This Thai Broccoli Salad with Sweet Chili Lime Dressing is inspired by Thai flavors, and is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free as well. It pairs perfectly with simply cooked meats for the easiest of dinner simply loaded with veggies.
This may well be my favorite broccoli salad yet! Probably because of the fresh Southeast Asian-inspired flavors. And… what’s not to love? Juicy chunks of mango, crunchy bell peppers, and a sweet chili lime dressing topped with toasted cashews.
I grew up eating Classic Broccoli salad and have always loved it. In fact, I love broccoli salad so much that I made an avocado dressing one called Healthy Broccoli Salad.
Then I was on a roll and made my Mexican Broccoli Salad which is inspired by Mexican flavors like cumin and cilantro. And that brings us to today with this Thai Broccoli Salad.
I was never a huge cruciferous veggie fan growing up. But it turns out it’s more about the preparation, and not so much that I don’t like broccoli!
After all, I could always devour broccoli as long as it came with sauce. Ranch dressing was my go-to, but smothered in cheese sauce was always good too.
Now I’m on a mission to create some new favorites that let the veggies shine through. But all the while leaving my taste buds fully satisfied without tons of cheese!
And speaking of broccoli and ranch, you definitely need to check out my dairy free ranch dressing if you love that combo too!
Let’s start with the sweet chili dressing
Step 1: Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl except the avocado oil. Slowly drizzle in the avocado oil while whisking until the dressing is emulsified.
The dressing might separate if it sits for a bit, simply whisk it back together before tossing it with the salad. If you can’t find avocado oil, olive oil is a good substitute.
Step 2: Peel the broccoli stem with a peeler until the tender core emerges. Slice up the stems, keeping them separate from the florets. It’s best to do the stems first, by themselves.
Step 3: If you try to process them with the florets, the texture will be uneven because the stems take longer to break down. I’ve found that small batches are best for the most even texture (1 batch of stems, and 2 batches of florets).
For the bell pepper, cut it in half and remove the core and seeds. Slice the pepper into 1/4″ – 1/2″ strips, and then cut across the strips to make cubes.
Peel the mangoes and cut a side off each end. Placing the flat side down, stand the mango up, and cut off both ‘cheeks’ on either side of the pit. Finally, cutting away from yourself, trim the mango pit of any extra fruit. Once you’ve removed the pit, cut the mango pieces into 1/2″ cubes.
Step 4: Mix everything together in a large bowl and serve right away for the best results. Any leftovers keep well for at least one day. After that, the mango starts to turn brown.
Also, it’s best to leave the toasted nuts out if you think you have leftovers and just sprinkle them over the top right before eating. You can also use toasted peanuts rather than cashews.
Ways to serve this
- Serve this salad as the perfect side dish with any main dish that’s grilled, roasted, or pan-fried protein like chicken, pork, steak, or seafood
- Add some freshly steamed rice or rice noodles to fill out your menu.
- Serve it as a fresh side dish for my Coconut Lime Chicken, Saté Turmeric Chicken Skewers, or Sticky Caramel Chicken.
Storing leftovers
- To store – place any leftovers into an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. This salad is best eaten right away, and the mangos will sometimes turn brown in the fridge after a couple of days. Also, keep the toasted cashews out separately if you think you’ll have leftovers because they will get soggy.
- Make ahead – you can prep the dressing 1-2 days ahead and you can also prep the broccoli 1 day ahead and refrigerate it in a tightly sealed container.
Dietary Options & Substitutions
- Paleo – use the red pepper flakes instead of the chili paste in the recipe.
- Vegan or Vegetarian – make sure to use maple syrup rather than honey to make this salad vegan.
I really hope you enjoy this Thai Broccoli Salad! If you do get a chance to make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Thai Broccoli Salad
INGREDIENTS
Thai Broccoli Salad:
- 2 heads broccoli - 1 pound – 10 ounces
- 2 mangoes - 1 pound
- 1 large red bell pepper - 10 ounces
- 1 cup cashews - toasted
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro - chopped
Sweet Chili Dressing:
- 1 tbsp sambal chili paste - or 1-2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup honey - or maple syrup
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 clove garlic - minced
- 1 tsp sea salt - or to taste
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a 14-cup food processor fitted with a chopping blade, process the broccoli in 3 batches. First, add the stems and process together. Then add the broccoli florets and process in 1-2 batches until all the broccoli is very small bite-sized pieces.
- Peel the mangoes and cut them into 1/2" pieces.
- For the dressing, whisk together all the ingredients except the avocado oil. Slowly drizzle in the avocado oil, whisking constantly until the dressing emulsifies.
- Toss all the salad ingredients together with the dressing and serve within 4 hours.
NOTES
- Paleo – use the red pepper flakes instead of the chili paste in the recipe.
- Vegan or Vegetarian – make sure to use maple syrup rather than honey to make this salad vegan.
I, too, am a big fan of this recipe. I added chickpeas for a protein source and enjoyed it as a meal!
I’m so glad to hear you’ve been enjoying this one, I’m working on some new photos and such since it’s been such a favorite!
I’d just like you to know that I made this salad for the first time a couple of years ago and it has become my partner’s favourite, we come back to it again and again. Thank you for publishing it!
Thanks so much for writing to tell me! It really makes my day to hear one of my recipes has become a favorite!
Fabulous dish! So much flavor! Thanks for a great recipe! I used mandarin oranges instead of mangoes. Was great!!
So glad you enjoyed it, and now I can’t wait to try it out with mandarins, sounds delicious and I never would have thought of it myself!
Can I use mandarin oranges instead of mangos?
Yes I think mandarin oranges would be a great substitute for mangoes. I sure hope you enjoy it, and be sure to let me know how it goes, or if you have anymore questions!
Hi there! This is one of our all-time favorite salads. Every time I serve it to someone new they always ask for the recipe and I gladly send it over!
Next month I will be using it for a large women’s tea, 200 servings.
Do you have any tips or tricks for serving it to a large group? Any short cuts? I’m thinking I will try and do most of the prep work the night before.
Thank you!
I’ve never made this salad for so many before! I would definitely do most of the prep work the night before, except the mango which has a tendency to turn brown. The cashews can be toasted up to 2 weeks ahead, and you can make the dressing the night before as well. I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the recipe, let me know if you have anymore questions and I’d love to hear how it goes!
Okay, I made this last night to share with the fam on the side with some thai-curry and brown rice. MY GOD THIS IS AMAZING AND I WILL FOREVER EAT THIS SALAD. This is going to be my go to salad forever and my summer/spring salad forever and just wow. Thank you for so rad and blessing us with this recipe!
Thanks so much Jasleen! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, I always look forward to champagne mango season because they’re so good in this salad!
Hi can I replace the avocado oil with olive oil? Will it taste different ?
Olive oil has a stronger flavor, but I don’t think you’ll notice that much of a difference!
Delicious! Just added this to my new website.
Love your blog.
Much love, ellen <3
Made this last night, and I’m so happy I did! The salad texture was amazing. But more than that’s, the flavors were big, bold and so fresh! Loved it!!! Thank you!
We love the bold flavors too – I’m finding reasons to make it every other day!
I love Sambal but never thought of using it in a salad dressing. That is such a brilliant idea Kari (thank you for the inspiration!), And, btw, great looking salad too! 🙂
I used to use sweet chili sauce for all kinds of Asian recipes, (but you know all the stuff in there isn’t good) so the dressing is a sweet chili hack because I can’t see myself making it from scratch!