• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Drive Me Hungry
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact Me
  • Privacy Policy
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Privacy Policy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About Me
    • Contact Me
    • Privacy Policy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » All Recipes » Asian Recipes

    Asian Sesame Broccoli Salad

    Published: Nov 16, 2019 · Modified: Nov 16, 2019 by Jamie · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links · 11 Comments

    3.7K shares
    Jump to Recipe
    Asian sesame broccoli salad

    Asian sesame broccoli salad made with crisp broccoli & a tangy garlic sesame oil dressing. A healthy Asian broccoli salad that's vegan, low carb, keto, and paleo! Delicious as a Korean broccoli side dish!

    Asian sesame broccoli salad in a white bowl

    This Asian sesame broccoli salad is crunchy, zesty, garlicky, and full of sesame flavor! It's made with a simple dressing of toasted garlic, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Add in some red pepper flakes for a spicy kick!

    This is also great as a Korean broccoli side dish (banchan). I always look forward to getting this sesame broccoli side dish when I go to Korean restaurants and usually end up asking for seconds.

    Asian sesame broccoli salad in a white bowl next to serving spoons

    Why You'll Love This Asian Sesame Broccoli Salad

    • Everyone can enjoy this!
      • vegan
      • paleo
      • low carb & keto friendly
      • can be adapted to be gluten free.
    • Can be made ahead the day before and tastes even better
    • Full of fiber and vitamins
    close up of Asian sesame broccoli salad held with chopsticks

    Serve as a Korean Broccoli Side Dish

    I love making a big batch of this to have as a Korean broccoli side dish and saving it for the rest of the week. It tastes even better the following day because the broccoli has had time to absorb more of the flavors. Make this delicious side dish to go along with any Asian meals.

    How to Make Asian Sesame Broccoli Salad

    First, blanch the broccoli florets. Blanching is the process of quickly cooking something in boiling water and then quickly cooling it down with an ice water bath or cold running water. Blanching does several things: it preserves the vitamins in the broccoli, brightens the color, removes the edge from raw broccoli, and makes it slightly tender while still keeping the crunchy texture.

    You can see below in the photos the broccoli is a much brighter green color after blanching:

    • broccoli florets on a white plate
    • broccoli cooking in a pot
    • a white bowl with blanched broccoli on a wooden surface

    Next you want to dress the broccoli in the garlic sesame dressing. The garlic is slightly cooked in oil before adding in the rest of the dressing ingredients. The reason for this is to remove some of the sharp taste of the raw garlic and infuse the oil with garlic flavor.

    You can serve this immediately but I recommend letting this sit for about an hour for even better flavor. You can also serve this Asian sesame broccoli salad chilled by letting it sit in the fridge or serve it at room temperature.

    Asian sesame broccoli salad in a white bowl

    Let’s stay connected! Find me on:

    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • Also subscribe to my newsletter for recipe updates!

    Want more? Check out these other recipes!

    • Korean Potato Side Dish, Gamja Jorim in a grey bowl on top of linen
      Korean Potato Side Dish - Gamja Jorim
    • Chinese style dry fried garlic green beans, Din Tai Fung green beans
      Chinese Style Dry Fried Garlic Green Beans
    • asian cucumber salad, din tai fung cucumber salad copycat
      Crunchy Asian Cucumber Salad - Din Tai Fung Cucumber Salad Copycat
    • Spicy Asian cucumber salad with herbs and red pepper in a blue bowl next to garlic and chopsticks
      Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad
    • healthy Chinese chicken salad in a white bowl and grey tile
      Healthy Chinese Chicken Salad
    • PF Chang's vegetarian lettuce wraps with tofu, mushrooms, carrots, and lettuce on a wooden board
      PF Chang's Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps

    *This post may contain affiliate links which means any purchases made through my link pay out a small commission without any extra cost to you. All opinions are my own and I only recommend products that I know, personally use, and trust. For more information, please see my Privacy Policy. 

