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This is how to make broccoli crave-worthy: hot-oven roasted florets with garlicky edges, a bright lemon-balsamic drizzle, and all the good toppings—kale, feta, avocado, and pops of pomegranate.
It’s crunchy, salty-tangy, and fresh. Serve it as a light lunch or pair with grilled chicken or fish for something heartier.
What makes this recipe great
- Roasted (not raw) broccoli for nutty, caramelized flavor.
- Layered textures: crisp florets, juicy pomegranate, creamy avocado, salty feta, toasty pine nuts.
- Fast to assemble; easy to scale for weeknights or meal prep.
Ingredient Notes
- Broccoli: Cut into similar-size florets; dry very well so they roast, not steam. Stems peeled and sliced = extra crunch.
- Garlic & pine nuts: Toss with the broccoli so garlic caramelizes and nuts toast…keep an eye on the nuts; they brown quickly.
- Dressing: Lemon juice + good olive oil + a splash of balsamic for depth. Salt to taste after tossing—feta adds saltiness.
- Baby kale: Thinly slice; a brief massage with lemon + salt softens it. Shredded cabbage works if kale’s not your thing.
- Feta & avocado: Feta’s salty creaminess + ripe avocado = balance.
- Pomegranate arils: Sweet-tart bursts; add right before serving for the best pop.
Recipe Inspiration
For as much as I love sharing over the top indulgent recipes, in real life, this is the kind of food I love and crave the most. Fruits, veggies and I are bestest of friends, which is clearly why I am having so much fun with all these Healthy January recipes. This Lemon Garlic Roasted Broccoli Salad has got to be one of my favorite ways to serve up broccoli. I’m a huge fan of broccoli roasted with just a little olive oil, salt and pepper. It’s simple and it’s the best. This salad though…
It takes broccoli to a whole new level with flavors like lemon, garlic, pomegranate and feta. It’s got texture, color and literally bursts in your mouth with flavor – love it!
This is the perfect salad to eat as a light meal, afternoon snack, side dish, or make it heartier by serving it with grilled chicken or fish. You could even add in some carbs like whole grain pasta, quinoa or brown rice. Either way, the salad is going to be great and hopefully become your new favorite.
No more boring lunch salads, this January is all about the Broccoli Salad!
Step by Step
Roast the Broccoli
- Toss florets with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and pine nuts. Spread on a hot sheet pan with space between pieces. The broccoli is ready when the edges are dark golden and lightly charred; centers crisp-tender when pierced.
Mix the Lemon-Balsamic
- Whisk lemon juice with a splash of balsamic and olive oil until glossy. Taste and adjust salt/acid.
Toss & Finish
- Combine warm roasted broccoli with sliced baby kale and the dressing so the kale softens slightly.
- Top with pomegranate, feta, and sliced avocado. Add a final squeeze of lemon and a crack of pepper.
Recipe Tips
- I love the idea of broccoli replacing the lettuce in a salad, and it is hearty and so delicious when roasted. In this salad I added pine nuts and garlic to the broccoli before roasting so that the garlic would get a nice caramelization and the pine nuts would get all toasty.
- After roasting, I added a little lemony/balsamic dressing along with some fresh baby kale and pomegranate arils. The pomegranates are the burst of flavor I hinted on earlier. I absolutely love pomegranate arils in my salads. The burst of sweet flavor with every bite is SO good and their red hue complements this very green salad so well! 🙂
- Sprinkle salty feta cheese and sliced avocado to finish off the salad. At the moment my family is obsessed with both of these ingredients, but avocado especially.
FUN/RANDOM FACT: Over the holidays I swear we must have gone through practically one hundred avocados. My brother Red is on a HUGE avocado toast kick. I kid you not, he has been eating at least one, sometimes two, avocados a day. There were a few days that I literally made him avocado toast for breakfast, lunch and before-dinner snacks. He’s really into them so I figure I better keep serving him healthy food while he’s willing to eat it!
Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheat
- Prep ahead: Roast broccoli and cool completely; whisk dressing; slice kale. Store all components separately.
- Day-of assembly: Toss broccoli + kale with dressing; add feta, avocado, and pomegranate just before serving.
- Re-crisp: If broccoli softens, return to a hot, dry pan/oven briefly to revive the edges.
Sidenote: how are you guys liking the Healthy January recipes? Are they getting you excited to cook up some healthy eats? I’ve been looking over many of the suggestions for recipes you’ve given me. You will be seeing some of them later this month, but let me know if there’s anything you’re still craving. Maybe a winter comfort food you’d like to see healthified?
How do I keep the broccoli crispy?
Dry it thoroughly, preheat the sheet pan, and don’t crowd the florets. Toss just before serving so the dressing doesn’t soften the edges.
Can I use frozen broccoli?
