Light and zesty, crisp and refreshing, and delightfully easy to make, our Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad is a delicious addition to any dinner table or picnic. Using just a handful of simple ingredients, and the simplest preparation method possible, this is one salad you should absolutely have in your repertoire. It’s also an evergreen recipe, being as at home at your next barbecue cookout as it is for quick weeknight meals.

The best part of this recipe, of course, is just how easy it is to make. This recipe takes just thirty minutes to prepare, and uses only the simplest ingredients possible – all of which are readily available at your local supermarket. We’re using broccoli and cauliflower, lemon juice, olive oil, onion, and a handful of seasonings to bring this recipe together. After blanching the broccoli and cauliflower, it’s just a matter of chopping and mixing, and you’re done.

Now, without further delay, let’s make some salad.

Recipe Overview – What to Expect

Today’s salad is make-ahead friendly, super simple to prepare, and pairs deliciously with a variety of light main courses. That said, here’s what you can expect from this salad:

Taste and Texture

Taste: A delightful and refreshing combination of flavors. We have a nutty and slightly earthy base from the mixed broccoli and cauliflower, balanced by sweet red bell peppers, and some bite from red onion. From the butter beans, we have creamy, almost buttery notes, while the lemon and olive oil dressing provides some citrusy zest.
Texture: We have some nice crunch and crispness from the broccoli and cauliflower, which contrasts deliciously with the creamy beans.

Difficulty Level

Easy: It really doesn’t get any easier than this. This recipe features a straightforward and beginner-friendly process, that is both quick and make-ahead friendly. From the slicing to the blanching and mixing, this recipe couldn’t be easier.

Preparation Process

Blanching: The recipe starts with blanching the broccoli and cauliflower. This helps them to retain their crispness and color. This step is crucial both for maintaining the right texture, and keeping the salad looking vibrant and colorful.
Mixing: After allowing the broccoli and cauliflower to cook, we combine them with the rest of the ingredients and mix until combined.
Seasoning: Finally, we toss the salad with our olive oil and lemon juice dressing.

Pairings

Main Courses: My go-to pairing would be grilled chicken, fish, or tofu – light main courses that complement the salad.
Grains: Quinoa, couscous, a light pasta salad, or fried rice would all be delicious pairings.
Picnic or Potluck: This salad is perfect for outdoor gatherings as it can be made ahead of time and served cold or at room temperature.

Storage

Make Ahead: You can make this salad a day or two ahead of time, as long as you store it in an airtight container in the fridge, and it will still be crisp and delicious.
Leftovers: This salad can keep in the fridge for about three to four days, in an airtight container. If kept longer it will start to become wilted and mushy.

Ingredient Checklist – Everything You’ll need

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
- Tip: To choose the best broccoli possible, you want a firm head of broccoli that has dark, tight green florets.
- Substitution: My go-to substitutions would be broccolini or Romanesco. That said, if you need to substitute the broccoli, you may as well just leave it out entirely for more cauliflower.
1 head of cauliflower - cut into florets
- Tip: Here again, the key to buying the best cauliflower is looking for a firm head without any brown or discolored areas.
- Substitution: Once again, Romanesco or even white broccoli can be used instead.
15 oz. can of butter beans - rinsed and drained
- Tip: I do suggest rinsing the beans well. We don’t want any of the canning liquid in the salad.
- Substitution: Your bean of choice will work. Black beans, Cannellini beans, Navy beans, or chickpeas can all be used. You can also try mixing different beans together for the salad.
1 red onion - sliced very thin
- Tip: For a milder onion flavor, soak the slices in cold water for 10 minutes before adding them to the salad.
- Substitution: Shallots or sweet onions can be used if you prefer a less pungent onion flavor.
1 red bell pepper - sliced thin
- Note: I’m using red bell peppers purely as a matter of preference. Green or yellow would also work fine. You want crisp, ripe peppers – that’s the important part.
- Tip: Yes, you can use spicy peppers if preferred.
- Substitution: As mentioned above, the peppers of your choice will work just fine, including spicy peppers.
1½ teaspoons salt
- Tip: Adjust the salt to taste.
1½ teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
- Tip: Fresh ground black pepper has the best aromatics, especially in raw dishes such as this one.
1½ teaspoons sugar
- Note: Helps to balance the acidity.
- Substitution: Raw honey would be my go-to.
¼ cup of olive oil
- Tip: The taste of the olive oil really does come through in this recipe, so I cannot stress enough the importance of using a decent quality extra virgin olive oil.
Juice of 1 lemon
- Tip: Fresh lemon juice is essential to achieving a crisp, citrusy flavor. I always say that fresh is best in recipes where the juice is being consumed raw – such as this recipe.

Getting Creative – Variations and Add-Ins

Bring the Meat (Or the Veggie Protein Alternative)
- Grilled Chicken: As I mentioned above, grilled chicken is probably my go-to pairing, and the same is true as a mix-in. Slice the chicken up, and then toss it with the salad.
- Tuna or Salmon: Flake in some canned tuna or chilled grilled salmon if you want a nice seafood twist for this recipe. My salmon recipe would work excellently for this purpose.
- Tofu or Tempeh: Raw or fried tofu would both work fine. However, I would recommend using extra firm tofu in either case, lest the tofu risks falling apart in the salad.
Cheesy Goodness
- Feta Cheese: For a nice briny add in, crumble some feta cheese into the salad for a tangy, salty kick that pairs particularly well with the lemon and olive oil dressing.
- Fresh Mozzarella: Probably what I would lean towards if adding cheese. Fresh mozzarella would be simply delicious in this salad. Bonus points if using marinated feta balls.
Nuts and Seeds
- Toasted Almonds: A handful of toasted almond slivers would add a nice crunchy texture and nutty flavor that would play nicely with the cauliflower.
- Sunflower or Pumpkin Seeds: A sprinkle sunflower or pumpkin seeds can be mixed in for added crunch.
- Pine Nuts: My go-to would be toasted pine nuts. Their buttery flavor and oily goodness would play delightfully with this salad.
Pickled Vegetables
- Pickled Onions: Pickled red onions can be added for a tangy, slightly sweet flavor.
- Pickled Peppers: Add pickled banana peppers or jalapeños for an extra zing.