Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad
Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad has Feta and a tasty Tarragon Vinaigrette, or you can make the dressing without tarragon if you prefer! But don’t skip the creamy Feta that adds so much flavor to this interesting salad!
PIN Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad to try it later!
This Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad has that distinctive tarragon flavor in the dressing that I like so much. I still remember when I first tried fresh tarragon, and how much I loved the interesting flavor it had. But through the years I’ve realized that not everyone likes the slightly anise flavor of this herb.
So let me start by making it clear that you can skip the tarragon completely (or use another type of herb) in the dressing for this tasty broccoli cauliflower salad, and it will still taste great. If you’re looking for a season-spanning salad to take you from summer into fall, this salad will be perfect for that.
And when we made the broccoli cauliflower salad recently to update the photos, Kara and I couldn’t help adding some creamy Feta cheese And OH MY, what a great addition that was. Of course the Feta is optional, but if you like Feta I’m encouraging you to use some.
And you know that both broccoli and cauliflower are cruciferous vegetables that are loaded with nutrients, right? I hope you’ll consider this healthy dish as a new idea for a think-outside-the-box salad for fall!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)
- broccoli
- cauliflower
- red onion
- Feta cheese
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- mayo
- zest from one lemon
- fresh-squeezed lemon juice, I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice
- Dijon mustard (affiliate link)
- fresh tarragon (optional)
- Spike Seasoning (affiliate link)
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Do you need both broccoli and cauliflower in this Salad?
Although we loved this salad with a combination of broccoli and cauliflower, I think you could make a delicious variation with all broccoli or all cauliflower if that’s what you prefer. But please don’t skip the Feta!
How low in carbs is the Broccoli Cauliflower Salad?
This tasty side-dish salad has about 9 net carbs per serving and 8 grams of protein if you use the Feta.
What does fresh Tarragon taste like?
The flavor of fresh tarragon is somewhat similar to the flavor of fresh basil, but tarragon has more a more licorice flavor. If you like fennel, you might like Tarragon, but if it doesn’t sound like your thing, just use another herb of your choice. Or make the Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad without any herbs in the dressing and it will still be delicious.
How to Make Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Bring a pot of water to a boil while you cut up broccoli and cauliflower.
- When water boils, add the cauliflower and cook 1 minute.
- Then add the broccoli and cook 2-3 minutes more, just until veggies are barely starting to get tender.
- When veggies are done, drain in a colander placed in the sink. Let them drain well, or pat dry with paper towels if you’re in a rush.
- While veggies cool, chop the red onion and crumble the Feta, zest and juice the lemon, and whisk together dressing ingredients.
- When broccoli and cauliflower is at room temperature, toss with desired amount of dressing.
- Then gently mix in the red onion.
- Carefully fold in the Feta cheese and season salad to taste with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.
- Serve salad at room temperature.
- Leftovers of the salad with broccoli and cauliflower will keep in the fridge for a day or two, but this is definitely best when it’s freshly made.
Make it a Low-Carb Meal:
This Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad would taste great with one of these main dishes:
- Chicken Cutlets with Mustard Sauce
- Maple-Glazed Salmon
- Chicken Souvlaki
- Instant Pot Balsamic Pork Roast
- Air Fryer Shrimp
Want more ideas for fresh Tarragon?
Check out Cooking with Fresh Tarragon for lots more ideas for using this interesting herb!
Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad
This Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad has Feta and a tasty Tarragon Vinaigrette and this is a great way to use fresh tarragon, or switch it up with another herb if you're not a tarragon fan.
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
- 4 cups bite-sized broccoli flowerets
- 4 cups bite-sized cauliflower flowerets
- 1/2 red onion, chopped small
- 1 cup crumbled Feta cheese (more or less to taste)
Dressing Ingredients:
- 4 T olive oil
- 1/4 cup mayo
- zest from one lemon
- 3 T fresh lemon juice
- 1 T Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon (see notes)
- 1 tsp. Spike Seasoning (see notes)
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil while you cut up broccoli and cauliflower into bite-sized pieces.
- When water boils, add the cauliflower and cook 1 minute.
- Then add the broccoli and cook 2-3 minutes more, just until veggies are barely starting to get tender. (Test a piece with a fork.)
- When veggies are done, drain in a colander placed in the sink. Let them drain well, or pat dry with paper towels if you're in a rush.
- While veggies drain and come to room temperature, chop the red onion and crumble the Feta.
- Zest the lemon and squeeze the juice.
- Chop the fresh tarragon, or other herbs of your choice.
