Roasted Broccoli Salad with Lemons and Almonds
This roasted broccoli salad has both roasted and raw broccoli, toasted almonds, sweet cranberries, and tiny pieces of tart lemon. It's delicious!
If you haven't had a roasted broccoli salad before, can you please promise me you'll make this one tonight?
Thanks, guys. I promise you that you won't regret it.
This beauty in a bowl here is what happens when broccoli salad, broccoli slaw, and crispy roasted broccoli all come together for a sexy mènage à trois. I've thrown some crispy almonds, sweet cranberries, and tart little lemons slices in the mix just for some extra delicious fun times.
With each bite, you take you'll get a little bit of crunchiness, crispness, sweetness, and tanginess. What more could you possibly ask for? 🙂
I need to talk to you about the little lemon slices that are in here. They're so tiny that you might not think they would be of much use, but they're my favorite part. Every time one finds its way onto your fork your mouth will explode with the most beautiful fresh lemony taste. They make the salad.
Or I should say, I think they make the salad. The second time I was scooping a big pile onto my handsome man's plate he asked to not give him so much lemon, and I was like, “What the #!*%?” I didn't understand (still don't understand) why they're not his thing. Like I mentioned before, I LOVE them.
So here's the thing, I want to know your opinion. What do you think of the lemon slices in here?
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Roasted Broccoli Salad with Lemons and Almonds
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
- 2 heads broccoli
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup almonds
- ¼ cup dried cranberries, or raisins
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 4 very thin slices of lemon, each cut into 8 tiny triangles (whatever you change about this recipe make sure you don't leave out the lemon slices. They're the best part!)
The lemony dressing
- ¼ cup lemon juice, fresh is best!
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey, sub maple syrup for vegan
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, grated on a Microplane or very finely minced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to broil. Place oven rack on the second to top shelf. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roughly chop the broccoli, making sure to include the sweet broccoli stems. You should have around 9 cups. Place 2 cups of broccoli in a large bowl and the rest on the baking sheet. Drizzle the broccoli on the baking sheet with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Mix it around so that all of the broccoli is coated with oil. Pop it in your oven and let it roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the florets are dark brown. Remove them from the oven and put them in the bowl with the raw broccoli.2 heads broccoli, 2 teaspoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Put the almonds in a small baking dish and roast them in the oven along with the broccoli until they are fragrant and light brown, about 8 minutes. Remove them from the oven and roughly chop them once they are cool enough to handle. Add the chopped almonds, cranberries, dill and lemon slices to the bowl with the broccoli.½ cup almonds, ¼ cup dried cranberries, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, 4 very thin slices of lemon
- In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients. Pour it over the broccoli and toss to coat.¼ cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- Serve immediately, or let it stand for up to 20 minutes.
Love the lemon
This recipe was a hit. Had 10 people over and we all loved it!! The crunchy broccoli with a really tasty dressing and delicious roasted almonds or just amazing. So happy I came upon this recipe. I will definitely be making it again, as will my guests who all asked for the recipe!
Could you use cauliflower as well as the broccoli? I only have one head of broccoli.
I think that roasted cauliflower would be a nice addition!
Added extra lemon juice and onions baked with broccoli so good. Already made it twice!
This was a great salad and the lemon slices in it really did make the salad special.
Love this recipe..have made it so many times and am making it for Easter dinner. And the lemon slices are definitely the best part!!
Hi! I made this salad tonight for my husband and I. I just knew my husband was going to have a problem with the lemon slices so I almost left them out. He loves lemon it was just the thought of eating the slices…but I listened to you and decided last minute to throw them in… Glad I did. As we were eating my husband says, ” Are these tiny lemon slices I am eating?” I responded, “Yes… Do you like it?” And he said he loved them!! It was just the right amount although like you said I found myself wanting more lemon slices! I did not have fresh dill so I omitted it but going to be sure and add it next time I make because I LOVE dill. Thanks for the recipe!
It is so, so tasty! I am a big fan of roasted broccoli but the dressing made me like it even more
Thank you for this recipe I will definitely make it again 🙂
A really good salad! The door is subtle and adds a unique taste. I’m definitely going to make this again!
Delicious … as I didn’t have cranberries at home I added prunes 🙂 thank you very much for the recipe. It goes into my collection ?
You’re very welcome!
I made this salad tonight and it was delicious! I wouldn’t change anything other than next time I will add even more lemon slices. Really tasty, thanks for sharing!!
So happy to hear you also love the lemon!
Loved it! And loved the lemons! I wasn’t sure about eating the lemons rind and all without roasting but it was great. I think I’ll add even more next time! Thank you!!
SO happy to hear that you love those little bits of lemon, too!
Absolutely love your recipes!!! I would love to purchase your cookbooks!!!
