Broccoli Salad With Lemon Chilli Dressing

The holidays are here! Whether you’re busy rushing to and from social events or you prefer to relax at home as much as possible, it can be a hard time to stay on track with healthy eating. 

Today, I’ve got an amazing broccoli salad recipe to share with you that is so great for this time of year! It’s a quick and easy way to eat healthier plus it tastes amazing too. 

Broccoli Salad With Lemon Chilli Dressing

Taking just 20 minutes to make, this is such a simple and delicious broccoli salad recipe. 

Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 20 mins
Serves: 1
Dietary preferences: Vegetarian, Vegan option, Dairy-free option, Gluten-free

Ingredients:

• 1 small head broccoli, cut into florets
• 20g flaked almonds
• ½ medium red capsicum, julienned
• 30g salt-reduced low-fat feta cheese or non-dairy feta cheese of choice, crumbled
• 50g spicy baked chickpeas

Lemon chilli dressing

• ½ lemon, juiced
• pinch of chilli flakes
• ½ tbsp olive oil
• ½ garlic clove, crushed
• sea salt and ground pepper, to taste.

Method:

1. Fill a saucepan with water until 5 cm deep and insert a steamer basket. Cover with a lid and bring the water to the boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium. Add the broccoli and steam, covered, for 4-5 minutes or until broccoli is tender-crisp. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside to cool. 

2. Meanwhile, heat a small non-stick fry pan over medium heat. Add the flaked almonds and cook for 4-5 minutes or until fragrant and lightly toasted, stirring frequently. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.
 

3. To prepare the lemon chilli dressing, whisk the lemon, chilli flakes, olive oil and garlic together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

4. Place the broccoli, toasted almonds, capsicum and spicy baked chickpeas in a mixing bowl. Drizzle with the lemon chilli dressing and toss gently to combine. 

5. To serve, place the broccoli salad in a serving bowl and sprinkle over the feta cheese. Enjoy!

Why you should make broccoli salad

If you’ve never used broccoli in a salad before, you are seriously missing out! Broccoli has a number of potential health benefits and it is so simple to make. 

Here are a few things you might not know about broccoli:

Broccoli is good for your bones

Research has shown that vitamin K plays an important role in keeping your bones strong. Broccoli is a source of vitamin K, which means it can help to improve bone density!

Broccoli is a good source of fibre

Thanks to the fibre it contains, broccoli can help keep the digestive process moving smoothly and can help maintain a healthy intestinal tract. Broccoli is also a source of magnesium, which can assist in reducing any inflammation in the intestines. 

Broccoli is good for your eyes

Broccoli is rich in antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which help to absorb blue light that can be harmful to your retina. A diet that includes broccoli and dark leafy greens can help to protect your eyes from sun and light damage, so it is definitely worth adding these to your plate. Just remember to eat them with a healthy fat (such as olive oil, like I’ve used in this recipe) so they are absorbed properly. 

Broccoli is good for your skin

Healthy skin comes from within! This might be surprising news but broccoli is a good source of vitamin C, even though we usually associate vitamin C with citrus fruits. Vitamin C, along with vitamins A and E, are all found in broccoli and all help your skin to look its best! 

Try this broccoli salad recipe

Now you know that broccoli is rich in vitamins and beneficial nutrients I’m sure you are dying to try out this recipe. It is packed with yummy ingredients and makes for a quick and easy dinner or side dish.