This Broccoli Salad is packed full of delicious, healthy ingredients like sweet apples, crunchy walnuts, and tart cranberries, tossed in a sweet and creamy dressing. It’s a major nutritional powerhouse and tastes absolutely amazing, and it’s the perfect make-ahead side or meal-prep lunch since it keeps well in the fridge for a few days.
This broccoli salad is sweet and tangy, the texture is crunchy, and everything is balanced out with the sweet, tangy, creamy dressing.
This would be a GREAT addition to your holiday table (it’s especially festive for Christmas because of the green and red colors!), or for a picnic/potluck.
Plus, it’s one of the few salads that you can make, and dress, in advance, without fear of it getting immediately soggy. In fact, the flavors marry as it sits, so it’s best to eat it a few hours or a day after making it (after that, it may start getting a bit more soggy).
Let’s talk for a bit about how nutritious this is. It’s a bit ridiculous, actually.
First, broccoli. We all know it’s good for us, but it’s sometimes a bit difficult to eat, especially raw.
This salad is the perfect way to eat raw broccoli, since the sweetness of the apples and the honey in the dressing balance out its natural bitterness. It’s FULL of vitamins and minerals (especially K and C), as well as high in fiber. This may even be a great way to get your kids to eat it!
Walnuts add protein, healthy fats, and a variety of minerals to the salad, and apples add vitamin C and fiber. With all the vitamin C, this recipe is a great alternative to citrus fruits to build your immune system during the flu season!
Finally, cranberries add an antioxidant boost in addition to vitamins C and E.
This broccoli salad is an immune-boosting, fiber-packed, plant-based powerhouse.
The recipe calls for a cup of mayonnaise, which you may or may not think is a healthy addition since it’s high in fat, but bear this in mind: this recipe feeds about 8 people (you’ll only need a little bit to feel satisfied), and you can substitute all or some of it with plain yogurt, which will cut the fat in half even if you use whole milk yogurt (see notes in recipe below).
And if you’re vegan, you can easily substitute the mayo with your favorite vegan mayonnaise.
And if you want to really be an overachiever, you can make your own mayonnaise with olive oil and fresh eggs (it’s easier than you think!).
The dressing is simple and delicious and sweet and tangy. Mayo is the base, with honey, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper whisked into it. You may want to try it on potato salad or chicken salad, too.
Just whisk the ingredients for the dressing together in a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients on top. Stir together, and you’re good to go!
The broccoli salad recipe seriously couldn’t be easier to make.
A lot of salad recipes suggest that you mix the dressing in a separate bowl and pour on top. I almost never do that- just use one bowl instead of two. Fewer dishes! Woo hoo!
This salad meets the requirements of many dietary restrictions, including paleo, gluten free, dairy free, grain free, and vegetarian. All the more reason to bring it to a potluck or party, especially if you need to accommodate for certain food sensitivities or preferences.
ALSO, it’s a great recipe that you can make ahead of time! Lettuce-free salads always hold up better, and this broccoli salad recipe keeps for a few days in the fridge.
I actually do recommend making it an hour or so ahead of serving, since the flavors will marry together as it sits. And since you serve it cold, you can literally take it out of your fridge and serve it right away without any fuss.
It’s best to consume it within 1-24 hours after making it. It will stay good after that in the fridge, but it will start to become a bit soggy (since the salt in the dressing will draw out the moisture from the fruits and veggies).
One last thing- broccoli salad is often made with raisins. Feel free to use them in place of the cranberries if you prefer!
Also, it can be a bit of a challenge to cut a crown of broccoli into beautiful florets. Here’s a tutorial for how to cut broccoli.
If you need another way to make broccoli delicious, try this Steamed Broccoli with Soy Mayo Dip, this Chicken and Broccoli Linguine with Lemon Butter Basil Sauce, and this Broccoli Avocado Soup.