That’s wonderful to hear. Thanks, Catherine! BTW if you’re interested, I have a digital cookbook that is available here: https://www.theendlessmeal.com/sugar-free-paleo-dinner-recipes-cookbook/ 🙂
I totally agree, the lemon slices MAKE the salad!! Thank you for your persuasive words in your post because I thought it was a little weird and honestly almost left them out but OMG they are so good! I always get asked to bring broccoli salad to Thanksgiving and was tired of the traditional sweet mayonnaise dressing broccoli salad. Now this one is a favorite among my family as well!
Yay! I’m so happy that you like the little lemon slices, too!
I have made this in the past and it was awesome. Going to make it again for the 4th of July barbecue.
That’s so great to hear! Happy 4th of July!
Delicious, made it 2x in 3 days. My favourite at the moment. Thank you for sharing ❤️
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit!
Yum!!! All of the flavours shine! Thank you.
You’re so welcome! I’m so happy you like it!!
Sounds delicious. As a matter of interest have you tried roasting the lemons in this salad?
Roughly chop the broccoli, making sure to include the sweet broccoli stems. You should have around 9 cups. Place 2 cups of the broccoli in a large bowl and the rest on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle the broccoli on the baking sheet with the olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Mix it around so that all the broccoli is coated with oil. Pop it in your oven and let it roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the florets are dark brown. Remove them from the oven and put them in the bowl with the raw broccoli.
Put the almonds in a small baking dish and roast them in the oven along with the broccoli?? The Broccoli is already roasted???
What I meant to say is that you can roast the almonds at the same time as the broccoli. No need to wait for the broccoli to come out of the oven before you put the almonds in. Sorry if it was confusing!
This looks delicious but it is NOT vegan. Please correct.
If honey is not a part of your diet, simply replace it with maple syrup. 🙂
Hi Kristen,
I made this dish and it is beyond amazing! the dill really adds great flavour.
On a side note, if you are claiming that its vegan ” This roasted broccoli salad has both roasted and raw broccoli, toasted almonds, cranberries and tiny pieces of tart lemon. It’s paleo, vegan and delicious!” then you need to add a note next to honey saying omit if you are vegan. This just stops any confusion.
Also, as a vegan when I go to other peoples houses for dinner they often make something for me to eat going off a recipe from the internet. If the recipe says vegan than they will think its vegan as they don’t know the ins and outs of the diet. Therefore its best not to claim your recipe is vegan if it isn’t – or at least make note of where any animal products that are used can be omitted to make it vegan.
Thanks again for the recipe – i sure will be making it again (without the honey of course 😉
Hi Chloe!
I’m really happy you brought up the point about going to other people’s houses. The reason I always place recipes with honey in them in the vegan category is because I know quite a few people who eat vegan do eat honey, and I always assume those who don’t know to replace the honey with maple syrup or omit it. I never thought of what would happen if someone who is vegan goes out to dinner and their host prepares a meal with honey. I’ll keep this in mind for future recipes and make a note in this one!
OMG! In Kristen’s defence, if you can’t figure out that you replace honey with something else to make it vegan…… i don’t even want to finish that.
Amazing salad, Kristen! and entirely adaptable! Thank you!
This was absolutely DELISH! I am sick of letting veggies go to waste and needed a change from plain old roasted broccoli. This fit the bill and I LOVED THE LEMONS!
The lemons are the best, aren’t they?!!
This was phenomenal! My husband LOVES lemons (he can sit and eat half a lemon on its own), and we love this. A keeper! Thanks so much!
Wow … my cheeks are puckering at the thought of eating a half a lemon! So happy you like the recipe!!
Trying this recipe tonight sounds amazing! I was wondering can you eat it cold? I was going to pre make it. Or do you suggest to heat it back up?
It can definitely be eaten cold! One of the things I really like about this salad is that it keeps well for several days. 🙂
If making this ahead and eating cold/room temp; would you recommend waiting to toss with the dressing before serving or just put it all together at once?
That depends how far ahead you plan on making it. If it’s longer than a couple of hours, I would wait and toss it just before serving. 🙂
Tried it twice : it’S a great recipe!
We actually mixed it with pasta and feta cheese to turn it into a meal: délicious!
Thank you so much, Stephanie! Love that you’ve added feta …. yum!
I was reading the recipe – getting ready to make for supper this evening and noticed that I cannot find where or when to put the lemon slices in. I’m sure its just a matter of mixing them in but I want to be sure to do it properly Thanks
Hi Marj,
The lemon slices go in after the broccoli is roasted … you’ll see it at the end of step 3 in the recipe instructions.
Hope you like the salad. It’s one of my favs 🙂
Kristen,
I have been meaning to tell you, this broccoli salad has changed my life. I have made it 4 times now and each time, I think about how I need to tell you how incredibly grateful I am for it. I’m eating it right now and I just have to say thank you for posting such a gem.
