Vegetarian Basil-Pesto Broccoli Slaw

Total time30 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time0 min

4.9

(10)

Raw broccoli gets a serious glow-up here, pulsed into a coarse, rice-like slaw and tossed with a bright, herbaceous basil pesto that clings to every piece. The combination of shredded carrot, scallion greens, chewy dried cranberries, and toasted coconut gives you crunch, sweetness, and a little tropical warmth all in one bowl. That homemade pesto — built with fresh basil, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, and a whisper of ground ginger — is genuinely worth making from scratch, because the flavor is miles ahead of anything jarred. A short rest at room temperature is all it takes for the broccoli to soften just enough and soak up all that green, garlicky goodness. This is the kind of side dish that surprises people at the table, because it looks simple but tastes like you put in way more effort than you actually did. It works beautifully as a make-ahead option, and it holds up well without wilting the way a leafy salad would.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the slaw

1 large head broccoli (about 1 lb), cut into florets and stems trimmed
1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded
3 scallions, thinly sliced (green tops only)
¼ cup unsweetened dried cranberries
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted

For the pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
⅛ tsp ground ginger

Instructions

1
Toast the shredded coconut in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 3–4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool.
2
Working in batches if needed, pulse the broccoli florets and stems in a food processor until broken down into small, rice-like pieces roughly the size of a pea — the texture should be coarse and shred-like, not pureed. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

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