If you want another cruciferous veggie salad with similar ingredients, try this Massaged Kale Salad with Apples, Goat Cheese, and Maple Vinaigrette.
Recipe for Broccoli Salad with Apples, Walnuts, and Cranberries below!
Broccoli Salad with Apples, Walnuts, and Cranberries
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 cups fresh broccoli florets cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 apple unpeeled and diced
- 1 cup walnuts coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In the bottom of a large mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, honey, apple cider vinegar, and salt and pepper until smooth.
- Add the remaining ingredients; stir well to coat.
Notes
- This post first appeared on Bowl of Delicious in October, 2016. I’ve updated the recipe and post with new photos and revisions.
- This recipe can be served immediately, but the flavors improve after a few hours in the fridge. It will keep well for about 24 hours in the fridge- after that, it may be a bit soggy.
- You can substitute some or all of the mayonnaise with plain yogurt- regular or Greek will work fine. You may need to add a bit more than one cup, since it doesn’t have the same consistency as mayo.
- For a vegan version, use your favorite vegan mayo.
- For a nut-free version, use sunflower seeds instead of walnuts.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Leslie
A wonderful salad! Just the right amount of dressing. I used light mayo, and I also added some sunflower seeds, in addition to the the other ingredients.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Terry
Excellent compliments from every who ate it at Easter dinner
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Nancy
Delicious! Delicious! Delicious! (And easy ;)))
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Sandi
What is the serving size on your nutrition facts? I LOVE this recipe!!!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
I don’t measure out the servings, but given the volume of the ingredients, I’d estimate about 1.25 cups. Hope that helps!
Donna M Seaman
Looks great! I will be serving this with a heavy entrée and would like to lighten the “bulk” (I guess is what I am meaning to say LOL). What lettuce would you recommend to add? Butter? Spring Mix? Arugula? I intend to add the lettuce soon before serving so as not to make it soggy.
Elizabeth Lindemann
I think any of those would be delicious in this salad, but arugula would have a great flavor to complement some of the sweet parts of the salad!
Sara Moore
Thanks! I love how you can adjust the recipe to make everyone happy. We have vegan and lactose intolerant and nut allergies.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Karen
I have been craving to make this salad. Remembering the times prepping at natures table was so nice. Perhaps will try subbing half miracle whip and half greek yogurt with honey and lemon versus vinegar…white pepper preferred also maybe pink salt…I wonder.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Love the idea of using half greek yogurt in the dressing! And pink salt is always delicious. Hope you like it!
Sheila
This salad is a great mix of deliciousness!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thank you! So glad you liked it :-)
Laura McKenzie
Even my eyes feel stronger, after looking at this super-food salad! LOL! Must make!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Haha! It will definitely make you feel like a million bucks!
Amy
Used vegan mayo and maple syrup instead of honey. I didn’t have any walnuts, so I subbed pecans this time. This recipe us pretty flexible and never disappoints!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it, and thanks for sharing your substitutions!
Monica B
Simply amazing. The honey is such an awesome flavor you don’t expect.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Julie
Just made this to go with dinner, and we ate a ton of it, like more per person than we should have.
I used what I had on hand- half light mayo and half fat-free plain Greek yogurt, and I subbed in thawed frozen cranberries in place of the dried ones. Also, I was out of parsley, so that got skipped.
Still awesome. In fact, using thawed frozen cranberries gave it nice juicy bursts of flavor without the usual added sugar and oil you see in dried cranberries.
Two thumbs up
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it, and thanks for sharing your yummy substitutions!
Ann
Delicious, easy, and versatile!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Glad you liked it!
Deb
Brilliant idea! I do not have frozen cranberries, but I have frozen black cherries. Will try that and think it will be just as good.
