Roasted Broccoli Salad (Vegan + Gluten Free)

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This Roasted Broccoli Salad is always a hit!  When I serve it my friends they think they’re dining in a Michelin star restaurant!  This salad is sweet and savory.  The smokey  corn is complimented by the roasted broccoli and a sweet thick balsamic vinaigrette. Best of all is that this salad is vegan, gluten free and detoxifying!

When Agreen Farm sent me a generous sampling of their microgreens I wanted to find a way to showcase these mighty little plants’ powerful flavors and nutrient density.  When I think of microgreens, I usually think of them as a garnish.  Microgreens are the pretty petite lettuce found on top of dishes.  In fancy restaurants microgreens are added to the food for color and flavor.

What’s A this Vegan Roasted Broccoli Salad

This broccoli salad is loaded with healthy ingredients that will detox your body and fortify it with nutrients. I wanted to create a beautiful vegan salad and here it is! If you’re new to the vegan lifestyle, check out this great beginner’s guide to being vegan in 2020!

• Broccoli
• Corn
• Paprika
• Fennel
• Microgreens
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Mustard
• Olive Oil
• Agave or Stevia

How to Make this Salad Perfectly

The trick to making this salad delicious is to properly broil the vegetables.  They should be slightly browned on the edges, but still a little raw and juicy.

Step 1: Roast the Broccoli and 🌽 Corn – Place oven rack on the highest rung. Pre-heat oven on broil (500 degrees). Combine corn, broccoli, paprika, fennel and salt in a sheet pan. Season with some Olive or Safflower Oil. Cook vegetables for 9 minutes. Then flip and roast for another 5 minutes.

• How to Roast Veggies Like a Pro:
  • Use an olive oil spray to coat the broccoli and corn.  This will ensure that the broccoli is lightly covered with oil (which will prevent it from burning), while preventing the vegetables from getting soggy.
  • When arranging the vegetables on the tray to roast make sure they are in one single layer.  Piling vegetables on top of one another will cause them to steam instead of roast.  Giving you soggy broccoli and wet corn!

Step 2: Make the Dressing – In a Vitamix or other high speed blender, blend olive oil, vinegar, mustard, and agave, emulsify until smooth.

Step 3: Assemble the Salad – Once the roasted broccoli and corn have cooled, toss them with the microgreens and drizzle with a small amount of dressing.

Health Benefits of Microgreens

Microgreens are little dynamites filled with nutrition.  They often have up to 40 times more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than the mature leaves.  Microgreens are the young sprouts of other plants.  They are usually derived from different types of vegetables including broccoli, cabbage, romaine, sunflowers, cabbage etc.

Microgreens are delicate in flavor and beautiful to look at.  You can use micro greens as a garnish to make your dishes look professional and add extra nutrition at the same time!

I wanted to highlight some of the health benefits of microgreens in this salad.  I hope you start incorporating them into your diet!

Growing Your Own Microgreens

Microgreens are also sustainably farmed.  Microgreens can be farmed successfully right in your home!  Growing microgreens doesn’t require very much space or light.  Just a closet and a grow lamp and you’re all set.  Or you can buy them from a local farm or supermarket like Agreen farm.  Microgreens tend to be expensive in stores, but are only pennies to grow at home.

For more information on growing your own microgreens check out this resource.

More Salad Recipes

• Zucchini Carpaccio
• Rainbow Salad with Green Goddess Dressing 
• Vegan Ceviche with Vine Ripe Tomatoes
• Cleansing Friendly Greek Salad
• Kale Salad with Shiitake Mushrooms 

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