Winter Citrus Broccoli Salad – Low Carb & Gluten Free

A couple of weeks ago I posted a breakup letter to cauliflower in response to the crazy prices lately due to the shortage. Meanwhile I’ve been hanging out with broccoli again and it’s been great.

I already posted my go-to low carb broccoli and cheddar soup recipe the other day, but my favorite way to enjoy broccoli lately has been in this low carb broccoli salad!

We have friends who make a delicious broccoli salad with raisins, bacon, sunflower seeds and lots of mayonnaise and I LOVE it. Even Mr. Hungry, who hates broccoli just slightly more than he hates cauliflower, will eat a little of it that way.

I wanted to come up with my own low carb version of that classic broccoli salad for the blog that hasn’t already been done a million times. Because citrus is in season and I’m obsessed with tangerine flavor lately, I started there with lots of zest and a little tangerine juice for the base of the dressing.

I also added some minced ginger for a punch of flavor – and because it complements the tangerine so well.

Most of the broccoli salads I’ve had use raw broccoli, but I wanted mine just a little bit soft and with a mellower flavor, so I blanched it for a couple of minutes. It’s still firm, but not rock hard – which I found to be perfect.

To make this broccoli salad a little more complex and grown up, I even add some shredded radicchio which gave it just the slightest bitterness and added some color – then I finished with some sliced almonds for crunch and nuttiness.

While I expected this low carb broccoli salad to taste great, even I was surprised at how addictingly delicious it was! The textures were beautiful, the dressing was light but creamy and delivered a bright citrus flavor that complemented the broccoli and radicchio perfectly.

You should know that this low carb broccoli salad keeps REALLY well in the fridge and gets better every day, making it a great option for lunch. While I kept this version vegetarian, you could easily add bacon, chicken, or ham to make it even heartier and more delicious!

Finally, you can make this broccoli salad fully Paleo by using honey or maple syrup as a sweetener.

In other news, operation pack for Belize is in full swing and I’m freaking out because we leave in just a few days! I’M SO EXCITED!

This will be my final post before we get there, but as I mentioned before I’ve got some delicious recipes on deck for you that are already scheduled to post while we’re gone, and I’ll be checking in occasionally with updates and trip photos! Stay tuned!

Winter Citrus Broccoli Salad – Low Carb & Gluten Free

---

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Mellissa Sevigny
• Yield: Seven 1 cup servings 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

This delicious low carb broccoli salad has a creamy dressing with punch of ginger and citrus, finished with some sliced almonds. Keto and Atkins friendly!

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 6 cups broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup shredded radicchio
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

For the dressing:

• 1 Tbsp tangerine zest
• 2 Tbsp tangerine juice
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 3 Tbsp avocado oil (or light olive oil)
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp + 1 tsp granulated sugar substitute (I used swerve)
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

---

Instructions

1. Place the broccoli in a microwave safe bowl and cook on high for four minutes (or steam for several minutes until bright green and slightly tender.) Rinse in cold water and let drain for five minutes. In a large salad bowl, toss the broccoli with the shredded radicchio and sliced almonds.
2. Combine the tangerine zest and juice, oil, vinegar, ginger, swerve, salt and mayonnaise and whisk until smooth.
3. Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and toss gently to coat. Serve room temperature or chilled.

Notes

Approx nutrition info per cup: 160 calories, 14g fat, 4.5g net carbs, 3g protein

• Category: Low Carb Salad Recipe
• Cuisine: American

Had a little too much fun and need to drop some pounds? Get started today with my free low carb and keto menu plans to kick start your weight loss in 2016!

Can’t get enough delicious low carb recipes? Download all five of my e-cookbooks (over 150 delicious low carb recipes) for just $19.99 for a limited time!