- Whisk together the olive oil, mayo, lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon, chopped tarragon, Spike Seasoning (affiliate link), and salt and pepper to make the dressing.
- When broccoli and cauliflower is at room temperature, toss with desired amount of dressing.
- Then gently mix in the red onion.
- Carefully fold in the Feta cheese and season salad to taste with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.
- Serve salad at room temperature.
- Leftovers of the Broccoli Cauliflower Salad will keep in the fridge for a day or two, but the salad is definitely best when it's freshly made.
Notes
You can omit tarragon or use another herb of your choice if you're not a fan of tarragon.
If you don't have Spike Seasoning (affiliate link), use any all-purpose seasoning blend.
This recipe adapted from a recipe found in The G.I. Diet Express. (affiliate link)
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 274Total Fat 22gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 15gCholesterol 26mgSodium 761mgCarbohydrates 15gFiber 6gSugar 5gProtein 8g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad is a great dish for low-carb diet plans, but maybe a bit high in carbs for strict Keto. It’s good for any phase of the original South Beach Diet, but you’ll want to use a moderate amount of Feta if you’re making this for South Beach.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Salad Recipes for more salads like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This salad recipe with broccoli and cauliflower was posted in 2007 for Weekend Herb Blogging, when I had just discovered how much I loved French Tarragon. It was updated with new photos in 2019, and was last updated with more information in 2025.
21 Comments on “Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad”
T = Tablespoon.y
Is that T in "1-2 T Parmesan cheese" and "2 T olive oil" a Tablespoon?
Sounds really good. I think I might make this for thanksgiving.
Thanks for the recipe!
Tarragon, I felt in love with it. What about your first love? Isn’t it jealous?
This sounds very good, Kalyn,
Usually, the volatile compounds in tarragon are to strong for me–too much like licorice, or flavors in that family, of which I can take only very small quantities– but tempered with the mustard and lemon, it will be refreshing and not overwhelming.
Great idea, and since I love tarragon a must try with me.
Just made mustard with tarragon, will post it this week. 🙂
Thanks, you’ve given me a great idea for what to do with the broccoli in my veggie drawer. Ashamed to admit that the last TWO times I’ve bought broccoli, it has gone bad before I’ve used it. What’s wrong with me?!?! Anyway, as you know, I adore tarragon—and I have a great quantity of it on my patio begging to be used—but I would never have thought to add it to a nice lemony vinaigrette for dressing broccoli.
Tarragon is a delicious alternative to more common herbs, especially in salads such as this one.
Lemon and tarragon are so good together! I never think of broccoli and cauliflower in a salad but I saw some beautiful broccoli at the market today… Maybe a break from zucchini!
Bradley I liked the combination a lot. So far I’ve used mustard/tarragon in two recipes, and in both I’ve reduced the amount of mustard a tiny bit to let the tarragon shine through, but that’s just my preference.
Tanna, I am indeed jealous that you have preserved lemons. That’s something I’m going to look for in Chicago. If I don’t find them there, I guess I’ll have to stop being lazy and make some!
Toni, hope you’ll like it.
I’ve been into eating a lot of broccoli recently, and I just picked up a beautiful head of cauliflower. Never thought of using tarragon with these veggies, though. I’ll give it a try.
Ok, Kalyn, you are absolutely right, I really need to get back to salads. This is the one to start with. The only thing I’ll change is to add a little preserved lemon to the dressing! Oh it will add such sparkle.
Sounds like a great combo. I like the combination of dijon and tarragon and have used that to also make compound butters.
Patricia, thanks. I wasn’t sure if these veggies were too strongly flavored for the tarragon, but they were wonderful together.
Peter, great idea.
Thanks Kelly and Jenny.
Simona, I think tarragon needs quite a bit of sun. I have mine where it gets sun at least 12 hours a day.
Pam, hope you like it.
Maria, thanks. I got a tripod and I’m loving it.
I am glad you are exploring new ways to use tarragon. Great photo!!
I love tarragon and mine is thriving, all I ever use it on is chicken salad, so I can’t wait to try this vinaigrette.
I have been waiting for my tarragon to thrive so I could use it in one of the recipes you have posted that use it an ingredients. At this point I am afraid that I will have to buy some if I want to try any of the delicious dishes you have been posting. I guess my little patch does not get enough sun for tarragon.
Sounds yummy, Kalyn!
How healthful, I’ll have to give it a try.
I have a similar salad…great winter or summer!
You’ve put together two of my favorites veggies, Kalyn – I would love to try that vinaigrette, too!