Chinese Cold Broccoli Salad with Garlic and Sesame Recipe
Broccoli in a Chinese-style cold version is a great snack or side dish for dinner. In China, these kinds of small vegetable dishes often sit on the table alongside rice and meat – everyone grabs a bit of everything with chopsticks, like at a family-style buffet.
In Chinese cuisine, these cold salads made from blanched vegetables with garlic and soy-based dressings are typical “cold dishes” ordered alongside hot mains to add contrast to the table.
This salad combines crisp-tender broccoli with a fragrant hot garlic oil and a simple Chinese-style dressing, giving a humble vegetable a deep, restaurant-style flavor with minimal effort.
Why this version works
- Brief blanching followed by shocking in ice-cold water preserves the bright green color and crunch of the broccoli.
- Pouring hot oil over the garlic soy dressing releases the aromatics just like in Chinese restaurant appetizers.
- Drying the broccoli after blanching prevents the dressing from getting watered down and helps it cling to the florets.
Chef's tips
Make sure not to overcook the broccoli – it should stay bright green and slightly crunchy. Drain it very well so the dressing doesn’t get watered down. Lightly toasting the sesame seeds makes a big difference in flavor, so don’t skip this step.
How to serve
Serve as part of a larger Asian-inspired spread with rice, stir-fried meat or tofu, and pickled vegetables. It also works well in lunch boxes, alongside grilled fish or baked tofu, or as a fresh counterpoint to richer, fried dishes.
Watch out for
- Do not cook longer than 3 minutes – dull, soft broccoli means it’s overcooked and watery.
- If the broccoli isn’t well drained, a watery puddle will quickly collect at the bottom of the bowl and dilute the flavor of the dressing.
Substitutions
- You can replace rice vinegar with white wine vinegar diluted 1:1 with water.
- Light soy sauce can be swapped for regular soy sauce, reducing the amount by about 1/3.
- If you don’t have sesame oil, skip it and increase the amount of toasted sesame seeds for aroma.
Ingredients
- broccoli medium head, about 400 g - 1 piece
- soy sauce - 1.5 tablespoon
- rice vinegar - 1 tablespoon
- sesame oil - 1 teaspoon
- vegetable oil e.g. rapeseed - 1 tablespoon
- garlic cloves finely chopped - 2 piece
- sesame seeds toasted in a dry pan - 1 tablespoon
- sugar - 0.5 teaspoon
- salt for the cooking water and to taste
Preparation
- Wash the broccoli and divide it into small florets. Peel the stalk to remove the tough skin and slice it thinly – it will be delicious too.
- In a large pot, bring water with 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 2–3 minutes, until it turns a vibrant green and softens slightly but is still crisp.
- Drain the broccoli in a colander and immediately rinse with cold water, or ideally plunge it briefly into a bowl of ice-cold water. This helps it keep its color and firmness. Drain very thoroughly.
- Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant. Transfer to a small bowl.
- In a small saucepan or frying pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and fry for 30–40 seconds, stirring, until fragrant and lightly golden but not browned. Remove from the heat.
- In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and sugar. Add the hot garlic oil and mix well.
- Place the broccoli in a bowl, pour over the prepared dressing and gently toss so all the florets are coated. Set aside for 5–10 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- Before serving, sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
This is one of those simple side dishes that quickly becomes a staple: it’s easy to prepare ahead, tastes even better after a short rest, and turns everyday broccoli into something you’ll happily snack on straight from the bowl.
