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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
I loved the flavors of this salad! The only change I would make is to roast the pine nuts for two minutes until golden brown. I tried to roast them together with the broccoli for 20-25 minutes but they were smoking up my kitchen so I had to take them out of the oven.
I am so happy you liked this Erin! Thank you!
Thank you for this beautiful website!! I just discovered you Sunday and I’ve already made two of your recipes. I am using an app to track my meals, it has a good number of your recipes, but not all. Is there a way I can get the nutritional info? Many thanks!
Hi Stephanie! I am so glad you are enjoying my recipes!! Unfortunately I do not like to provide nutritional info for my recipes. So sorry. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks again!
According to a scientific studies, olive oils favor a greater absorption of the beneficial compounds of the vegetables. The extra virgin olive oil is always the best choice for the dishes. Thank you for sharing!
So cool! Love cooking with olive oil!
Is this recipe to be served cold or hot?
Either would be great, but I personally like it hot. Let me know if you have questions and I hope you love this!
Made this yesterday and really enjoyed it! I used dried cranberries instead of pomegranate and it was excellent. Good at room temp the next day, which is always a challenge I have with veggie dishes. Thank you for the recipe!
Sounds delish Claire! Thanks so much for making it!
Made this tonight and it was fantastic! Great balance of flavors 🙂 Love broccoli so this was a nice recipe to spice it up
So happy you liked it, thanks Julie!
This was delicious. My husband doesn’t even like broccoli but he absolutely loved this!
I love that your dishes are always delicious, aesthetically pleasing, and relatively healthy and easy to prepare! Keep up the amazing work and always looking forward to what you have in store for us!
I am so glad you both enjoyed this Kristine!! Thank you!
I like roasted garlic but never thought of it in a starring role in a salad…nice!
Thank you Karen!
Made this recipe tonight and my girlfriend and I both LOVED it! It is so flavorful and filling. We omitted parsley (didn’t have any) and swapped pine nuts for toasted almond slivers. Also added a balsamic marinated chicken breast to make it more of an entrée. Super easy to make after a crazy work day. ??????
Sounds so awesome! I am so glad you loved it Sandy! Thank you!
Delicious! Added farro and served warm. Boyfriend approved! Thanks for the great recipe.
I love salads and am slightly embarrassed to admit that I’ve never tried a broccoli salad (hangs head in shame). This might be the recipe I’ve been waiting for! Thanks and Happy New Year!
I hope you love it, thank you Mia!
Can’t even begin to say how awesome this looks!! In love! Except I am allergic to tree nuts so I’m thinking of roasting some pumpkin seeds with the broccoli instead? Also, I love the idea of adding a long grain wild rice or whole wheat bow tie pasta, or maybe quinoa?
I think pumpkin seeds would be amazing! Great idea! 🙂 Quinoa, rice or pasta would all be awesome!
Oh my.. this looks so good and healthy! I love broccoli salads!
So happy you like it Laurie! Thank you!
That looks awesome! I will have to try it!! I really love the healthy recipes, but I think your idea about comfort food made healthy would be awesome. It is sooo coooooold where I live right now, and the thought of eating lighter fish and veggie bowls (which to me are awesome in the spring and summer!) just makes me shiver even more! I would love to see healthy recipes that are heartier and warm you up!
Ah yay, so happy to hear you like the ideas of healthy recipes! SO happy your liking this and everything else! Thanks Laura!
I LOVE seeing the healthy recipes from HBH, it’s such an inspiration! Keep ’em comin’, girl!
Theres going to be a lot of them this month! So happy you are liking them!