Published: by Nisha Melvani, RDN · I earn commissions from purchases via links on this post.
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Try this High-Protein Roasted Broccoli Salad with chickpeas and tofu, all tossed in a tangy lemon vinaigrette. Packed with protein, fiber, and essential nutrients, this salad is perfect for meal prep, lunch, or dinner.
this RECIPE
Nothing goes to waste with this healthy vegan salad recipe. The broccoli stems and florets are roasted for a satisfying, wholesome meal. Make this salad ahead of time. It's perfect for meal prep and kids love it too!
Whether you're a fitness enthusiast or just looking for a healthy salad option, this roasted broccoli salad will satisfy your taste buds and keep you full for hours.
This recipe was inspired by my Healthy High-Protein Meal-Prep Salad and this unbelievably healthy Strawberry Kale Salad.
Jump to:
- 👩🏼🌾 Roasted Broccoli Salad Ingredients
- 🫛 Substitutions
- 📖 How to High-Protein Make Roasted Broccoli Salad
- ✔️ Expert Tips
- 🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
- 🍽️ Related Recipes
- 🫙 More Dressings
- 👩🏽🍳 Made This Recipe?
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
👩🏼🌾 Roasted Broccoli Salad Ingredients
![High-Protein Roasted Broccoli Salad (2) High-Protein Roasted Broccoli Salad (2)](https://i0.wp.com/cookingforpeanuts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ingredients-high-protein-roasted-broccoli-salad-labeled.jpg)
- Broccoli
- Arugula
- Chickpeas
- Super firm or extra-firm tofu (optional)
- Walnuts
- Dried cranberries (unsweetened)
- Extra-virgin olive oil (brand voted cleanest by Consumer Labs)
- Whole grain mustard
- Garlic
- Lemon
- Hemp hearts (optional)
- Mustard powder
- Spices
See the recipe card for quantities.
🫛 Substitutions
- Arugula - add baby kale or spinach instead
- Tofu - substitute with an additional (15-ounce) can of chickpeas or 1 ½ cups of edamame as desired
- Chickpeas - use an additional (14 to 16-ounce) block of super firm or extra-firm tofu instead
- Dried herbs - add marjoram, oregano, thyme, basil, or herbs to dressing
- Garlic - substitute with 1 teaspoon of garlic powder as needed
- For oil-free, try this 5-Minute Oil-Free Vegan Salad Dressing on my site. Plus, you can bake the tofu, chickpeas, and broccoli in lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, or coconut aminos, along with the seasoning.
For more healthy dips and spreads, visit my Vegan Salad Recipes page.
📖 How to High-Protein Make Roasted Broccoli Salad
For the full recipe with quantities, scroll down to the bottom of the post. This is an overview.
![High-Protein Roasted Broccoli Salad (3) High-Protein Roasted Broccoli Salad (3)](https://i0.wp.com/cookingforpeanuts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/peel-broccoli-stem.jpg)
- Cut the broccoli florets and peel the tough outer layers from the stems using a vegetable peeler. Chop the stems into bite-size pieces.
![High-Protein Roasted Broccoli Salad (4) High-Protein Roasted Broccoli Salad (4)](https://i0.wp.com/cookingforpeanuts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/roast-broccoli-stems-baking-sheet.jpg)
- Transfer the broccoli stems and florets to a large baking sheet. Toss them with a drizzle of olive oil, and garlic powder. Roast at 400ºF.
![High-Protein Roasted Broccoli Salad (5) High-Protein Roasted Broccoli Salad (5)](https://i0.wp.com/cookingforpeanuts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/roasted-broccoli-florets-stems.jpg)
- Cook the broccoli for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Then add a generous dash of mustard powder and toss to coat. Set aside.
![High-Protein Roasted Broccoli Salad (6) High-Protein Roasted Broccoli Salad (6)](https://i0.wp.com/cookingforpeanuts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/bake-spiced-tofu-chickpeas.jpg)
- Place the chickpeas and tofu onto a large baking sheet. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil or tamari, and a dash of paprika, sumac (optional), and garlic powder. Bake for about 25 minutes with the broccoli, or until golden and crispy. Toss the tofu and chickpeas after 10 minutes for even cooking.
