Recipe for vegan broccoli salad with spicy sesame peanut dressing

Broccoli and I aren't the best of friends. I know it's good for me, and I know I should love it, but somehow, the shrubby little florets and I just aren't a match made in heaven. As with other foods I don't love, I tend to pair broccoli with something I do love. Something sweet, something salty, something chocolate -- okay, I don't really do that, but maybe I should try it -- or, most often, something spicy. This recipe hits the salty and spicy notes. I serve it at room temperature, though you could add some tofu and serve it over hot rice, too. One thing I know for sure: you'll love the sauce, and that will help you love the broccoli. It works for me.

Vegan broccoli salad with spicy sesame peanut dressing

From the pantry, you'll need: reduced sodium soy sauce, peanut butter, sesame oil, shao hsing wine, Sriracha, white or black sesame seeds.

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

1 large bunch (approximately 1 lb) broccoli, cut into florets (reserve stems for another dish)
2 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp peanut butter
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp shao hsing wine
1/2 tsp Sriracha
2 Tbsp water
Pinch of kosher salt
Pinch of fresh black pepper
White or black sesame seeds (or some of each), toasted, for garnish

Directions

Bring a sauce pan of water to a boil, and fill a mixing bowl with cold water and ice cubes.

Drop the broccoli florets into the boiling water. Cook for one minute. Scoop out the broccoli with a strainer or slotted spoon, and drop into the ice water. (This will stop the cooking and set the bright green color.)

In a blender, combine the soy sauce, peanut butter, sesame oil, shao hsing wine, Sriracha, 2 tablespoons of water, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.

Drain the broccoli and add to a serving bowl. Pour on just enough of the peanut dressing (you might have leftover dressing; refrigerate it for up to two weeks.), and toss gently. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Cucumber and chicken salad with sesame ginger dressing
Asian broccoli slaw
Broccoli, basil and pasta salad
Potato and broccoli samosas
Asparagus in miso sauce

Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Vegan coleslaw with peanut dressing, from Gluten-Free Goddess
Goi cuon with peanut hoisin dipping sauce, from Sunday Nite Dinner
Spinach with sesame and garlic, from Simply Recipes
Honey-Sriracha Buffalo wings, from White on Rice Couple
Lemon-ginger chicken with broccoli, from Tigers & Strawberries

Need more ideas for how to create salads with pizzazz? Get Dress Up Your Salad, my e-book packed with easy mix-and-match recipes, full-color photos and a few fun videos. Exciting salad recipes from everyday ingredients can be just one click away, on any computer, tablet or smart phone, with the FREE Kindle Reading app. Click here to learn more.

Vegan broccoli salad with spicy sesame peanut dressing

From the pantry, you'll need: reduced sodium soy sauce, peanut butter, sesame oil, shao hsing wine, Sriracha, white or black sesame seeds.

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

1 large bunch (approximately 1 lb) broccoli, cut into florets (reserve stems for another dish)
2 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp peanut butter
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp shao hsing wine
1/2 tsp Sriracha
2 Tbsp water
Pinch of kosher salt
Pinch of fresh black pepper
White or black sesame seeds (or some of each), toasted, for garnish

Directions

Bring a sauce pan of water to a boil, and fill a mixing bowl with cold water and ice cubes.

Drop the broccoli florets into the boiling water. Cook for one minute. Scoop out the broccoli with a strainer or slotted spoon, and drop into the ice water. (This will stop the cooking and set the bright green color.)

In a blender, combine the soy sauce, peanut butter, sesame oil, shao hsing wine, Sriracha, 2 tablespoons of water, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.

Drain the broccoli and add to a serving bowl. Pour on just enough of the peanut dressing (you might have leftover dressing; refrigerate it for up to two weeks.), and toss gently. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Cucumber and chicken salad with sesame ginger dressing
Asian broccoli slaw
Broccoli, basil and pasta salad
Potato and broccoli samosas
Asparagus in miso sauce

Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Vegan coleslaw with peanut dressing, from Gluten-Free Goddess
Goi cuon with peanut hoisin dipping sauce, from Sunday Nite Dinner
Spinach with sesame and garlic, from Simply Recipes
Honey-Sriracha Buffalo wings, from White on Rice Couple
Lemon-ginger chicken with broccoli, from Tigers & Strawberries

Need more ideas for how to create salads with pizzazz? Get Dress Up Your Salad, my e-book packed with easy mix-and-match recipes, full-color photos and a few fun videos. Exciting salad recipes from everyday ingredients can be just one click away, on any computer, tablet or smart phone, with the FREE Kindle Reading app. Click here to learn more.

Comments

...of course cheese usually makes everything better ;-)

Could rice vinegar be substituted for the shao hsing wine? I have too many condiments in my fridge at the moment.

Oh yum. I know I like broccoli a lot more than you do and this looks fantastic!

Peanut butter and broccoli are a match made in heaven. Thanks for posting this. :)

Carol, cheese never hurt anything.

Judy, of course you could use rice vinegar. And especially if you have too much of it in the pantry.

Kalyn, I keep trying with broccoli, in a way I've never been able to do with cauliflower.

Sassy, the peanut sauce really makes it possible for me to like the broccoli. I wish I'd discovered this combination years ago.

I love broccoli. Thanks for sharing this recipe.I make it the usual traditional way with lots of extra virgin olive oil, lots of thin sliced garlic, salt and pepper, and roasted on medium heat till is it becomes golden brown and the edges and the garlic is nice caramelized.

Sri, that sounds delicious. But for me, the broccoli needs to be coated in something that almost masks the flavor. Isn't that awful of me? I keep trying to love it, but I'm not there yet.

Agreed… not the biggest fan of these florets by themselves. Certainly agree they need a makeover before consumption. Aside from sauces, I actually find the flavor enhanced by simply roasting them with garlic. This sounds yummy, will be trying soon!

Our favorite broccoli dish is Chinese restaurant 'broccoli with garlic sauce.' Sometimes we get it to go, and with rice that's dinner. My children loved what they called Broccoli-cheese. My mother made this with a Greek style tomato sauce and some kind of cheese on top -- sadly, her recipe wasn't saved and I haven't been able to reproduce it. And 3rd -- I find that blanching broccoli beyond al dente makes it much more friendly -- probably indigestible at the fashionably crisp stage. This one looks wonderful!

This sounds delicious, but I am still holding out for your chocolate covered broccoli recipe!

You have wonderful salads here. I am a fan of broccoli and with this sauce, I am in love.

I made this and it was a hit. I hope to type it up, tonight. Thanks for the recipe.

Yum, this sounds delicious, perfect for summer. I'll eat just about anything with peanut sesame sauce on it!