Healthy Broccoli Salad with Vegan Bacon, Apples, Blue Cheese and Pecans

Easy and healthy vegetarian broccoli salad recipe with vegan bacon (!), apples, blue cheese, cranberries and pecans. Delicious gluten-free side dish full of nutrients for your Thanksgiving table!

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 578kcal

Author Elena Szeliga

Ingredients

For the salad:

400 g or 3 cups raw broccoli florets
1 medium-sized sweet apple diced
80 g or 3 oz blue cheese (e.g. Gorgonzola) diced
40 g or 1/3 cup cranberries
40 g or 1/3 cup pecans

For the vegan bacon:

2 pieces rice paper
1 teaspoon Marmite
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the maple Dijon mustard dressing:

1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon crème fraiche
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Blanche broccoli:

Boil water with a pinch of salt in a medium-sized pot and blanch broccoli florets for about 3-4 minutes. Drain them and let cool a bit.

Make vegan bacon:

Preheat the oven to 200 C or 400 F. Cut a sheet of rice paper into 1 inch (2.5 cm) strips with scissors. Take two strips of the same length and smear them with water from both sides using a silicon brush. Press them together, creating a double-layered strip. Transfer them in a single layer onto the baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Prepare the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together Marmite, olive oil, soy sauce, maple syrup, ground paprika and black pepper. Brush each strip from both sides with the sauce and bake until crispy, about 7 minutes. Set aside.

Make maple Dijon mustard dressing:

In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup, Dijon mustard, crème fraiche, apple cider vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add water to adjust the consistency.

Assemble the salad:

In a big salad bowl, mix together broccoli, diced apple, blue cheese, cranberries, pecans and add the dressing. Break the vegan bacon into small pieces and top your salad with it just before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

This salad keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days, which makes it a perfect make ahead meal. To avoid the vegan bacon getting soggy, store it separately in an airtight container and top the salad with it just before serving.

Nutrition