Roasted Broccoli Salad (with Crispy Quinoa)

Salad has never tasted better.

Warm broccoli, crispy quinoa, and a mountain of Gouda cheese (say when); this Roasted Broccoli Salad with Crispy Quinoa is hearty, filling, and the perfect comfort dish if you’re looking for something different while still getting your veggies in. It’s easy to make, relatively quick, and always a fan favorite. Perfect for the colder fall and winter months, it also makes a great addition to any holiday dinner table.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

This warm roasted broccoli salad isn’t your typical salad. To be honest, we’re only calling it a salad because it comes with a dressing. It’s quick and easy, especially if you’re crisping up leftover quinoa, and simple to scale up (holiday dinner anyone?). Loaded with nutty shredded Gouda and paired with a bright, herbaceous green goddess dressing, this broccoli “salad” is sure to win anyone over.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR ROASTED BROCCOLI SALAD

• Broccoli – 2 large heads of raw broccoli. If you’d prefer to buy a bag of precut florets, it’s approx. 1 1/2 lbs of broccoli. While I love frozen broccoli for its convenience, it unfortunately isn’t well-suited for roasting.
• Quinoa – Tri-colored or white quinoa.
• Gouda Cheese – If the only Gouda you know is the super melty classic smoked version, it’s time to step out of your comfort zone. Some of my favorite types of gouda cheese are aged for their nutty and rich flavor that is a far departure from a smoked or a red wax gouda. If you’ve been here before then you know my go-to is always Artikaas Gouda for both their quality and variety. Below are my recommendations for this dish, IF and it’s a hard IF you can’t manage to find any of the below you can sub with Parmesan cheese but you do loose a bit of flavor.
  • Holy Sheep! – Hands down one of my favorites and what the recipe was originally crafted with. It’s nutty and rich and just a little sweet. Nearly impossible to not steal a slice. It’s semi-hard and easy to grate.
  • Parèggio – The perfect cross between a gouda and a Parmesan cheese, it’s tangy has a great savory flavor with those crystals you expect from a great quality hard cheese.
  • Youngsters Goat Gouda – Not necessarily an aged gouda, but still easy to grate and the delicate tangy flavor pairs perfect with this salad. There’s something novel about this cheese—its flavor is unlike what you’d expect from a Gouda, making it reason enough to always keep a wedge stocked in the fridge.
• Olive Oil

GREEN GODDESS DRESSING

If you do anything with this post, you need to save down this salad dressing. Not only does it pair so well with the broccoli / Gouda combo, but it would taste good on just about anything.

• Greek Yogurt – The recipe calls for a thick, plain (unflavored) Greek yogurt, think Fage. I like to use the 5% for salad dressings, but 2% or even 0% (fat free) works as well
• Cilantro
• Parsley
• Mint
• Lemon Juice – Fresh only!
• Garlic – Fresh only, just one medium sized clove.
• Olive Oil – Pick a good flavorful extra virgin olive oil for the dressing.

TOOLS NEEDED

• Sheet Trays – My go-to is always Nordic sheet trays. For the broccoli, I use a 1/2 Sheet Tray to give it plenty of room to roast (instead of overcrowding the pan and accidentally steaming it). For the quinoa, a 1/4 Sheet Tray works well.
• Blender or Handheld Blender – The dressing needs to be blended for the best consistency. I like to use a handheld, smoothie blender, or bullet blender for this recipe since it only makes about 3/4 cup of dressing.

HOW TO MAKE ROASTED BROCCOLI SALAD

Cook the Quinoa – You have two options: Option 1: Use leftover quinoa or cook it the night before (similar to crisping leftover rice). Option 2: Cook it the same day but slightly reduce the water. This is usually what I do since I’m never great at preplanning.

If you’re going with Option 2, rinse your quinoa, then cook 1/2 cup according to package instructions MINUS 1 1/2 tablespoons of water. Why? Because we don’t want the quinoa to overcook. Clumpy, wet quinoa is much harder to crisp than quinoa that’s just slightly undercooked. Once done, fluff with a fork.

Place the quinoa on a sheet pan with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Toss to coat and spread into a single layer.

Prep and Roast the Broccoli- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the heads of broccoli into manageable florets and discard the stalks. Spread the florets out on a sheet pan, being careful not to overcrowd them, and generously drizzle with olive oil (about 1 ½–2 tablespoons). The key to perfectly roasted broccoli, rather than burnt, crispy broccoli, is the right amount of oil. You don’t want to use so much that they turn soggy, but you do want every floret thoroughly coated. Sprinkle with kosher salt and toss to combine.

Roast + Assemble- Roast both the sheet of broccoli and the quinoa at the same time for 18-20 minutes. Every 5 minutes toss the quinoa with a spoon and return to the single layer. When the quinoa is crisp and the broccoli is charred but tender remove from the oven.

To plate add the roasted broccoli to a large bowl. Top with crispy quinoa and finely shredded gouda cheese. Toss with as much or as little of the dressing as you’d like and serve.

STORING/REHEATING

This roasted broccoli salad is truly best served fresh and still warm—because if you know roasted broccoli, especially roasted broccoli that’s already been dressed, you know there’s not much you can do to revive it. That said, the salad can be prepped a few hours in advance, making it perfect for Thanksgiving or the holidays. Simply roast the broccoli and quinoa, and leave them undressed until you’re ready to serve. When it’s time to dress the salad, pop the broccoli back into a 400°F oven for a few minutes until warmed and crisped, then top with the quinoa, Gouda, and dressing.