Mediterranean Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

Looking for a crowd-pleasing salad to serve and your next gathering? This crunchy Mediterranean Broccoli Cauliflower Salad is a delicious combination of cruciferous veggies, celery, carrot, tomatoes and kalamata olives all tossed in a zesty Italian salad dressing. It’s guaranteed to be a hit!!

If you’re looking for an easy to make salad to take to a potluck or backyard barbecue, this Broccoli Cauliflower Salad is sure to make it to the top of your shortlist. Even the most cauliflower and broccoli avoidant personality will find this salad to be completely addictive!

Thanks to this zesty Italian Salad Dressing, this raw broccoli cauliflower salad is totally habit-forming! It doesn’t matter what the occasion, this Mediterranean broccoli cauliflower salad goes well with just about dish you’ll want to serve it with! 

Broccoli Cauliflower Salad Recipe

This Mediterranean broccoli and cauliflower salad  is loaded with cruciferous veggies that are great immune boosting foods rich with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits.  Here’s the many health benefits the individual ingredients offer.

• Cauliflower. Cauliflower is considered one of the healthiest foods on the planet. It’s rich with antioxidants and a good source of  phytochemicals and anti-inflammatory compounds which help to ward off certain diseases.  It’s also high in fiber and may aid weight loss. (1) (2) (3) (4)
• Broccoli.  Broccoli is nutrient rich and known for promoting cardiovascular health, supporting immune function and reducing inflammation. It’s a good source of vitamin C which supports the immune system.. It’s also a good source of lutein, zeaxanthin and beta-carotene, which all promotes good eye health. Broccoli is also high in fiber.  (5) (6) (7)
• Red cabbage.  Like other cruciferous vegetables (including broccoli and cauliflower) red cabbage is also an excellent detox food.  It’s a rich source of antioxidants that have been shown to reduce chronic inflammation. It’s also a good source of fiber and contains sulfur compounds which help the body fight against toxins. Red cabbage also contains powerful compounds called anthocyanins which is what gives cabbage its rich purple color. These anthocyanins are rich with powerful flavonoids and there are a number of studies that link a diet rich with foods containing anthocyanins and a reduced rick of heart disease. (8).(9 (10)
• Carrots. They’re a rich source of vitamins (vitamin A, B6, Biotin and vitamin K), minerals (potassium) and antioxidants beta carotene and lutein which promotes good eye health, and lycopene which is a powerful antioxidant (found in many red fruits and vegetables) and may help decrease risk of certain types of cancer and heart disease. Carrots are rich with vitamin A which aids the liver with flushing out toxins from the body.  (11)(12)
• Celery. Celery and celery seeds have approximately 25 anti-inflammatory compounds that offer protection against inflammation. It’s also rich with antioxidants. Celery is almost 95 percent water and provides both soluble and insoluble fiber which supports the digestive tract.  It’s also rich with magnesium and iron that may help to balance the body’s pH levels.  (15)
• Cherry Tomatoes. High in fiber and low in calories, cherry tomatoes are rich with vitamins A, C  and E. They’re also rich with the antioxidants lycopene and beta carotene (both which may help reduce risk of heart disease) and lutein which helps to promote eye function and brain health. Cherry tomatoes have a higher concentration of antioxidants than other tomato varieties. They’re also a good source of folate, calcium and magnesium. (16) (17) (18) (19)
• Green Onions.  Onions are a rich source of  Quercetin, a powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties that may help fight chronic diseases such as heart disease and it is beneficial for eliminating free radicals in the body.  It may also prevent the release of histamine, making onions a natural antihistamine. They are a rich source of both vitamin C and phytochemicals which helps to strengthen our immune systems.  Vitamin C is an essential water-soluble vitamin that our bodies need to make collagen.  Collagen is a type of protein that plays a role in wound healing and immunity support. Eaten raw, they also promotes production of HDL, which is the good cholesterol that’s needed for optimal health, and reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke.Good source of sulfur which acts as a natural blood thinner and it prevents blood platelets from clotting, which may help to lower blood pressure and the risk of heart attack or stroke.  Rich source of the powerful antioxidant Quercetin which may also help to reduce the risk of  heart attack and stroke by preventing  plaque buildup in our arteries and enhancing elasticity of blood vessels. (20) (21)  (22)
• Kalamata Olives. Rich with antioxidants, kalamata olives are high in oleic acid (a heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acid), which may help prevent heart disease. They’re also a good source of vitamins A and E, which helps promote eye health and cardiovascular health. (23) (24) (25)

How to Make Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad

You’ll love how quick and easy this Mediterranean broccoli & cauliflower salad  comes together. 