Yes—roast from frozen on a hot pan and avoid piling it up. Expect a softer texture; finish under high heat to encourage browning.
What can I use instead of pine nuts?
Pepitas or sunflower seeds give similar crunch and are nut-free. Toast them separately and fold in at the end.
Will this hold up for meal prep?
Keep the broccoli, kale, dressing, and toppings separate. Toss together the day you plan to eat; add avocado right before serving to prevent browning.
Lemon Garlic Roasted Broccoli Salad.
Servings: 2 as a main course
Calories Per Serving: 1074 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3 heads broccoli florets and stems roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced or grated
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parley
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1-2 cups baby kale
- arils from 1 pomegranate
- 1 avocado sliced
- 6 ounces feta cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- On a large baking sheet, toss together the broccoli, pine nuts, 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, and a large pinch of both salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes or until the broccoli is just beginning to char. Remove from the oven and stir in the parsley.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic, and crushed red pepper flakes. Taste and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the roasted broccoli. Add the baby kale and pomegranate arils. Gently toss to combine. Transfer the salad to a bowl and top with feta and sliced avocado. Eat!
And plenty of bowls of this broccoli salad! Please and thank you. 🙂
This post was originally published on January 5, 2017
Made your Mean Green Detox Veggie soup and LOVED it!! Can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks for making January taste so good!
I am so happy you are liking healthy January so far!! Thank you Tracy!
Love broccoli and this salad! I would love to see a healthy macaroni and cheese or fettuccini alfredo!!
Ooo two great ideas! Thank you Kristen!
I almost have all of the ingredients… I’m definitely trying this one. I’m obsessed with roasted broccoli as well! And I LOVE your healthy January recipes! 😀
I hope you love this one, Caroline!! Thank you so much!
This looks SO amazing! Need to whip this up for dinner 🙂 same problem with avocados.. and never stopping
Haha that is so great! I hope you love it, Karlie! Thanks!
This looks so simple and perfect! I will be making it with some farro and maybe some grilled shrimp for dinner this week!
I’m looking for more smoothie recipes that contain very little sugar.
Sounds so good! I hope you love it Cassandra! Thank you!
If all veggies looked like this, I think I’d be eating WAY more of them. I’m constantly struggling with adding more veggies to my meals – this one looks like one heck of a tasty way to make sure I’m getting my veggies in! Adding it to my list for next week 🙂
Yay! I hope you love this! Thank you Gabriella!
This broccoli salad looks amazing and I plan to try it! Curious about your avocado toast — what do you put on it — anything other than avocado? I’ve tried it with sprouts and sliced tomatoes and it was very good.
Hey Donna! I also do a different combo, but for my brother I have just been doing whole grain toast, avocado, flaky sea salt and lemon. I get crazy with my combos and add sprouts, feta cheese, all kinds of things!
Another amazing healthy recipe from you! Love them as much as I love the rest of the recipes you make. However, if you add pomegranate and feta cheese to a salad – then it’s definitely a winner for me! 🙂
Thank you so much Julia! I ma glad you are enjoying this one!
After all the naughty-ness I ate this Christmas – just looking at this makes my insides feel a little healthier and happier. Looks and sounds absolutely divine!
Awesome! I hope you love this and other recipes! Thank you Natasha Ann!
Any reason to eat more broccoli is a good thing! It is so good for you! This sounds delicious. I also LOVE your soups! Soup is such the perfect meal especially in the Winter months. More soup recipes would be awesome! Thank you Tieghan!
Thank you Kristen! I will try to fit more in!
Need to eat this salad and many more salads for the new year but it’s a snow day for me and I have the ingredients for a big pot of soup. Need to go to the store for the salad ingredients.
Soup is always a great idea on a snowy day! Thanks Nancy!
I love broccoli but tends to sit not so well with me , so I end up always restraining myself from eating it…
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Awh, sorry to hear that Ruth! Maybe try this with brussel sprouts instead of broccoli! I hope this helps!
This is my favorite recipe you’ve made this January! All of my favorite things in a bowl and simple to make-delish!
Maybe some healthy breakfast recipes to throw in the mix? Omelets or some sort of egg scramble? Healthy afternoon snacks? Thanks for being open to all of these suggestions-can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Breakfast ideas sound stellar! We eat lots of eggs. Want to get our own chickens. Advice anyone? Wow and it does sounds like you went through lots of advocados!!!!!
Hey Tom!! Chickens are great, we love having them!
I am so glad you like this one, Mollie! Thank you so much! & I will definitely take those into consideration!!
i always have broccoli on hand, so this sounds perfect for the days when i want something more interesting than just broccoli sauteed in garlic!
Awesome! Thank you Heather!
This looks amazing, and definitely agree with you – this is exactly the kind of thing I love in a salad! Loving the Healthy January recipes and looking forward to seeing the rest of them!