Healthy cranberry, broccoli salad with poppy seed dressing (oil free)

CRANBERRY BROCCOLI SALAD WITH POPPY SEED OIL FREE DRESSING

Recipe:  Rosa

Bright, fun and delicious!  This cranberry-broccoli salad is crunch, rich and a mix of sweet, tart and absolutely drool-worthy.  A perfect match for your Lotus BBQ Grill   

Servings:  6 persons

Prep time: 20 minutes

Calories:  312kcal

Equipment:  Blender

Ingredients for the salad:

*6 cups broccoli florets cut into small bite sized pieces

*1 ¾ cups chickpeas drained and rinsed

*1/2 cup pecans or walnuts

*1/2 cup cranberries

*1/4 cup red onion finely chopped

*1 green apple diced

*1 teaspoon lemon juice

Ingredients for the Dressing:

*3/4 cup raw cashews

*3/4 cup water

*3 tablespoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

*2 tablespoons maple syrup

*1/4 teaspoon Kalahari salt

*1 teaspoon poppy seed

Instructions:

1. Dice your apple and place in a large bowl.  Then squeeze fresh lemon juice on top to prevent from browning and mix well.  Add all remaining salad ingredients to the same bowl and mix together.
2. Add all the dressing ingredients except the poppy seeds to the blender and process until smooth. Then add the poppy seeds and blend for 1-2 seconds, just enough to mix them into your dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad, mix well and refrigerate for 1 hour or longer before serving.  

NOTES:  If you do not have a strong blender, then soak your cashews in boiling water for at least 30 minutes, and then drain before blending.  This will help to soften your cashews enough to blend smooth.