Favorite Broccoli Salad
This broccoli salad recipe is the best! It's healthy, too, thanks to the delicious honey-mustard vinaigrette (no mayo). This broccoli salad packs great for lunch and potlucks. It'll be your new favorite!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
Letโs hit restart with my favorite broccoli salad recipe! It will become your new favorite, too.
This is the best broccoli salad Iโve ever had. Why? Itโs crisp, crunchy and fresh, which is exactly what I want broccoli salad to be.
Itโs also seriously addictive, thanks to the sweet-and-savory combination of freshly toasted sunflower seeds, dried cranberries and cheddar cheese.
I borrowed the honey-mustard vinaigrette from my Brussels sprout slaw, and it plays up raw broccoliโs best features. Who needs mayo when you have creamy and tangy honey-mustard dressing?
The Best Healthy Broccoli Salad
Standard potluck-issue broccoli salads include mayonnaise, sugar and bacon, and you wonโt find any of those here.
I included the usual cheddar cheese since my assistant Mara absolutely loved it that way. The cheddar offers some creamy indulgence to the salad, which makes it a perfect transition food from rich holiday meals to healthier options.
That said, if youโre craving a lighter salad, youโll also enjoy the recipe without cheese.
Watch How to Make Broccoli Salad
Is broccoli salad good for you?
Yes! I consider humble old broccoli to be a total super food, and this salad is loaded with broccoli. Broccoli is a member of the cruciferous family of vegetables, which offer potent anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer health benefits. Other members include cauliflower, cabbage, kale and Brussels sprouts.
Broccoli is also high in fiber and folate. Learn more about broccoliโs health benefits here.
Do you have to cook the broccoli for broccoli salad?
No, raw broccoli is fairly standard in broccoli salads. It doesnโt taste completely raw in this broccoli salad, since the vinaigrette breaks down the broccoli a bit. Chop up your broccoli florets into very small pieces, and you will have an irresistibly fresh broccoli salad.
If you hate raw broccoli, though, you can blanch the florets. Add the florets to a pot of boiling water for 1 minute, then transfer the florets to an ice bath to halt the cooking process. Drain the cooled broccoli well before using.
If youโre looking for a packable, potluck-friendly side salad, this is it. Iโve enjoyed a big bowl of it as a light meal, too. Please let me know how it turns out for you in the comments!
If youโre looking for more pack-for-work options, Iโve got you covered right here.
Craving more broccoli? Donโt miss these recipes:
Favorite Broccoli Salad
This broccoli salad recipe is the best! Itโs healthy, too, thanks to the delicious honey-mustard vinaigrette (no mayo). This broccoli salad packs great for lunch and potlucks. Recipe yields 6 side servings.
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 pound broccoli florets (from 1 ยฝ pounds broccoli stalks), thinly sliced and then roughly chopped (see photos)
- ยฝ cup raw sunflower seeds or slivered almonds
- ยฝ cup finely chopped red onion
- ยฝ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (optional)
- โ cup dried cranberries or dried tart cherries, chopped
Honey mustard dressing
- โ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced
- ยผ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Toast the sunflower seeds: Pour the sunflower seeds into a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently (careful, theyโll burn!), until the seeds are turning golden on the sides, about 5 minutes. Pour the toasted seeds into a large serving bowl.
- Add the chopped broccoli, onion, cheese and cranberries to the serving bowl. Set aside.
- In a 1-cup liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients (olive oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic and salt). Whisk until the mixture is well blended.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and stir until all of the broccoli is lightly coated in dressing. I highly recommend letting the salad marinate for at least 20 minutes, or even overnight in the refrigerator.
- Divide the salad into individual bowls and serve. Leftovers will keep well for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, covered.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my honey mustard Brussels sprout slaw.ย
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
OH MY GOODNESSโฆ This broccoli salad is FANTASTIC!!! I like broccoli but not raw until I made this! Itโs healthy, crunchy, flavorful & simple to prepare. LOVE IT!!! This salad will definitely be on repeat often! THANK YOU your recipes are always amazing!!!
Commenting while eating it. Had a broccoli and wanted to try something new. Funny enough, received an e-mail with this recipe the same day I bought it. Thank you, Kate :) Never had anything with raw broccoli in it so the โnew factorโ was met. Of course the broccoli was the only main ingredient I had, so instead of red onion I used yellow one, instead of sunflower seeds walnuts, instead of cranberries goji berries and added cooked red lentils instead of the cheese. At least I made the dressing the way it was supposed to be made. The final result is delicious! I figure the dressing is the key secret for success here as I read all the comments and while most of us improvised and compromised with the ingredients, the salad turned out great in every case. But next time, Iโm going to make sure to follow the recipe precisely. Because I can imagine just how perfect it must taste when even my half-assed version is this yummy!
Hi Ivana, Iโm so glad you were able to make it work!