Broccoli Pomegranate Salad

October 27, 2022

Broccoli Pomegranate Salad

57 Comments

Love it? Share it!

Broccoli Pomegranate Salad is a delicious and antioxidant-packed vegetarian side dish! All you need is ten minutes and a handful of simple ingredients.

This seasonal salad recipe is perfect for picnics, parties, potlucks, Christmas dinner side dishes, and holiday get-togethers! 🥦

More Recipes You’ll Love:

51+ Fall Salad Ideas [with Seasonal Vegetables & Fruits]

54+ Cozy Fall Soup Ideas with Seasonal Vegetables

46+ Fall Dishes for Dinner [Recipes with Seasonal Produce]


Just a heads up: some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means that if you click on them and make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I genuinely love and use (or would use) myself, and your support helps keep this site going. Thank you!

Everyone brings hot sides during the holidays. Well, this year we’re going to be the sunflower in a field of roses. We’re bringing a unique balance to the table this Thanksgiving, Christmas (or whichever holiday you’ll be celebrating) with this super flavorful broccoli salad recipe. It’s served cold, and there is no cooking involved, which makes it the perfect make-ahead side dish to save you some time on a busy day full of cooking.

My husband, Jon, and I absolutely love it and have made it many times. We were just having a conversation about my broccoli salad recipe, and I was thinking…didn’t he come up with the idea to add pomegranate seeds? Neither of us fully remembers; however, I did want to give credit where credit is due (if applicable). 😉🖤

Easy Broccoli Pomegranate Salad Recipe

Broccoli pomegranate salad in a white bowl on a wooden surface.

Juicy pomegranate seeds, nutty walnuts, and spicy red onion are tossed with raw (or roasted) broccoli and a vinegary and creamy honey mustard dressing. The dressing can be made vegan with agave instead of honey, and vegan mayonnaise!

A lot of broccoli salad recipes call for bacon, but this one doesn’t even need it. Many also call for dried cranberries; however, I’m not a huge fan of dried fruit (I love the taste but hate it getting stuck in my teeth – same with candy). In this recipe, the fresh pomegranate seeds replace the dried cranberries, adding a nice crunch and a pop of delicious sweet and sour juice!

Broccoli pomegranate salad ingredients in separate bowls on a wooden surface.

Best Ever Simple Broccoli Salad Dressing

This healthy broccoli salad dressing is the best because it’s so flavorful (sweet, tangy, creamy, a little spicy) and made with ingredients you may already have in your pantry. Those ingredients are:

In a small food processor (or by whisking), mix the dressing ingredients until well combined.

Overhead shot of broccoli salad dressing in the food processor.

Place the broccoli, pomegranate seeds, chopped walnuts, and diced red onion in a mixing bowl. Pour the dressing over and give it a good toss. It’s the perfect amount of dressing because nobody likes an overdressed salad!

And that is how you make my broccoli pomegranate salad recipe. I hope you love it as much as we do! 🥦

Broccoli salad dressing being poured over the other salad ingredients.

In Season Fruits and Vegetables

It’s the perfect time of year for this recipe because it is smack-dab in the middle of harvesting season for pomegranates, which is important if you want fresher, tastier, and more nutritious produce.

Although broccoli and walnuts are available year-round in the grocery store, they do have a period when they are at their peak freshness (broccoli October-April, and walnuts: September-November). Not only are these ingredients tastier during their peak season, but it’s also an impactful way to eat more sustainably!

I’d love to hear from you! About your experience with this dish, any alterations you may have made and loved (or didn’t love), or just life and cooking in general. Please leave a question, comment, and/or review below, or get in touch via email.

Follow me on social media to stay connected and keep up with the fun! I sometimes post different recipes my husband and I make that I don’t share here on the blog, other cooking, and lifestyle tips, and more. – Jenna G.

Sign up to receive a free digital copy of my newest book!

    We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.

    MORE SIDE DISH INSPIRATION:

    Roasted beetroot and pumpkin salad in a white bowl with mustard vinaigrette, goat cheese, and chopped pecans on the side.
    Roasted Beetroot and Pumpkin Salad [with Mustard Vinaigrette].
    Pinterest pin collage of salad photos with text that reads: 51+ healthy & delicious fall salad ideas with seasonal fruits and vegetables.
    51+ Fall Salad Ideas [with Seasonal Vegetables & Fruits]
    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    Broccoli pomegranate salad in a white bowl on a wooden surface.

    Broccoli Pomegranate Salad Recipe.


    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    5 from 21 reviews

    • Author: Jenna
    • Total Time: 10 minutes
    • Yield: 8 servings 1x
    • Diet: Vegetarian

    Description

    Juicy pomegranates seeds, nutty walnuts, spicy red onion, vinegary and creamy homemade honey mustard dressing (which can be made vegan with vegan mayo and agave), and of course, broccoli, make for the perfect easy, healthy, vegetarian side dish!


    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 18 ounces broccoli florets
    • 1/2 cup red onion, diced
    • 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
    • 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
    • 3/4 cup mayonnaise (I use avocado oil Mayo – vegan mayo works too)
    • 1/4 cup sour cream (regular or vegan)
    • 1/4 cup mustard (such as stone ground, deli, or Dijon)
    • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon honey (or agave for vegan)
    • 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
    • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    Instacart Get Recipe Ingredients

    Instructions

    1. PREPARE THE SALAD INGREDIENTS. Cut broccoli into bite-size pieces, dice the red onion, chop the walnuts, and gather the pomegranate seeds. Place it all in a mixing bowl.

      Broccoli pomegranate salad ingredients in separate bowls on a wooden surface.

    2. MAKE THE HONEY MUSTARD BROCCOLI SALAD DRESSING. In a food processor (or by whisking), fully combine the remaining ingredients to make the honey mustard dressing.

      Overhead shot of broccoli salad dressing in the food processor.

    3. COMBINE AND SERVE OR REFRIGERATE OVERNIGHT. Toss the broccoli salad dressing with the other ingredients. You can serve the broccoli salad immediately, chill it in the fridge until dinner, or chill it overnight to bring to your gathering the next day! I hope you and your friends/family enjoy this recipe and Happy Holidays to you!

      Broccoli pomegranate salad recipe in a white bowl with a halved pomegranate on the side.

    Notes

    • If you’re serving a crowd, you may want to double or triple the recipe depending on the party size and/or the number of dishes being served. You can easily scale the recipe up and down (1x, 2x, 3x) using the tool above!
    • If you’re using a whole pomegranate, see my video above, and/or check out this article: How to Cut a Pomegranate.
    • If pomegranates are not in season, you may not be able to find them in the grocery store. In this case, you could try replacing them with dried cranberries. Fresh blueberries have been recommended to me, but I haven’t tried that yet. You could also leave the fruit out all together and add a tablespoon of pomegranate juice to the dressing, or an extra tablespoon of honey for added sweetness!
    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Cook Time: 0 minutes
    • Category: 30 Minutes or Less, Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetarian
    • Method: No Cooking
    • Cuisine: American
    Recipe Card powered byTasty Recipes
    Love it? Share it!


    57 thoughts on “Broccoli Pomegranate Salad”

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star