Chilli Broccoli Salad Recipe

Prepare broccoli

Trim broccoli into small, bite-sized florets. If stems are tender, peel tough outer skin and thinly slice stems into coins. Rinse and pat dry.

Lightly blanch (optional for very bright green, crisp-tender)

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli florets and boil 45–60 seconds until bright green and slightly tender. Immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain and pat dry. (If you prefer raw broccoli, skip blanching.)

Slice chiles and shred mint

Thinly slice fresh red chiles crosswise; remove seeds if you want less heat. Stack mint leaves, roll tightly, and thinly slice (chiffonade) to make shredded mint.

Chop dates and nuts

Pit and coarsely chop dates. Roughly chop the toasted pistachios so they are in small pieces but still provide texture. Keep toasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds ready.

Assemble salad base

In a large mixing bowl combine cooled/drained broccoli, sliced red chiles, chopped dates, shredded mint, toasted pistachios, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. Toss gently to distribute ingredients evenly.

Make the dressing

In a small bowl or jar whisk together lime juice, olive oil, honey (or maple), ground cumin, salt, black pepper and red chili flakes (if using) until emulsified. Taste and adjust salt, sweetness or acidity to preference.

Dress the salad

Pour about two-thirds of the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat. Reserve remaining dressing to adjust seasoning after resting.

Rest and finish

Let the salad sit 10–15 minutes at room temperature to allow flavors to meld. Taste and add remaining dressing if needed. Give a final gentle toss to combine.

Serve

Transfer to a serving bowl or platter. Scatter any remaining pistachio pieces and a few extra mint shreds on top. Serve immediately or within 2 hours for best texture.