Elizabeth Lindemann
That sounds like a delicious substitute! Hope you like it :-)
Martha Simmons
I took this to book group and it was a hit. Are used half Hellmann’s Mayo and half Greek yogurt and pumpkin seeds. So pretty and quick too.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Solin
I love this salad very much and I have made that several times already. Recently, my friend told me that raw broccoli might have tiny worms or bugs, so I am not sure if I should cook it first. However, I am afraid it will not taste crunchy. What do you think? I still prefer raw if there is no problem.
Lynn
Elizabeth Lindemann
Hmmm, I’ve never heard anything like that before. I guess it’s possible that all raw produce may have some bugs- more protein haha! I wouldn’t worry about it, as long as you wash the broccoli you should be fine. I always wash my broccoli after cutting it, as I find it gets cleaner. I would NOT cook it first- it will ruin the crunchiness of this salad. Hope that helps! Here’s a guide to how to cut and wash broccoli that might be helpful.https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/how-to-cut-broccoli/
Donna F
I have heard the same. You can soak the cut broccoli in a solution of water and white vinegar and then rinse thoroughly. It assures the critters are dead.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Great solution! For people reading this who are concerned: I personally have never found this to be true. But if you use organic broccoli, broccoli from a farm, or homegrown, this may be more of an issue.
Linda Podewils
Can I use fresh cranberries rather than dried?
Elizabeth Lindemann
I wouldn’t recommend a direct substitution. Fresh cranberries are so tart, and one of the best parts of this salad is the sweetness of the dried cranberries with the bitter broccoli. Hope that helps, sorry if it wasn’t the answer you were looking for!
Donna F
If you have a dehydrator or an air fryer with a dehydration function you can make your own. They will still be unsweetened, but not as tart.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Great to know – thanks for the tip!
Lynn
I had that on Christmas Day. It’s delicious!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Terre
Great salad, and so easy to make vegan by subbing the egg based mayo for vegan mayo and the honey for maple syrup, agave, or monk fruit sugar.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it, and thanks for the tips to make it vegan!
Brenda C
Love, love, love this salad!! Tried four different ones this summer looking for a “go-to” and this is it. Reminds me of a favorite Waldorf salad with the walnuts and apples, but now we have broccoli, red onion, parsley, and a most delicious sweet-tangy dressing. To make it lighter and less dressed I use 1/2 cup mayo plus 1/4 cup quality Greek yogurt. Thank you for a great recipe!
Elizabeth Lindemann
SO glad you liked it!
Katherine Vetne
I love this salad! I make it all the time. Perfect to take to work, and gives you lots of healthy energy instead of weighing you down.
Candy Conrad
This is delicious! The only change I made was raisins instead of dried cranberries because that’s what I had. Thank you for this great recipe!
Elizabeth
So happy you liked it! Raisins are a perfect substitute. Thanks for your suggestion!
Theresa
What is the nutritional value in the salad? Especially interested in the carb count. I’m on a low-carb low-sugar diet, and I know that dried cranberries can add a lot of carbs and sugars. So I’m sure I can make it without the Cranberries. It looks delicious, thank you very much!
Elizabeth
Hi Theresa! I’m in the slow process of updating my old recipes to have nutrition information. I went ahead and updated this one thanks to your comment! Assuming 8 servings in the salad, it looks like there are 21.2 carbs and 10.6 grams of sugar. The biggest culprits are the honey, apples, and cranberries. I think the broccoli tastes awesome with just a little bit of sweet, since it’s naturally bitter. I suggest omitting two of those things, so you still have a little bit of a sweet taste, to lessen the carbs and sugar. I’d leave the apples, since they are crunchy and delicious! Hope that helps!
Zoe
Delicious Happy 4 July blessings
Michele B Miller
I have SO much to do tomorrow for a dinner. Can I make broccoli apple salad today?? HELP!!
Elizabeth
Definitely! Make sure to put it in an airtight container or press plastic wrap on the surface so the apples don’t brown too much. Good luck with your dinner!
Michele B Miller
Thank you X’s a bazillion¡!!!!!!!