As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
With crisp broccoli florets coated in creamy homemade dressing, this may be the best ever Broccoli Salad recipe. It features a light and tangy creamy dressing, roasted sunflower seeds and sweet cranberries. You will love this easy broccoli salad for summer cookouts and weeknight dinners.
If you’re looking for healthy side dishes for summer cookouts, potlucks, barbecues or grilling parties, this light and easy broccoli salad is for you! It’s whipped up in minutes and tastes so delicious with anything. The best thing is that it can be made ahead of time, leftovers keep fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days. Perfect for weekly meal preps on summer.
Never had I imaged that broccoli and salad could taste that good. We made this recipe for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and ever since then it’s been our latest obsession. Together with air fryer Brussels sprouts and Mexican street corn salad, it is now an integral part of our weekly menu. From my side, I particularly appreciate the combination of textures: crisp broccoli florets and toasted sunflower seeds meet sweet cranberries in a creamy dressing. Yummy! My girlfriend instead, she loves the contrast between sweet and savory flavors.
Healthy broccoli salad recipe
This is a healthy broccoli salad recipe that is good for you: lower in calories, lower in fats, keto friendly and without white sugar. Take a look at the ingredients and you won’t find any bacon in here. And for the dressing, our homemade broccoli salad dressing has very little mayonnaise. We are going to replace most of the mayo and sour cream with plain Greek yogurt.
But before you turn your heels, let me tell you one thing. This dish tastes exactly like the original broccoli salad recipe. You, your family and your guests will all fall in love at first bite. And if you are a fan of cheese, I got you. Mix in small dices of Parmesan cheese for extra crunch and flavor. No one is gonna notice any difference, I promise.
Recipe ingredients
- Broccoli florets. You’ll need about 6 cups of broccoli florets, chopped into small bite-sized pieces. The basic broccoli salad recipe uses raw broccoli, so there’s no need to blanch them. The vegetables will tenderize after soaking up in the creamy dressing.
- Red onion. Tiny dices of red onion add crunch and a punchy flavor to the salad. As an alternative, you can chop some yellow onion.
- Sunflower seeds. I recommend toasted sunflower seeds because they are crunchier and tastier. For more flavor, consider using roasted and salted sunflower seeds. If you are not a fan, replace with pumpkin seeds, toasted almonds or cashews. Walnuts and pecans are great too.
- Cranberries. This easy broccoli salad recipe comes with dried cranberries, they add a sweet touch and more texture. We prefer cranberries with no added sugar, but feel free to use regular cranberries. Great substitutes are raisins, dried blueberries, and even goji berries.
- Parmesan cheese. This ingredient is completely optional, but I find that diced Parmesan cheese gives this summer dish an irresistible flavor. Savory and sharp, it goes so well with broccoli & cranberry salad. Cheddar cheese or feta are great substitutes for Parmesan.
Light and simple broccoli salad dressing
This healthy recipe for broccoli salad features a light dressing that is creamy, tangy and slightly sweet. Just like the original, but with almost no mayo. You’ll need to mix plain Greek yogurt with just a couple tablespoons of mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sweet honey and seasonings. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper are our recommendations. But you can also experiment with extra seasonings such as garlic powder or smoked paprika.
How to make broccoli salad
First of all, you will need to prepare the broccoli for salad. Wash the broccoli thoroughly, pat them dry and cut the florets into small bite-sized pieces. If you desire, peel and finely chop the stalk. Good choice to reduce food wastes.
Next, you should gather all salad ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the broccoli florets with diced red onion, dried cranberries and sunflower seeds. For more taste, you can add small dices of Parmesan cheese.
Time to make our light dressing. In a separate bowl, combine plain Greek yogurt with mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Whisk until it is smooth and creamy, adjusting with more salt if it is necessary.
Finally, assemble the broccoli salad. Pour Greek yogurt dressing over the broccoli mixture, then toss everything until all ingredients are completely coated with sauce. Adjust with salt and pepper to taste. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Before eating, gently mix the dish to distribute the dressing.
Tips for the best broccoli salad
- Finely chop broccoli. After you wash and dry them, cut the broccoli into small bite-sized pieces. This simple step helps raw vegetables get softer and ensures that you will get a bit of everything at every spoonful.
- Add some mix-ins. This simple broccoli salad offers the perfect base for customizations. You can replace sunflower seeds with pumpkin seeds, cashew nuts and homemade roasted almonds. Or why not throwing in some precooked chicken breast, diced avocado, or pieces of apple. Add pasta to broccoli cold salad and make it a meal.
- Let it chill. Once you are done, cover the bowl with wrapping paper and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving. While they marinate, the broccoli florets absorb all good flavors and soak up in the dressing. Your raw broccoli will become slightly tender and oh so tasty.
- Add seeds before serving. If you plan to make broccoli salad ahead of time, I recommend mixing in the sunflower seeds right before serving. This ensures that they remain perfectly crunchy and tasty as if the dish was freshly made.
Make ahead & Leftovers
To store broccoli in salad, transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate. The dish will stay fresh for up to 3 days. Making broccoli salad ahead is a great choice because it allows the vegetables to absorb more flavor and soak in the creamy dressing. If you plan to store it for more than a day, however, I recommend adding the roasted seeds right before serving. This way they will preserve the crunchy texture.
No, blanching or boiling broccoli is not necessary. The traditional recipe is usually made with raw broccoli florets that become tender in vinaigrette dressing.
Yes, you can substitute the 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise with 3 tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt. The dressing will still come out creamy and tasty, but it won’t be as rich.
To make this recipe dairy-free and vegan, swap out Greek yogurt for nondairy Greek yogurt (I like soy yogurt) and use vegan mayonnaise. Of course, make sure you skip the Parmesan cheese.
No, unfortunately you cannot freeze it. Fresh vegetables like broccoli tend to become mushy and lose crispness when frozen and thawed, and the dressing will become watery.
More healthy salad recipes
- Shredded chicken salad
- Watermelon salad
- Cucumber salad
- Caprese salad
- Deviled egg potato salad
- Cucumber tomato salad
- Creamy cucumber salad
- Mexican street corn salad
Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
- 6 cups (500 g) broccoli florets, chopped
- ⅓ cup (50 g) red onion, diced
- ½ cup (65 g) sunflower seeds, toasted
- ⅓ cup (45 g) dried cranberries
- 4 tbsp Parmesan cheese, in small dices, optional
Dressing
- ½ cup (120 g) Greek yogurt, plain
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tbsp honey, or maple syrup
- ¼ tsp salt, or more to taste
- ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Chop the broccoli
- Wash the broccoli thoroughly, pat them dry, then cut florets into small bite-sized pieces. If desired, you can also peel and finely chop the stalk.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine broccoli florets with diced red onion, toasted sunflower seeds and dried cranberries. Optionally, you can add small dices of Parmesan cheese.
Prepare the dressing
- In a separate bowl or mason jar, combine Greek yogurt with mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Whisk until smooth and creamy, adding more salt if it is necessary.
Assemble the broccoli salad
- Pour Greek yogurt dressing over the broccoli mixture, then toss everything until the salad is completely coated with cream. Adjust with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Before eating, gently mix the broccoli salad to distribute the dressing.
Yummy yummy broccoli salad!
Hey dear Liza,
thank you very much for your kind feedback!! I completely agree, broccoli is one of the best vegetables out there. Perfect for a creamy broccoli salad, for sure 😉
Have a great day,
Matteo