Easy Broccoli Salad Recipe

This simple broccoli salad recipe will give you a colorful and nutritious dish in just 15 minutes. It makes a filling lunch or an impressive dinner side dish. 

 

What is the healthiest way to eat broccoli?

Raw veggies are always a healthy thing to add to your diet. Broccoli, however, can be difficult to digest raw.

Lightly steaming broccoli will make it easier on your stomach. It will still retain many of its helpful nutrients if you don’t cook it for more than five minutes.

The florets by themselves do not take long to steam. For this broccoli salad recipe, I don’t use broccoli stalks, just the florets, because even when they are steamed, stalks are often fibrous and tough.

I use broccoli in side dishes often like in my Broccoli and Cauliflower Casserole Recipe (Web Story), Chimichurri Shrimp Broccoli Skillet, and Shrimp Fried Rice.

A steamer basket is a great way to cook broccoli. It keeps the broccoli out of the water, not allowing the nutrients to leak out of the food. Also, it prevents the broccoli from getting soggy. You want a little bit of crunch in the broccoli salad.

Broccoli has very few calories and no fat, making it a perfect food for any type of eating plan. In addition, when you eat broccoli, you will be getting:

• Fiber
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin K
• Iron
• Potassium
• Antioxidants

the Salad Ingredients you need to make this broccoli salad Recipe?

• Raw Broccoli – cut into florets (bite-sized pieces). To save time, you can buy pre-cut broccoli instead of cutting your own.
• Red onions – you can use regular onions as well.
• Grapes – I like using seedless grapes. You can decide if you want to use green or red grapes.
• Bacon – cooked and chopped. Here’s how I How to Cook Bacon in the Oven.
• Sunflower seeds – I love using sunflower seeds for an added crunch. Feel free to use a different nut or seed of your choice.
• Dressing ingredients: homemade mayo, yellow mustard, garlic, apple cider vinegar, salt, and black pepper.

How do you make broccoli salad?

This broccoli salad recipe is super easy to make. Besides steaming the broccoli, you’ll just need to combine all the ingredients together in one dish.

1. To make the salad dressing, combine all the ingredients in a small mason jar. Close with the lid and shake well.
2. In a large pot add the water and place a steamer basket in the bottom before bringing it to a boil.
3. Add the fresh broccoli florets into the steamer basket. Cover the pot and steam until the broccoli florets are tender 4-5 minutes. The time will depend on how tender you prefer your broccoli florets to be. 
4. Let the broccoli cool down for 2 minutes before combining with the steamed broccoli, red onion, grapes, crisp bacon, and sunflower seeds. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix everything well.
5.  Place the salad in the fridge for at least 30 mins so the dressing will continue to blend in the fridge and the salad will become more flavorful. 

My crunchy broccoli salad recipe has a great combination of flavors and textures, that’s why I think this is the best broccoli salad recipe. But if you want other flavors, there are plenty of other ingredients you can include in your broccoli salad.

• Grapes
• Dried cranberries
• Raisins
• Nuts like almonds
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Diced apples
• Shredded carrots

For the dressing recipe, I use apple cider vinegar, mustard, and garlic. For a different flavor, you can replace the apple cider vinegar with white wine. You can also swap the mayo for Greek yogurt if you prefer.

How long does broccoli salad stay good?

This broccoli salad recipe will stay in the refrigerator for three to four days. If you want to make it ahead of time, keep the salad and the dressing separate, then add the dressing just before serving.

Is homemade mayo healthier than store bought?

Homemade mayo is easy to make and tastes a hundred times better than store bought! Mayonnaise bought in the store is made almost completely of canola oil. This means it is high in unhealthy fats and it is calorie dense.

On the other hand, homemade mayonnaise is made from avocado oil, egg, ground mustard and lemon juice. This is the best way to get lots of flavor in any diet plan. Plus, it only adds about 60 seconds to your meal prep time because it comes together so quickly. You can keep a container of it in your refrigerator and use it on everything!

For this dressing I’m using honey because I want to reduce the amount of sugar. But if you would like, you can add 1 teaspoon of honey and whisk very well with the rest of the dressing ingredients. The taste will have just the right amount of sweetness. 

If you don’t have mayo, you replace it for sour cream or even plain Greek yogurt.  

What to serve with broccoli salad:

You can enjoy this gluten-free broccoli salad recipe as a meal dish or side dish, it’s up to you. Just like a chicken salad or a couscous salad, this recipe is perfect for picnics, bbq parties and potlucks. If you’d like to make it as a side dish, here are some recipes that will pair well with it.

• Baked Chicken Wings Recipe
• Garlic Butter Steak Bites Skillet Recipe
• Portobello Mushroom Bun Burgers with Guacamole
• Chicken and Mushroom Recipe

More broccoli recipes:

• Super Easy Broccoli Kale Slaw Salad: This Super Easy Broccoli Kale Slaw Salad is a great recipe for a Whole30 healthier version of classic broccoli slaw, which is made with homemade mayo and it’s sugar-free.
• Chimichurri Shrimp Broccoli Skillet: Chimichurri Shrimp Broccoli Skillet is another easy and quick one-pan meal for your busy weeknight dinner. It’s super flavorful because of the Chimichurri sauce and it’s ready in less than 15 minutes since broccoli and shrimp cook really fast.
• Low-Carb Broccoli Tots Recipe: These Low-Carb Broccoli Tots are veggie-packed and make a delicious, healthy, and dairy-free snack/appetizer for any time of the day!
• Cheesy Broccoli-Cauliflower Bake Recipe: This Cheesy Broccoli-Cauliflower Bake is a delicious and healthy casserole dish that is loaded with veggies, cheese, and panko. It is creamy, golden, and super-yummy!

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