![High-Protein Roasted Broccoli Salad (7) High-Protein Roasted Broccoli Salad (7)](https://i0.wp.com/cookingforpeanuts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/baked-tofu-chickpeas-baking-tray.jpg)
- Once the tofu and chickpeas are golden brown, transfer them to a large bowl with the roasted broccoli, hemp hearts, walnuts, cranberries, and arugula.
![High-Protein Roasted Broccoli Salad (8) High-Protein Roasted Broccoli Salad (8)](https://i0.wp.com/cookingforpeanuts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/lemon-vinaigrette-bowl.jpg)
- Add the lemon zest, juice, extra-virgin olive oil, whole-grain mustard, oregano, and maple syrup to a medium bowl. Press the garlic into the bowl. Whisk well until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the vinaigrette to the salad ingredients and mix well to combine.
✔️ Expert Tips
- Optional: Use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer layers of the broccoli stem before chopping.
- For crispier chickpeas: Rub them dry between the layers of a clean dish towel or paper towel before seasoning. Spread them onto the baking sheet with the tofu with space for the hot air to pass in between.
- For soy-free, substitute one (14 to 16-ounce) block of tofu with an additional (14-ounce) can of chickpeas, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas.
- For an antioxidant boost, add dried marjoram to the dressing.
- For oil-free, try my 5-Minute Oil-Free Vegan Salad Dressing available on my site. Bake the tofu, chickpeas, and broccoli with lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, or coconut aminos, and season to taste.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftover High-Protein Roasted Broccoli Salad in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
How can I meal prep Roasted Broccoli Salad?
Cook the broccoli, tofu, and chickpeas in advance. Sprinkle mustard powder on the broccoli. Place the broccoli, tofu, and chickpeas in an airtight container. Prepare the dressing and put it in a separate container. Store everything in the fridge for up to 5 days. When you’re ready to eat, add the rest of the salad ingredients and the dressing.
What is the healthiest way to eat broccoli?
Broccoli has a special ingredient called sulforaphane. It has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging properties. But to make sulforaphane, broccoli needs to mix two parts: a starter chemical and an enzyme called myrosinase. When you cook broccoli, the enzyme gets destroyed, so sulforaphane can’t form. This means raw broccoli can help stop cancer growth, but cooked broccoli like boiled, roasted, or steamed doesn’t have the same effect. Microwaving broccoli is a bit better because it keeps some of the cancer-fighting power.
Even though sulforaphane itself can handle heat, the enzyme can’t. So, if you want to get the benefits of raw broccoli even when it's cooked, chop up the broccoli and wait 40 minutes. This gives the sulforaphane time to form because the enzyme isn’t needed anymore. Then you can cook the broccoli and still get the health benefits.
What is the benefit of adding mustard powder to cooked broccoli?
All cruciferous vegetables have the sulforaphane-forming enzyme, myrosinase, including mustard greens. Therefore sprinkling some mustard powder on cooked broccoli is the same as adding back the enzyme, myrosinase. This reacts with the cooked broccoli to form sulforaphane. This trick can also be used to restore the nutritional benefits of frozen broccoli.
Is extra-virgin olive oil healthy?
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) contains the highest percentage of polyphenols and antioxidants.
- Healthy High-Protein Meal-Prep Salad Recipe
- Crunch Salad with Tempeh
- The Easiest, Healthiest, And Most Tasty Roasted Chickpea Salad
🫙 More Dressings
- Easy Miso Tahini Dressing
- Best Oil-Free Vegan Salad Dressing Recipe
- Healthy Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe (5 Minutes)
- Quick Chipotle Dressing (5 Ingredients, Oil-Free)
👩🏽🍳 Made This Recipe?
Share your High-Protein Roasted Broccoli Salad creation with me onInstagram. It makes my day to see you recreate my recipes.
I would love it if you would ⭐️ rate this recipe and leave a comment. Thank you in advance.
