Broccoli Salad with Honey-Tahini Dressing + 7 Ways to Reduce Food Waste

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This Broccoli Salad with Honey-Tahini Dressing is a creamy, crunchy and healthy alternative to traditional coleslaw. With no mayo or dairy, it’s lunchbox ready!

Today, I’m sharing an easy broccoli salad recipe to add to your lunch box or enjoy alongside a burger or fish this summer and spring.

In honor of Earth Day (tomorrow, April 22) the Recipe Redux crew was tasked to show ways to reduce food waste. The mission: Whatever you would normally toss, use it up.

I started to think about what I use most and how I can find ways to throw away less. Now, I eat a lot of broccoli in my house. A lot.

Admittedly, I often buy it frozen or already cut into florets. I do this to save time and also because I don’t like the idea of throwing the stalks away.

How to use leftover broccoli stalks

It’s cheaper to buy broccoli by the stalk, especially when it’s in season. So, I veered from my usual and picked up a few stalks of fresh broccoli. I roasted the florets and saved the stalks for this dish.

With a #zerowaste goal in sight, I took this opportunity to also use up some other foods in the fridge. I’ve been working on a jar of tahini for several months now and had leftover grated carrots from some Easter carrot cake experiments and last week’s carrot pineapple smoothie recipe.

If you collect more than 3-4 stalks, you might want to use a food processor to shred the broccoli. I used the box grater because I just didn’t feel up to lugging the food processor to the counter and then having to clean it out afterward.

I’m in love with tahini everything these days. It makes for a creamy, nutty dressing that adds a little extra fiber, protein, and heart-healthy fats.

Try these ways to use up foods often wasted

Beet greens. It’s easy to chop the tops off and toss them, but that would be a huge waste of flavor and nutrients. Sauté beet greens in garlic and olive oil for a simple veggie side dish.

Kale, chard or collard green stems. Chop them up and add to a salad or stir-fry fry for crunch or blend them into a pesto.

Bread ends. Pulse the stale end pieces of bread in a blender or food processor for homemade breadcrumbs. Try them in my baked salmon cakes!

Citrus rinds. Use the rinds to make citrus sugar or salt. For non-food, you can also infuse the rinds in vinegar for a natural homemade household cleaning solution.

Nut milk pulp. Use the pulp leftover from homemade nut milk to make crackers or add it to muffins or quick bread for extra protein and fiber. I really wanted to share one of these recipes with you, but it will come later. Over the summer, when I have a little more time – hopefully.

Parmesan rinds. I freeze and use parmesan rinds to add depth of flavor to soups and stews. Most recently, it’s been white bean soup – over and over again. It would be perfect in this white bean stew instead of meat.

Aquafaba. Speaking of beans… I use canned beans often and always drain them – tossing what is supposedly a magical liquid that can be used in all manner of meringue-y and mousse-like desserts like this simple Vegan Chocolate Mousse.

 
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Broccoli Salad with Honey-Tahini Dressing

This Broccoli Salad with Honey-Tahini Dressing is my answer to traditional coleslaw. With no mayo or dairy, it’s lunchbox ready and packed with crunch and nutrition from broccoli, carrots, and tahini.

Prep Time10 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4

Calories: 137kcal

Author: Marisa Moore, RDN

Ingredients

• 3 cups shredded broccoli stalks (about 4 stalks)
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• ¼ cup plain tahini (room temperature)
• 2 T apple cider vinegar
• ⅛ t garlic powder (or 1 clove, grated)
• 1 T pure honey
• salt to taste

Instructions

• Shred the broccoli stalks and carrots. Set aside. 
• In a medium bowl, whisk the tahini, honey, vinegar, and garlic powder until smooth.
• Add the shredded broccoli and carrots. Toss to coat. Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 137kcal

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