Asian Sesame Broccoli Salad

Bright green, crunchy broccoli in a warm garlic and toasted sesame oil dressing. It is the sesame broccoli banchan I always ask for seconds of at Korean restaurants, made at home and ready in about 7 minutes.

This Asian sesame broccoli salad is crunchy, zesty, garlicky, and full of toasted sesame flavor. The broccoli gets a quick 1-minute blanch, then a dressing of garlic sizzled in olive oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil. A pinch of red pepper flakes adds a little heat.

It is also my take on the sesame broccoli side dish served as banchan at many Korean restaurants. I always look forward to it and usually end up asking for seconds, so I started making it at home, where I can have it whenever I want and in a much bigger batch.

I like to keep a big container in the fridge as a ready-to-go side dish for the rest of the week. It honestly tastes even better the next day, once the broccoli has had time to soak up more of the dressing.

If you love Korean side dishes, it pairs nicely with my spicy Korean cucumber salad (oi muchim) and spicy Korean radish salad (musaengchae).

Ingredients for Asian Sesame Broccoli Salad

• Broccoli florets: 2 lbs.
• Olive oil: the base of the dressing, warmed with the garlic.
• Sesame oil: added off the heat for nutty flavor.
• Garlic: 3 cloves, minced, sizzled in the olive oil.
• Rice wine vinegar: the tang.
• Soy sauce: for salt and savoriness. Use tamari to make it gluten-free.
• Toasted white and black sesame seeds: for crunch and color.
• Dried chili pepper flakes: optional, for a little heat.
• Salt and pepper: to taste, after tossing.

Full amounts are in the recipe card below.

How to Make Asian Sesame Broccoli Salad

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then salt it. Add a generous pinch of salt once the water is boiling. Set a bowl of ice water next to the stove (or plan to use cold running water).

2. Blanch the broccoli for 1 minute. Blanching means cooking briefly in boiling water, then cooling right away. It brightens the color, takes the raw edge off, and softens the broccoli slightly while keeping it crunchy. Keeping the cook time short also helps it retain more of its vitamin C.

3. Stop the cooking. Move the broccoli into the ice water or run it under cold water, then drain well and set aside.

4. Sizzle the garlic in olive oil. In a small pot, heat the minced garlic and olive oil until the garlic sizzles and smells fragrant. This mellows the sharp raw-garlic taste and flavors the oil.

5. Finish the dressing off the heat. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, black and white sesame seeds, and chili flakes.

6. Toss and season. Pour the dressing over the broccoli, toss to coat, and season with salt and pepper.

7. Let it rest, then serve. It is good right away, but best after about an hour, since the broccoli keeps absorbing the dressing. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Serve It as a Korean Broccoli Side Dish

In a Korean meal, banchan are the small shared side dishes served alongside rice and a main.

To build a banchan spread at home, serve it with:

• Spicy Korean cucumber salad (oi muchim)
• Spicy Korean radish salad (musaengchae)
• Gyeran mari (Korean rolled egg omelet)
• Steamed rice and a main like Instant Pot Korean short ribs (galbijjim)

It also works as a side for any Asian-inspired dinner.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make ahead: This is a great make-ahead side. Make it the day before; the broccoli absorbs more of the dressing overnight and tastes even better.

Fridge: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 5 days.

Serving leftovers: Eat it straight from the fridge or let it come to room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you make this sesame broccoli salad, leave a star rating and a comment below. I would love to hear how you served it, and your tips help other readers too. For new recipes in your inbox, subscribe to my newsletter.

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