Nutrition
Ingredients
- 6 cups broccoli chopped
- 1 cup vegan shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup salted sunflower seeds
- 3/4 cup craisins reduced sugar
Dressing
- 1 block Extra Firm Silken Tofu (Mori-Nu 12.3oz package)
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 1/2 tsp yellow mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
"Bacon" Bits
- 1 cup TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein; we use Bob's Red Mill)
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Chop broccoli into bite-size pieces
Making the "Bacon" Bits
- In a medium heat pot, add all of your (Bacon Bits) ingredients and mix together very well
- Cook for 15 – 20 minutes, stirring regularly until they are the moisture level you're going for
Making the Dressing
- In a high powered blender, blend all of your ingredients until creamy
Making the Salad
- Mix together the chopped broccoli, cheese, craisins, sunflower seeds and bacon bits
- Stir in dressing until everything is well-coated
Equipment
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Have you ever had that cold broccoli salad dish that’s covered in a creamy dressing with cheese, craisins, and sunflower seeds? People usually bring it to potlucks and family gatherings, and it was one of my favorite things as a vegetarian who had to get by on sides! This recipe is a twist on that dish – it’s got the same vibe and flavors, but it’s high protein! I personally love this because sides are usually my favorite thing to eat. Because this is high protein you can basically eat it as a meal!
The protein for this recipe is coming from a couple things – broccoli, silken tofu, and TVP! Broccoli is often overlooked as a protein contender, but it’s about 40% protein on a calorie basis. I’m not suggesting you eat only broccoli for all of your protein, but if you do have protein goals, focusing on higher protein density vegetables can help you get there! The silken tofu is used in the creamy dressing, and the TVP is used in the vegan bacon bits.
Ingredients
- Broccoli – kind of a must have ingredient for this recipe; I prefer using fresh broccoli as opposed to frozen.
- Vegan shredded cheddar cheese – I like using the brand Violife for this, but you can use whichever shredded cheese is your favorite!
- Salted sunflower seeds – I think this is a pretty important ingredients, because it adds a needed saltiness. Make sure you use salted sunflower seeds!
- Craisins – I like to use the reduced sugar craisins – they’re a little less sweet and they actually have quite a bit of fiber contained to the original craisins.
Dressing
- Extra Firm Silken Tofu – make sure you use silken tofu for this or you will not be getting dressing! You can find silken tofu at most grocery stores, and you can also buy it online. I like the brand Mori-Nu, and usually stick with their Extra Firm Silken Tofu.
- Lemon – I like to use fresh lemon juice, but you can also use the bottled lemon juice. One lemon has about 2 tablespoons.
- Yellow mustard – a must have!
- Salt – adjust to taste.
- Sugar – I think sugar is needed for this dressing, but if you’re trying to reduce your sugar intake you could trying replacing this with a sugar alternative.
- White wine vinegar – this is my preferred vinegar for this, but you could also use a different mild vinegar like apple cider or rice vinegar.
“Bacon” Bits
- TVP – Textured Vegetable Protein is the main ingredient in the “bacon” bits. If you have a soy intolerance, you could use TPP (Texture Pea Protein) instead. TVP is a shelf-stable protein source that’s used in a lot of vegan cooking. You can find it at most grocery stores near the gluten-free flour options, and you can also buy it online.
- Garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika
- Salt – adjust to taste.
- Nutritional yeast – also known as nooch. This is a shelf-stable ingredient used in vegan cooking to add a savory and cheesy flavor. You can find this at most grocery stores and also purchase it online! Nutritional Yeast is also super high in protein (on a calorie basis)!
- Maple syrup – I like to use maple syrup to sweeten the bacon bits a bit, but I think some other syrups could work equally well.
- Soy sauce – if you are soy-intolerant, coconut aminos will work just as well!
Directions
- Clean and chop the broccoli into bite-size pieces. You want these fairly small so that they can get nicely covered in the dressing and are easy to eat.
Making the “Bacon” Bits
- In a medium heat pan, add all of your (Bacon Bits) ingredients and mix together very well. I like to add all the seasonings while it’s still very liquid-y to make sure everything is well combined.
- Cook for 15 – 20 minutes, stirring regularly until they are the moisture level you’re going for.
Making the Dressing
- In a high powered blender, blend all of your ingredients until creamy.
Making the Salad
- Mix together the chopped broccoli, vegan cheese, craisins, sunflower seeds and bacon bits.
- Stir in dressing until everything is well-coated.
- I like to let it sit in the fridge for a couple hours before eating, seems like it tastes better that way!
Silly Little Haiku
Broccoli Salad
So easy and delicious
A dream for potlucks
Author
Protein Deficient Vegan