This is the best healthy broccoli salad recipe! With a rich and creamy dressing and the perfect amount of crunch, this salad is made with raw broccoli, mayonnaise, red onion, almonds, and fresh grapes. You will also love how easy it is to make!
Table of Contents
Why you will love this salad:
- The flavour! The dressing is rich and creamy and the salad has the perfect crunchy texture.
- It is quick and easy it is to make. It takes less than 10 minutes to prepare! Plus you don't need to blanch the broccoli which makes it even easier.
- This healthy broccoli salad is also paleo, Whole30 compliant, dairy-free, gluten-free and sugar free. It can easily be made vegan too. It's also made with no bacon.
If you love delicious salad recipes you will also love my Italian meal salad.
Ingredient notes:
For the full ingredient list and exact measurements refer to the recipe card later in this post.
Jump to the Recipe Card
- Mayonnaise - I love using my homemade mayonnaise but you can use your favourite store bought mayo too.
- Dijon mustard - to give the dressing just a little tang and extra flavour.
- Apple cider vinegar and balsamic vinegar - the combination of these two vinegars makes the dressing taste so good! Instead of apple cider vinegar I also love using coconut vinegar if you have it.
- Fresh broccoli - you will want to use fresh broccoli and not frozen broccoli.
- Red onion - this helps add even more flavour to this salad. You could swap this for another type of onion such as yellow onion, white onion or sweet onion.
- Grapes - these add the perfect amount of sweetness to this salad and contrast perfectly with the tartness of the broccoli. Instead of grapes you could add other fruit such as apples.
- Slivered almonds - these add a nice crunchy texture. You could swap the almonds for another nut or seed such as pine nuts, sunflower seeds, or cashews.
If you are interested in all the extras including recipe variations, step-by-step photos, my top tips, and frequently asked questions, keep scrolling past the recipe card. Otherwise, enjoy the recipe below.
Recipe
Healthy Broccoli Salad
Equipment
- Large bowl
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 2 heads broccoli, finely chopped
- 1 cup slivered almonds
- 1 cup sliced red grapes
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion (or more to taste)
Dressing Ingredients
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or coconut vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine all the salad ingredients.
- In a separate bowl or jar, combine the dressing ingredients and stir them well until they are smooth.
- Add the dressing to the salad and stir everything well until combined.
- Optional: put the salad in the fridge for 1-2 hours before serving to help the flavours become stronger and the broccoli to get more crisp.
Notes
- This salad tastes even better if left in the fridge for 1-2 hours before serving.
- Nutritional values are an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients you use.
- Store this salad in the fridge for up to a week after you make it.
Nutrition
Recipe variations and add ins:
- If you are serving a crowd feel free to double or triple this recipe.
- For even more crunch add some cooked, chopped bacon to this salad.
- To make this healthy broccoli salad vegan: use a vegan mayonnaise.
- If you prefer a sweeter dressing: add 1-2 tablespoon of maple syrup to the dressing.
- Instead of mayonnaise you could make the dressing with greek yogurt. Just note it will be less sweet so you may want to add 2 tablespoon of maple syrup.
- For a different taste you can also add some chopped carrots or celery.
- To make it a complete meal: add some cooked, shredded chicken.
How to make healthy broccoli salad:
- Step 1: First, put all the ingredients for the salad in a large bowl.
- Step 2: Then put the dressing ingredients in another bowl or glass measuring cup and stir everything well until it's smooth and creamy.
- Step 3: Now pour the salad dressing over the salad ingredients.
- Step 4: Mix everything well so that the salad ingredients are evenly coated in the dressing. Then serve and enjoy!
Top Tips:
- This salad tastes even better if you let it sit in the fridge for 1-2 hours (or overnight) before serving so it's even better the next day!
- Storage: store this salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
How to serve:
This healthy broccoli salad is the perfect side dish to bring to picnics, summer parties, potlucks, barbecues or tailgates. It pairs well with many different dishes. Here are my favourite ways to serve it:
- Serve it with burgers such as pork burgers, gluten free burgers or duck burgers.
- It goes great with Bavette steak or blueberry pork chops.
- Pair it with ribs! These slow cooker pineapple ribs are my favourite.
- This is the perfect salad to serve with chicken wings including salt and pepper chicken wings or honey lemon pepper wings.
Healthy broccoli salad FAQs:
Some broccoli salad recipes will ask you to blanch the broccoli, but not all. This simple broccoli salad requires no blanching so it is ready in no time.
Yes! You can easily make a broccoli salad with no bacon. Instead of bacon, other options to add crunch to broccoli salad include using nuts or seeds such as slivered almonds, pecans or pine nuts.
No, broccoli salad does not freeze well. After being frozen the broccoli will become rather mushy when it thaws.
Tatiana
Loved this recipe. I used apple cider vinegar and it worked great! So tasty. So simple. Thanks Erin!
Erin Carter
Oh yay I'm so glad you like it!!!!
Lindsay
I'm not going to be able to get Coconut Vinegar in time to make this recipe. What's your best suggestion for an alternative?
Erin Carter
I have personally not tried it with any other vinegar so I am not sure how the taste would change if you do. I would probably try apple cider since I often have that one but if you try another please let me know.