📖 Recipe
High-Protein Roasted Broccoli Salad
Nisha Melvani
Looking for a high-protein healthy vegan salad? This Roasted Broccoli Salad will satisfy your taste buds and keep you full for hours.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 40 minutes mins
Course Main Course, Salad
Cuisine Vegan
Servings 6 servings
Calories 431 kcal
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds broccoli (about 8 cups cut florets and stems)
- Drizzle of olive oil or lemon juice, or balsamic vinegar for roasting
- Dash of garlic powder
- Salt or salt-substitute to taste
- Dash of mustard powder
- 14 to 16 ounces super firm tofu or pressed extra-firm tofu
- 1 14-ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed, or 1 ½ cups cooked
- Dash of paprika
- Dash of sumac (optional)
For the salad:
- ½ cup raw walnuts chopped
- 4 cups arugula roughly chopped, or baby arugula, or baby kale or spinach
- ½ cup unsweetened dried cranberries or barberries (optional)
- 2 tablespoons hemp hearts (optional)
For the lemon vinaigrette:
- 2 medium lemons zest and juice
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup or to taste
- 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard or Dijon
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano or marjoram (optional)
- 4 cloves garlic
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Cut the broccoli florets and peel the tough outer layers from the stems using a vegetable peeler. Chop the stems into bite-size pieces.
Transfer the broccoli stems and florets to a large baking sheet. Toss them with a drizzle of olive oil, garlic powder, and salt to taste.
Roast the broccoli for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Then add a generous dash of mustard powder and toss to coat. Set aside.
Transfer the chickpeas and tofu to a large baking sheet. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil or tamari, and a dash of paprika, sumac (if using), garlic powder, and salt to taste.
Bake for about 25 minutes at the same time as the broccoli. Toss the tofu cubes and chickpeas after 10 minutes so they cook evenly. Bake until golden brown.
Once the tofu and chickpeas are done cooking, transfer them to a large bowl with the roasted broccoli, hemp hearts, walnuts, cranberries, and arugula.
Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, maple syrup, and oregano to a medium bowl. Press the garlic into the bowl. Whisk well until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the dressing to the bowl with the salad ingredients and mix well to combine.
Notes
- For crispier chickpeas: Rub them dry between the layers of a clean dish towel or paper towel before seasoning. Spread them onto the baking sheet with the tofu with space for the hot air to pass in between.
- For soy-free, substitute one (14 to 16-ounce) block of tofu with another (14-ounce) can of chickpeas or 1 ½ cups cooked.
- For oil-free, try this 5-Minute Oil-Free Vegan Salad Dressing on my site. Bake the tofu, chickpeas, and broccoli in lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, or coconut aminos, along with the seasoning.
- For an antioxidant boost, add dried marjoram to the dressing.
Nutrition
Calories: 431kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 109mg | Potassium: 722mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1.082IU | Vitamin C: 124mg | Calcium: 187mg | Iron: 4mg
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Marguerite
I had some friends over for a potluck vegan luncheon today and made this recipe. All I can say is that this will become a staple among salad choices for me, it was a huge hit. Everyone was happy they got to leave with a copy of the recipe.Reply
Nisha Melvani, RDN
Made my evening to read this! Thank you for sharing it!
Reply
Philip Roche
I love the layout straight forward and simple. It makes,it easier for me. Today I will attempt to make salad and vibrant hummus. Love this it feels that I have finally found a regime that is going to aide my diet. Don't you dare go anywhere.
Reply
Nisha Melvani, RDN
My plan is to stay! Thank you. Hope you love it!
Reply
Candace
Absolutely delicious! Easy and nutritious-and definitely chock full of protein. I love the added complexity that the sumac and marjoram add. One suggestion: I missed the dry mustard powder because it wasn't listed in the ingredients, only in the directions. Would it be possible to add it there? I missed it when I went shopping for the ingredients.Thank you for this awesome recipe.
Reply
Nisha Melvani, RDN
I'm so sorry about that! Just added it. Thank you.
Reply
Paula
Hi Nisha
The Roasted Broccoli Salad was delicious.
I appreciate all the additional information/tips you share about the ingredients that improve their beneficial health benefits.
Thank you!Reply
Nisha Melvani, RDN
I'm so glad you enjoyed it and found the info helpful. Have a great week.
Reply
Stuart Craig
So, you are roasting the broccoli ,first for 20 min, then a second & third time?
Reply
Nisha Melvani, RDN
Nope. Just for 20 minutes once. I just rewrote the instructions. Hope they are clearer now.
Reply
5 from 3 votes