Broccoli Crunch Salad

This broccoli crunch salad is is loaded with nutrients and flavor. Easy to make and perfect to meal prep for meals throughout the week.

Close up of broccoli crunch salad topped with toasted chickpeas and seeds.

It’s all about adding in nutrients. And we can do this in both a practical and delicious way. We’re using this Broccoli Crunch Salad as our example, but the concepts here can absolutely be applied to other meals you want to level up.

Why You’ll Love This Broccoli Crunch Salad

  • Easy to prepare. Just one pan needed to cook up the broccoli and chickpeas. Stir everything else together in a bowl and it’s ready to serve!
  • Accessible ingredients. No fancy ingredients needed. The base of this salad is broccoli, rice and chickpeas. We use a simple mix of herbs, spices and citrus to help elevate their flavor.
  • Highly nutritious. The whole point of this bowl is to teach you how to pack in nutrients. So we are adding nutrients to our white rice by stirring it up with antioxidant and fiber-rich ingredients.
Cutting board with broccoli, chickpeas, cilantro, shallots, lemon and garlic.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

  • Rice: I have been on a white rice kick, but feel free to use the rice or grain you like. You can use short grain brown rice, forbidden rice, quinoa or even farro as a swap.
  • Broccoli: Use up the whole head of broccoli including the stalk. If not a fan of broccoli, try using a different vegetable. I have a list included in the notes of this recipe.
  • Chickpeas: For ease, use canned chickpeas. You can always use your own cooked chickpeas if preferred.
  • Herbs: I used cilantro, but feel free to swap with some of your favorite fresh herbs. See some examples in my frequently asked questions section.
  • Aromatics: I chose a combo of garlic and shallots. Allowing the garlic and shallots to mix with the citrus and vinegar will help tone down their flavors, so allow them to marinate while you cook up your veggies and chickpeas.
  • Spices: I used a combination of cumin and coriander. Feel free to swap or change it up for other spices you prefer. Swapping for some za’atar or sumac would work lovely in this bowl.
  • Lemon: Use fresh so you can utilize both the zest and juice.
  • Seeds: For some added protein and minerals I added pepitas, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds. Feel free to change up the ratios of this blend based on your own preference.

How to Make Broccoli Crunch Salad

Cook rice according to package instructions on the stove top or in a rice cooker. Place the chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel and pat dry.

To a large mixing bowl add the cilantro, shallots, pepper, grated garlic, 1/2 the lemon zest, cumin, coriander, juice of half a lemon, 2 teaspoons of maple syrup, and the vinegar. Give everything a good mix to combine and allow to sit and marinade while you cook the veggies.

Place a large skillet over medium heat and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped broccoli and spread it out in a single layer in the pan. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and allow to cook undisturbed for about 3 minutes, allowing the broccoli to brown slightly around the edges. Toss the broccoli and continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes or until the broccoli is bright green and cooked through then remove from heat.

Add the broccoli to the bowl with the marinade along with the cooked rice. Toss everything to evenly coat , taste and add additional salt and pepper to taste then set aside to prepare the chickpeas.

Warm up the same skillet and drizzle with remaining oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Add in the chickpeas and spread into an even layer. Allow the chickpeas to cook undisturbed for 3 minutes then give them a toss and cook for an extra 2 minutes, allowing to brown. Add in the pepitas, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds and continue to sauté allowing them to toast up for 1-2 minutes. Add in the remaining 2 teaspoons maple syrup, the juice and zest of the remaining lemon half and a generous pinch of salt. Toss to coat then remove from heat.

Divide the broccoli salad mixture between serving plates then top each with a generous amount of the chickpea mixture and serve.

Expert Tips

  • Don’t toss your broccoli stems! The stems are just as flavorful and nutritious as the florets. Just peel the fibrous coating and then dice it up finely and cook it along with the rest of the broccoli.
  • Choose the veggies you love. Swap the broccoli for a variety of different veggies like cauliflower, sliced snap peas, asparagus, shredded cabbage or chopped kale. Do note, it’s important to note that the cook time for these different veggies may vary and require more or less time to get golden.
  • Change up the herbs. If you can’t tolerate the cilantro, try a different combo of herbs. I personally love to swap for 1/3 cup minced parsley and 2 tablespoons of minced mint. Also feel free to leave it out entirely.
Herby broccoli rice salad topped with toasted chickpeas and seeds with cilantro.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this salad ahead of time?

Yes. Allow the the salad to cool then store the broccoli salad and toasted chickpeas separate airtight containers. Store the containers in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Feel free to reheat each component separately in the microwave or toast it back up in a sauté pan.