Melissa
Thank you so much for your feedback, Melissa! I’m so so happy to hear how much you like the salad!!
YUM – I have only recently discovered the amazingness of roasted broccoli and absolutely love it, so this salad will definitely be being made. The almonds and lemon would just go so well with the charred and crispy broccoli – I bet a little bit of goats cheese would be awesome too!
I bet a little goat cheese would be incredible! I’m so doing that next time I make this. 🙂
Sounds delicious! Do you use the lemon peel or just the fruit for the wedges?
I use the peel too! They’re cut into such tiny little pieces that it’s a nice pop of lemon flavour without it being overwhelming. 🙂
I do the same thing too sometimes when I’m making pesto pizza.
also used maple syrup instead of honey 🙂
wow! i just tried this this evening, and with amazing results! thought i was having a quiet night in, so the perfect time to try out a new recipe, but just as i was finishing up, my partner and one of our mates arrived home from work – ready for something to eat… now both these boys are bona fide meat eaters so when i presented my vegan broccoli salad, you can imagine the comments… however hunger won, and they both got stuch in (as did I!) and afterwards, the only complaints were that there was not more of it! a few minor changes for me… i know how much you reccommend the lemon pieces, however that’s just the one thing i didn’t have! i substituted with some orange and lime slices instead. also decided that the spring onions, celery and red pepper in my fridge needed to be added, so simply sauted them and added to the finished product. the dressing? nom nom nom, so tangy! 🙂
That;s such a great compliment! Sometimes it can be so hard to win over hardcore meat eaters with veggies and salads. I love that you added some orange slices … I’ll be doing that next time too!
This looks amazing. I might have to try it with some broccoli that’s almost ready to harvest from the garden. 🙂
I’m so jealous you have broccoli ready to harvest! There are few things better than eating straight from your own garden. 🙂
This salad is beautiful! Love the slices of lemon in the salad. Sounds fantastic.
Thanks so much, Kelly!
I love roast veggies! And broccoli is particularly outstanding when roasted. The idea of adding the lemon is genius! But I’m a lemon freak, so I’d say that, wouldn’t I? 🙂 Good stuff — thanks.
We roast broccoli all the time – love it. So I’m smitten with this salad! Honestly, my husband wouldn’t like the lemons either so I’d have to eat all of his too. work, work. work. 😉
Ha ha what is it with guys and lemons! Can’t say I’m upset though, just means more for us!!
I have never in my life craved broccoli salad until now. This looks so delicious! 🙂
I love it! So great to make a broccoli salad craving happen!!
Oh I’m all about the lemon… give me more please! I know those little tiny wedges will add a pop of freshness along side the broccoli! My hubs is a particular eater too, so I know he wouldn’t go for this… but I will, and I”m the cook! hehe
I love how you have some sweet, tart, and crunch in this salad.. a delicious balance of flavors! Thank you my dear!
Lemons are where it’s at! I have a feeling, based on some of the comments here, that it must be a woman thing. I love that part about cooking … we get to cook what WE want! he he he 🙂
What a fabulous and unique salad! Lemon and broccoli go so well together. I bet I’d love the lemon slices. And the almonds and cranberries sound like the perfect complement!
I bet you’d love them too! They really do add just the right amount of zing to the salad. 🙂
Wow, this roasted broccoli salad sounds amazing. Broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables to roast, so Im always looking for new recipes, can’t wait to try this!
It’s mine too! I just love how crispy and extra tasty it gets. Hope you like this salad as much as I do!
Roasting is my favorite way to eat broccoli. The crispy, charred edges is the best thing that’s ever happen to broccoli. I’m loving all of the other elements… sweet, lemony, crunchy…you brought to this dish. It sounds fantastic!
It’s mine too! I actually used to think I didn’t like cooked broccoli, until I learned to make it crispy. 🙂
Great salad! Broccoli goes great with nuts and fruit. Never tried lemon in a salad like this before. I trust you that it’s good, but I know my hubs is funny about lemon, too.
I think it’s great and for me the lemon is a keeper!
Ha ha I love that both of our men are funny about lemons … I think they’re so good!
This looks absolutely sensational! I love all the flavors and the roasting of the broccoli!
The flavours really are delicious … especially the roasted broccoli. 🙂
I absolutely LOVE the sound of a roasted broccoli salad! This is seriously SO gorgeous and perfect for summer cookoouts!
Thanks, Sarah! That was my thought too … the perfect dish to bring to a potluck bbq!
I actually have all of these ingredients! It’s too late to make it tonight, but I’m definitely making it tomorrow! I’ve never had roasted broccoli – I’m excited!
I love it when that happens! Hope you love it as much as I do!