    Asian sesame broccoli salad in a white bowl

    Asian Sesame Broccoli Salad

    A delicious Asian sesame broccoli salad made with crisp broccoli and dressed in a tangy garlic sesame oil dressing. A healthy Asian sesame broccoli salad that's vegan, low carb, keto, and paleo!
    5 from 60 votes
    Pin Share Print
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 2 mins
    Total Time 7 mins
    Course Salad, Side Dish, Sides
    Cuisine Asian, Korean
    Servings 4

    ☑ Ingredients
     

    • 2 lbs broccoli florets

    Dressing Ingredients

    • 2⅓ Tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
    • 3 cloves garlic - minced
    • 1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon soy sauce - substitute with tamari for gluten free
    • 1 teaspoon toasted white sesame seeds
    • 1 teaspoon toasted black sesame seeds
    • ⅓ teaspoon dried chili pepper flakes - optional for spice
    • salt and pepper to taste
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Blanch the broccoli: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add in a generous pinch of salt after the water boils. Boil the broccoli florets for 1 minute and then place the broccoli into a bowl of ice water or run it under cold running water to stop the cooking process. This helps brighten the color and retain the crunchiness of the broccoli while removing some of the raw taste. Drain the broccoli very well from the ice bath and set it aside. Excess water will dilute the dressing.
    • Make the dressing: In a small pot, heat the minced garlic and olive oil until the garlic starts to sizzle and becomes fragrant. Remove it from the heat and add in the sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, black and white sesame seeds, and chili pepper flakes.
    • Mix the broccoli with the dressing and season it with salt and pepper. The longer the broccoli sits in the dressing, the more flavor it will absorb. This tastes the best after about an hour. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 172kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 11g | Sodium: 159mg | Potassium: 726mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1413IU | Vitamin C: 203mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was and give it a 5 star rating! Tag @drivemehungry to show off your creations! I love seeing your photos!

    *Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools.

    « 15 Minute Korean Beef Bowl
    Simple Baked Cinnamon Apples »
    3.7K shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Carla

      June 09, 2021 at 8:00 pm

      Was delicious

      Reply
      • Jamie

        June 09, 2021 at 11:19 pm

        Thanks Carla, glad to hear it! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Sheila MacDonald

      May 26, 2021 at 8:11 am

      I I made this last night, and when I tasted the dressing it was really good, and after I blanched my broccoli it was a lovely bright green. However, I should have let the broccoli drain for a good 15 minutes, because after I put the dressing on the broccoli it was really watery. They should add that to the instructions.

      Reply
      • Jamie

        June 09, 2021 at 1:37 pm

        Thanks for the feedback Sheila, I just added that to the instructions!

        Reply
    3. Jasmine

      October 26, 2020 at 5:25 pm

      5 stars
      This salad is easy to make, which is perfect for me, as I am definitely not the most confident cook! The flavours are good - I used tamari, as I eat a gluten-free diet. We added the chilli pepper too, which was a nice tough!

      Reply
    4. Alex

      June 28, 2020 at 9:04 pm

      5 stars
      This is a dish we make on repeat - the flavours are incredible, and it is so easy. We love broccoli, and this is a great side dish for so many meals.

      Reply
    5. Andrea Metlika

      November 18, 2019 at 1:12 pm

      5 stars
      This broccoli sounds so good. I want to eat it as a midday snack. Is that weird?

      Reply
    6. Lisa | Garlic & Zest

      November 18, 2019 at 1:11 pm

      5 stars
      This is such a vibrant, flavorful side dish. The Asian flavors really make this one unique -- I think it would be great with a rotisserie chicken for an easy dinner.

      Reply
    7. Tammy

      November 18, 2019 at 12:44 pm

      5 stars
      So simple yet so tasty!! I have to make this soon!

      Reply
    8. Chris Collins

      November 18, 2019 at 12:32 pm

      5 stars
      I love a broccoli salad and this Asain sesame version looks soooo delicious!! Can't wait to try the recipe 🙂

      Reply
    9. Erika

      November 18, 2019 at 12:31 pm

      5 stars
      What a great side dish. So versatile and can go with so many dishes.

      Reply

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    photo of author

    Hi there!

    Nice to meet you! Come join me in making easy, simple recipes for every day meals. All my recipes use fresh ingredients with easy to follow steps that anyone can follow. Take a look around!

    More about me →


    NEVER MISS A RECIPE!

    Sign up to be notified of new recipes and cooking tips & tricks from our kitchen. No spam ever. Unsubscribe at any time.


    Popular Recipes

    • Yaki Udon | Stir Fried Udon Noodles
    • Remoulade Sauce | Crab Cake Sauce
    • 3 Classic Spring Roll Dipping Sauces
    • Southern Baked Mac and Cheese with Breadcrumbs

    Copyright © 2022 Drive Me Hungry · Privacy Policy

    3723 shares