With tender and crisp broccoli, toasted walnuts, salty parmesan shavings, and peppery arugula tossed in a light and slightly nutty lemon and walnut oil vinaigrette, this Walnut and Roasted Broccoli Salad is packed with healthy nutrients and antioxidants so you can feel good about eating it.
Let me just start by saying that this recipe is a favorite of mine for a bunch of reasons:
- First, it has roasted broccoli, which is one of my favorite ways to eat vegetables. The broccoli stays a little crunchy and crisp, while it also caramelizes on the edges. If you haven’t had roasted broccoli, check out my Easy Roasted Broccoli with Lemon. I promise you will love it!
- Also, this Walnut and Roasted Broccoli Salad is loaded with crunchy toasted walnuts, which are super healthy and full of antioxidants. If you want to learn more about the health benefits of walnuts, check them out in my Maple Cinnamon Candied Walnuts
- In addition to the walnuts, the salad dressing is made with walnut oil, one of my new favorites that I’ll talk more about below.
- Finally, this salad is finished off with some baby arugula, which adds a peppery, grassy brightness that complements the broccoli.
Oh, and if that’s not enough to convince you to try my Walnut and Roasted Broccoli Salad – my inspiration for this recipe came from Food Network’s Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli, so you know it has to be an all star dish!
What is Walnut Oil?
As I mentioned above, one of the key parts of what makes this Walnut and Roasted Broccoli Salad a favorite is the walnut oil used to make the lemon walnut vinaigrette dressing. A friend recently introduced walnut oil to me by saying that she drizzles it over pretty much EVERYTHING. I love a good fancy oil, so needless to say I was intrigued, and I have to admit, she was right with how amazing it is. I have been hooked ever since, and I couldn’t wait to create a new recipe with walnut vinaigrette to share with everyone!
Walnut oil has a delicate, nutty flavor that is slightly sweet. This oil has a tendency to get bitter when heated past its low smoke point, so it is best used as a finishing oil or in other dishes that are served room temperature or chilled. I have also heard it recommended to use walnut oil as a substitute for butter in baking, such as for brownies, which is definitely on my list of things to try! In this Walnut and Roasted Broccoli Salad, the walnut oil brings out and enhances the nutty, sweetness of the toasted walnuts.
True walnut oil is extracted by pressing whole walnuts until all the oil is expelled. However, some of the cheaper versions are made from macerating walnuts in a cheaper carrier oil, such as canola oil. So when you are buying walnut oil, make sure to buy a good quality oil for the best flavor and health benefits. This is the brand I buy: Tourangelle Roasted Walnut Oil. It’s from Amazon, but you should also be able to find it in other grocery stores too.
What are the Benefits of Walnut Oil?
Walnut oil is a rich source of heart-healthy Omega 3 fatty acid, which is usually deficient in the Western diet. Omega 3 is known to help prevent cardiovascular disease while acting as a counterweight to bad cholesterol. It also boasts a number of other healthy benefits, making this Walnut and Roasted Broccoli Salad with Lemony Walnut Oil Vinaigrette something you can feel great about eating.
Benefits of walnut oil include:
- Boosts Skin Health: Walnut oil promotes healthy skin thanks to being high in the omega-3 ALA and omega-6 LA.
- Reduces Inflammation: Thanks to the high fatty acids, walnut oil may help reduce chronic inflammation, which can cause a variety of health issues including heart disease and cancer.
- Improves Brain Health & Function: Walnut oil has high levels of omega-3 fatty acid and polyphenolic compounds, which are both considered critical brain foods that counteract oxidative stress and inflammation, two major drivers of cognitive decline.
- Lowers Blood Pressure: Studies show that consuming walnut oil may improve blood vessel function, leading to lower blood pressure.
- Improves Blood Sugar Control: A study showed that consuming walnut oil lowered fasting blood sugar and A1c levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
So go out and get yourself some walnut oil today, then make this Walnut and Roasted Broccoli Salad. You’ll be glad you did.
Walnut and Roasted Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb bunch broccoli with stems
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- zest of one lemon (juice reserved)
- ½ cup walnuts (roughly chopped)
- 2 cups baby arugula
- ½ cup shaved parmesan cheese
Lemon Walnut Oil Vinaigrette
- lemon juice from 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp walnut oil
- ½ tsp honey
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic (grated or very finely minced)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°
- Cut broccoli into florets, reserving stems. Peel the stems, removing the rough outer skin, and slice the stems into about ½ inch rounds. The goal will be to have the stem pieces and florets similar size so that they cook about evenly.
- On a sheet pan, toss broccoli stems and florets with olive oil. Spread into an even layer (leaving some space between pieces to allow for browning), and bake
- Roast broccoli for 10 minutes, stir and cook an additional 10 minutes. During the last 4 minutes of cooking, move the broccoli to one side of sheet, and add walnuts to toast.
- Let broccoli cool about 10 minutes
- While broccoli cools, mix dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Add broccoli and nuts, and toss to coat
- Over the bowl, use a kitchen shears to roughly cut arugula into bite sized pieces. Add cheese, and toss to coat everything evenly
- Serve at room temperature