Cold Soak Broccoli Salad
Dried broccoli, cranberries, and smoky seeds rehydrated in a jar with an oil-and-vinegar dressing.
- calories
- 620
- weight
- 4 oz
- cal / oz
- 155
- protein
- 14 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 0 min
- total time
- 5 min
- water
- 200 ml cold
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Cold soak
- No cook
- Backpacking
- Bikepacking
- Basecamp
- Day hike
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Dairy free
- Eat in the bag
- Dehydrate ahead
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Dried broccoli florets | 1 cup | home-dried or freeze-dried, chopped small so they rehydrate evenly |
|---|---|---|
| Dried minced red onion | 1 tbsp | |
| Dried cranberries | 1/4 cup | |
| Almonds | 2 tbsp | tossed with tamari and smoked paprika, then dried at home |
| Sunflower seeds or pepitas | 2 tbsp | same tamari-paprika treatment |
| Olive oil | 1 1/2 tbsp | dropper bottle |
| Apple cider vinegar powder | 1 tsp | or 2 tsp liquid vinegar in a leakproof vial |
| Dijon mustard | 1 packet | the takeout kind, about 1 tsp |
| Maple sugar or brown sugar | 1 tsp | |
| Garlic powder | 1/4 tsp | |
| Sea salt | 1/4 tsp |
Method
- Put the dried broccoli, onion, and cranberries in a wide-mouth jar or a freezer bag. Leave the nuts and seeds out for now.
- Add 200 ml of cold water. It should just cover the broccoli, not float it.
- Seal and let it sit 60 to 90 minutes. Shake it every so often. Broccoli takes longer than most dried vegetables.
- Pour off any water that did not get absorbed. Standing water thins the dressing.
- Add the oil, vinegar powder, mustard, sugar, garlic powder, and salt. Seal and shake hard until it looks coated.
- Stir in the nuts and seeds last so they stay crunchy. Eat straight from the jar.
Raw broccoli salad does not travel, but the dried version gets close. Broccoli rehydrates into something with actual bite rather than mush, which is why this works cold-soaked when most vegetables do not. Give it the full ninety minutes: start it at a break and eat it at the next one.
The original dressing leans on mayonnaise, which is a fridge problem. Oil, vinegar powder, and a mustard packet do the same job and weigh less. The tamari-and-paprika coating on the nuts is worth the dehydrator time at home, since it is the only smoky, savory thing in the jar. Add the crunchy parts at the end or you have soft nuts and no contrast.
Packing
Broccoli, onion, and cranberries go in one bag. Dressing dry goods go in a second small bag. Nuts and seeds go in a third, because they lose their crunch the moment they meet anything wet. Oil rides in its own bottle inside a spare bag.
Variations
- Skip the nuts and double the pepitas for a nut-free version.
- A foil packet of tuna or chicken turns the side dish into dinner.
- Trade cranberries for dried apricot pieces if you want less sweetness.
https://blog.9jakitchen.com/broccoli-salad-fresh-crunchy-recipe