Chopped Broccoli Chickpea and Green Tahini Salad (Vegan High-Protein)
This Chopped Broccoli Chickpea and Green Tahini Salad is fresh, vibrant and a delicious healthy lunch or light dinner. It’s naturally plant-based, gluten-free and high in protein and has the best green tahini dressing.
I love a good salad but they can often get a bad reputation for being boring and lifeless. This salad is the opposite as it’s really vibrant, crunch, creamy, smooth and packed with antioxidants, fibre and protein, making it a powerhouse of nutrition and tastes amazing. It has lots of different plants, meaning more variety to feed your gut and support your overall wellbeing. This just makes me so happy to make and eat, and it’s great for meal prep.
Why will I love this salad?
This salad is delicious:
- Fresh, vibrant, crunchy and refreshing
- Packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals
- A powerhouse of nutrition
- High in fibre and protein
- Naturally plant-based, gluten-free and nut-free
- Tastes like summer!
- Ideal for meal prep and lunchboxes
- Only takes 15 minutes to make
- Really versatile, you can add other vegetables, too
- Has a dreamy creamy green tahini
- Packed with a variety of plants
- Everyone will love it
- Easily doubled or tripled
- Lasts really well in the fridge
If you already love the sound of this recipe then skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.
What ingredients do I need?
The ingredients are listed by weight in the recipe card and you can see my favourites in the “shop the recipe” section below.
For the green tahini:
- Runny smooth tahini: also known as sesame seed paste, this is ideal for making sauces as it has a rich slightly “nutty” flavour and is great for blending up.
- Thick coconut yoghurt: this makes it really creamy and thick. Make sure you use thick and creamy Greek-style yoghurt like Cocos Organic and that it’s unsweetened.
- Fresh herbs: this sauce uses a mix of basil and mint, but you can also try using chive, coriander or parsley.
- Lemon: for tang and to make the sauce really fresh.
- Garlic: for flavour.
- Chickpeas and their water: this adds protein to the sauce and makes it thick and creamy. I also use the aquafaba that the chickpeas come in to make the sauce smooth.
- Nutritional yeast: this adds a savoury richness without tasting too cheesy. If you don’t have any, you can leave it out, or use vegan parmesan, for a cheesier flavour.
For the salad:
- Cooked grains: I’ve gone for spelt in the photos (which is not gluten-free) but I also love this with brown rice, quinoa or buckwheat.
- Kale: my favourite is cavolo nero as it has more bite, but you can use curly kale, too.
- Olive oil: use extra-virgin olive oil, if you can, to massage into the kale. You can also try walnut or avocado oil, too.
- Broccoli: raw broccoli is amazing as it’s crunchy and so fresh without a strong flavour. Even cooked broccoli haters in my house love eating it raw.
- Chickpeas: as above.
- Carrot: for colour and texture, I like to thinly julienne, peel or grate the carrot.
- Vegan feta cheese: this is so good for adding saltiness and creaminess on top. There are a few vegan varieties to try, so use your favourite.
- Toasted beans or nuts: I love adding some crunch on top and my go-to are the baked snacks from Natures Heart but you can also use nuts or seeds.
- Pink pickles: these add tang on top as well as a pop of colour and you can make your own here.
Is this gluten-free and nut-free?
This is naturally gluten-free, as long as you use a gluten-free grain like quinoa, brown rice or buckwheat. Note that I’ve made this with spelt, which is not gluten-free. This is also nut-free, just check your vegan feta cheese.
How do I make this?
This salad is really easy to make in a few steps:
- Blend together the ingredients for the dressing: until smooth.
- Cook the grains: I like spelt (not gluten-free) brown rice or quinoa.
- Massage the kale: to wilt the leaves.
- Chop all the vegetables: to prepare for the salad.
- Toss all of the salad ingredients together: and enjoy.
How long will this last?
This salad will keep in the fridge in sealed containers for 2-3 days and is great for packing into lunchboxes.
What else can I make?
If you’re looking for more salads:
- Taco Bowl Salad with Whipped Tahini
- Roasted Squash and Tofu Salad with Tahini
- Roast Courgette and Tomato Lentil Pasta Salad
- Guacamole Pasta Salad
- Grilled Artichoke Vegan Caesar Salad
Chopped Broccoli Chickpea and Green Tahini Salad (Vegan High-Protein)
This Chopped Broccoli Chickpea and Green Tahini Salad is fresh, vibrant and a delicious healthy lunch or light dinner. It’s naturally plant-based, gluten-free and high in protein and has the best green tahini dressing.
Ingredients
For the Green Tahini Dressing:
- 3 tbsp (45g) runny, smooth tahini
- 2 tbsp (30g) thick coconut yoghurt
- 1 small bunch fresh basil
- 1 small bunch fresh mint
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 80g chickpeas
- 60ml aquafaba
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- Salt and pepper
For the Salad:
- 70g spelt or quinoa, cooked
- 80g kale, shredded
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 120g broccoli (stems and florets)
- 160g chickpeas (drained weight)
- 1 large carrot
- 40g vegan feta cheese
- 2 tbsp toasted beans/nuts/seeds
- 2 tbsp pink pickles
Instructions
- Make the green tahini dressing: add everything to a small blender and process till smooth. You only need half of the dressing and save the other half in the fridge in a sealed container for 2-3 days.
- Cook the spelt or quinoa, if you haven’t already done so.
- Add the kale to a bowl with the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Massage with your hands to wilt the leaves.
- Prepare the vegetables: finely shred or chop the broccoli (or pulse in a food processor). Pat the chickpeas dry, wash and then shred, grate or julienne the carrot into fine strips.
- To serve: spread some of the dressing onto two plates (or one large one if you’re serving it up) and top with the kale, cooked spelt or quinoa, the broccoli, chickpeas and carrot. Crumble over the vegan feta, add on the crunchy beans and top with the pickles. Spoon over some more dressing and toss well to serve.
- Enjoy straight away or keep the salad in a sealed container for 2-3 days.
Shop the recipe
Stay in touch
I look forward to hearing what you think of this Chopped Broccoli Chickpea and Green Tahini Salad so please let me know in the comments below and leave a star review above. If you do make this, I’d love to see so please tag me, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – please say hello!
With raw broccoli love x
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