Do you eat this hot or cold?

Either way is perfect. This can be eaten cold or heated back up on the stove top until warmed through.

Can I use frozen broccoli?

For best texture, I do recommend using fresh broccoli if possible. However, you can make this with frozen broccoli. I would change a few things to help make the most of the frozen broccoli. Instead of cooking it in a pan, roast it. Preheat the oven to 425F and add the frozen broccoli to a baking tray and drizzle well with oil. Add a pinch of salt and toss to evenly coat. Spread the broccoli out on the tray then bake for 25-30 minutes, tossing half way and cooking until crispy around the edges.

Side view of a bowl of broccoli rice salad topped with lemon chickpeas and cilantro.

Guide to Adding Nutrients

Often times the conversation of nutrition revolve around what you shouldn’t eat! But this way of thinking is super limiting and our bodies would benefit way more if we focused on things we can add to our meals to keep us nourished.

This bowl is a perfect example of this very principle. Many people would shun white rice as being unhealthy, but it can be a vehicle for extra nutrition. Consider the fact that most cultures eat their rice with beans, a nutrient powerhouse. And if you wanted to, you can stir in some veggies and herbs to add a bunch of nutrition to your rice. Those are all choices you can make, and there is an endless number of ways to add nutrients to your next meal. Try adding any of the following to your next plate:

  • Nutrient-rich sauces with blended greens and herbs
  • Longevity boosting beans
  • Any of your fav roasted veggies, chop them up finely and stir them into something you love
  • Top with something fermented like kimchi
  • Herbs, spices, or salsas

More Nutrient Packed Bowls

Mixing the broccoli crunch salad together in a bowl with a gold spoon.
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Close up of broccoli crunch salad topped with toasted chickpeas and seeds.

Broccoli Crunch Salad

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  • Author: Catherine Perez
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 34 servings 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This broccoli crunch salad is is loaded with nutrients and flavor. Easy to make and perfect to meal prep for meals throughout the week.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup dry Jasmine rice, wash and rinsed well (yields about 3 cups of cooked rice)
  • 1, 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, minced
  • 1/2 a small shallot, minced
  • 1 Fresno pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • Juice and zest of 1 lemon, divided
  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/4 tsp salt plus more for seasoning
  • 4 tsp maple syrup, divided
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 12 tbsp olive oil for cooking
  • 1 head broccoli, chopped (if using stalk, peel stalk before chopping)
  • 2 tbsp pepitas
  • 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Cook rice according to package instructions on the stove top or in a rice cooker. Place the chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel and pat dry.
  2. To a large mixing bowl add the cilantro, shallots, pepper, grated garlic, 1/2 the lemon zest, cumin, coriander, juice of half a lemon, 2 teaspoons of maple syrup, and the vinegar. Give everything a good mix to combine and allow to sit and marinade while you cook the veggies.
  3. Place a large skillet over medium heat and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped broccoli and spread it out in a single layer in the pan. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and allow to cook undisturbed for about 3 minutes, allowing the broccoli to brown slightly around the edges. Toss the broccoli and continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes or until the broccoli is bright green and cooked through then remove from heat.
  4. Add the broccoli to the bowl with the marinade along with the cooked rice. Toss everything to evenly coat , taste and add additional salt and pepper to taste then set aside to prepare the chickpeas.
  5. Warm up the same skillet and drizzle with remaining oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Add in the chickpeas and spread into an even layer. Allow the chickpeas to cook undisturbed for 3 minutes then give them a toss and cook for an extra 2 minutes, allowing to brown. Add in the pepitas, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds and continue to sauté allowing them to toast up for 1-2 minutes. Add in the remaining 2 teaspoons maple syrup, the juice and zest of the remaining lemon half and a generous pinch of salt. Toss to coat then remove from heat.
  6. Divide the broccoli salad mixture between serving plates then top each with a generous amount of the chickpea mixture and serve.

Notes

Don’t toss your broccoli stems! The stems are just as flavorful and nutritious as the florets. Just peel the fibrous coating and then dice it up finely and cook it along with the rest of the broccoli.

Choose the veggies you love. Swap the broccoli for a variety of different veggies like cauliflower, sliced snap peas, asparagus, shredded cabbage or chopped kale. Do note, it’s important to note that the cook time for these different veggies may vary and require more or less time to get golden.

Change up the herbs. If you can’t tolerate the cilantro, try a different combo of herbs. I personally love to swap for 1/3 cup minced parsley and 2 tablespoons of minced mint. Also feel free to leave it out entirely.

If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.

 Catherine

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