1. Whisk Dressing. Add all the ingredients in a mason jar. Seal the lid and vigorously shake to blend ingredients.
2. Prep Ingredients. Rinse cruciferous veggies, celery, carrot, onion and tomatoes under cold water and pat dry.  Chop cruciferous veggies coarsely, slice celery, carrot, tomatoes, onions and kalamata olives.
3. Toss Ingredients. Add the cruciferous veggies, celery, carrot, onion, tomatoes and kalamata olives. 
4. Dress Salad and Refrigerate. Drizzle enough dressing over the salad and toss to evenly coat the veggies. Sprinkle finely grated Parmesan cheese over the salad and toss again. Refrigerate up to 30 minutes (1 hour even better) before serving. You can give it one more toss just before serving.

Zesty Italian Salad Dressing

We use a delicious Zesty Italian Salad Dressing to toss this salad with. This salad will seriously make the most reluctant cruciferous veggies eater more than happy to devour this salad.

• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 garlic cloves, grated or minced (I like to grate it then chop the grated pieces a bit so the pieces are really fine)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese (optional)
• 1 tablespoon kalamata olives (optional)
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Tips

For this broccoli & cauliflower salad, you can prepare this zesty Italian dressing ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. I typically make the dressing a minimum of an hour before using because I like the flavors to really blend together. Then I’ll toss the salad  about 30 minutes before I serve it so the dressing has a chance to slightly marinate the cruciferous veggies. If you have the time, toss the salad in the dressing and let it sit in the refrigerate for up to an hour to really let the veggies marinate in the dressing.  This salad should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and it can last for up to 5 days. 

Blanching vs Raw

I prefer to serve this salad with fresh raw ingredients. I never blanch the broccoli or cauliflower, but if you prefer a slightly softer cauliflower and broccoli for your salad, then feel free to blanch them.  To blanch the veggies, just bring a pot of water to a boil and submerge the veggies in the simmering water for no longer than 1 minute. Be sure to immediately drain and rinse the vegetables in cold water to halt the cooking processing. Set your broccoli aside  to dry thoroughly before tossing in the salad.

How to Cut Cauliflower

Start by removing the leaves off the base of the cauliflower. Then carefully cut the cauliflower in half through the core, and carefully cut away the cauliflower florets from the stem.

Looking for more recipes featuring cruciferous veggies?

• Crunchy Detox Salad
• Superfood Salad
• Cauliflower Potato Salad
• Broccoli Caesar Salad
• Quinoa Kale Salad
• Coconut Curry Broccoli Soup
• How to Make Cauliflower Rice
• Mexican Cauliflower Rice
• Turmeric Cauliflower Chowder

Want more ideas?  Check out all my healthy salad recipes.

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Yield: 6 servings

Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Looking for a crowd-pleasing salad to serve and your next gathering? This crunchy Broccoli Cauliflower Salad is a delicious combination of cruciferous veggies, celery, carrot, tomatoes and kalamata olives all tossed in a zesty Italian salad dressing. It's guaranteed to be a hit!!

Ingredients

• 2 cups broccoli, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups cauliflower, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups purple cabbage, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups celery, sliced
• 1/2 cup carrot, sliced
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced in half lengthwise
• 1/4 cup green onion, sliced
• 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely grated

Zesty Italian Dressing

• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 garlic cloves, grated or minced (I like to grate it then chop the grated pieces a bit so the pieces are really fine)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese (optional)
• 1 tablespoon kalamata olives (optional)
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Rinse cruciferous veggies, celery, carrot, onion and tomatoes under cold water and pat dry.  Chop cruciferous veggies coarsely, slice celery, carrot, tomatoes, onions and kalamata olives.
2. Add the cruciferous veggies, celery, carrot, onion, tomatoes and kalamata olives. '
3. Drizzle enough dressing over the salad and toss to evenly coat the veggies. Sprinkle finely grated Parmesan cheese over the salad and toss again. Refrigerate up to 30 minutes before serving. You can give it one more toss just before serving.

Zesty Italian Dressing

1. Add all the ingredients in a mason jar. Seal the lid and vigorously shake to blend ingredients.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 337Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 236mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 5gSugar: 4gProtein: 4g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations.