Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!

Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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Vegan and Gluten-free Broccoli Salad on Healthy Seasonal Recipes with cranberries, sunflower seeds, roasted shiitakes and miso dressing

Broccoli Salad with Sweet Miso Dressing


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5 from 1 review

Description

Broccoli Salad with Sweet Miso Dressing. It is a delicious sweet and savory variation of broccoli salad and is vegan and gluten-free with roasted shiitake mushrooms, sunflower seeds and dried cranberries.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps
  • 1/4 cup avocado oil or organic canola oil, divided
  • 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons red miso
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoons pure maple syrup, dark or amber, agave or honey
  • 6 cups chopped raw broccoli
  • 1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries
  • 1/4 cup minced red onion
  • 1/4 cup toasted unsalted sunflower seeds

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Toss shiitake mushrooms, 1 tablespoon oil, smoked paprika and salt in a medium bowl. Spread out on a large rimmed baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake, stirring and turning occasionally until the mushrooms are dried out and browned, 22 to 28 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet.
  3. Whisk the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, miso, vinegar and agave in a large bowl. Add broccoli, cranberries, onion, sunflower seeds and the shiitake mushrooms. Toss to coat.

Notes

Cooking Tip: Since the broccoli is raw, it makes for great leftovers. Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 22 minutes
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cup
  • Calories: 193
  • Sugar: 9 g
  • Sodium: 366 mg
  • Fat: 10 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 30 g
  • Fiber: 4 g
  • Protein: 4 g