Meet my new favorite broccoli salad recipe...aka the best cookout side dish! With a lightly creamy, tangy dressing, it's fresh, healthy, and delicious.
This broccoli salad recipe is one of my favorite side dishes. It’s my lighter spin on classic Midwest broccoli salad, and though you won’t find any cheese or bacon here, it’s every bit as delicious. A creamy, tangy dressing coats crisp broccoli florets, chewy dried cranberries, sharp red onion, and smoky roasted nuts. Even salad skeptics will love it.
This broccoli salad recipe is easy to make, and even better, make ahead. A few hours or a day in the fridge gives the broccoli a chance to soften and soak up the dressing’s punchy flavor. Pack it up for a potluck, a cookout, or a weekday lunch. It’s guaranteed to be a hit!
A Broccoli Salad Recipe That’s Good for You
Broccoli salad is a standard cookout side dish, but the typical classic broccoli salad recipe is loaded up with sugar, ample mayo, bacon, and sharp cheddar cheese. My version is a fresher, healthier twist—I nix the sugar, meat, and cheese altogether. The result is a crisp, refreshing salad that’ll be the star of your cookouts all summer long!
How to Make Broccoli Salad
The first step in this broccoli salad recipe is chopping the broccoli. Make sure to cut the florets into bite-sized pieces and to finely dice the stems. The small pieces will soften more and soak up the dressing better than larger pieces will.
Next, you’ll mix up the homemade broccoli salad dressing. Instead of using the typical 1 cup mayo: 2 tablespoons vinegar ratio for my broccoli salad dressing, I replace some of the mayo with olive oil and up the proportion of vinegar. I also add a few teaspoons of Dijon mustard and a little honey to the mix, making for a light, super tangy dressing with a delectable sweet/salty flavor.
Add the broccoli, red onion, and dried cranberries to the creamy dressing, and stir to coat.
Now for the best part: the smoky tamari almonds and pepitas! They add wonderful crunch to the salad and bring richness and smoky flavor. They’re the perfect nutritious substitute for bacon and cheese. They’re easy to make—toss the almonds and pepitas with tamari, maple syrup, and smoked paprika, and toast in a 350°F oven for 10 to 14 minutes, until golden brown. Top the salad with the nuts.
Season to taste, and enjoy!
Tip: If you can’t find pepitas, sunflower seeds work here too!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Best Broccoli Salad Recipe Tips
Want to make the best broccoli salad around? Here are a few simple tips:
- Cut your broccoli small. Because this salad features raw broccoli, you want to make sure the pieces are small enough to become fully coated and soften in the dressing. Also, when the broccoli pieces are a similar size to the other ingredients in the salad, you can get a little of everything in each bite.
- Let it marinate. This salad is good right after it’s made, but it’s even better after a few hours (or even days) in the fridge. The broccoli softens and absorbs the flavors of the dressing—my family loved it on day three!
- Save some nuts for the last minute. Sure, I like to make this salad ahead so that the flavors can develop, but the key to making it great is the crispy, smoky nuts and seeds on top. If you add them too early, they’ll lose their crunch, so save some to sprinkle on right before serving!
Storage
- If you’re making this recipe ahead, wait to add the almonds and pepitas. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Store the rest of the salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Add the almonds and pepitas right before you eat.
- If you have leftover salad, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
What to Serve with Broccoli Salad
This broccoli salad recipe is a perfect side dish for potlucks and cookouts! Serve it alongside classic cookout recipes like these:
- Best Veggie Burger
- Easy Black Bean Burger
- Portobello Mushroom Burger
- Vegan Hot Dogs
- BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches
Round out the meal with other summer favorites like grilled zucchini and grilled corn on the cob. Don’t forget the lemonade to drink!
More Salad Recipes You’ll Love
If you love this summer salad, try one of these easy salad recipes next:
- Easy Pasta Salad
- Best Potato Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Watermelon Salad
- Creamy Coleslaw
- Orzo Salad
- Greek Salad
- Or any of these 51 Best Salad Recipes!
Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound broccoli crowns
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, I like Sir Kensington's or vegan mayo
- 1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
- ⅓ cup diced red onions
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
Smoky tamari almonds
- ½ cup almonds
- ½ cup pepitas
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- ½ teaspoon maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Chop the broccoli florets into ½-inch pieces and any remaining stems into ¼-inch dice. Peel any woody or course parts from the stem first.
- In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, mayo, apple cider vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, garlic, and salt. Add the broccoli, onions, and cranberries and toss to coat.
- Place the almonds and pepitas on the baking sheet, toss with the tamari, maple syrup, and smoked paprika and spread into a thin layer. Bake 10 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes (they’ll get crispier as they sit).
- Toss the almonds and pepitas into the salad, reserving a few to sprinkle on top. Season to taste and serve.
Notes
My family said that this is definitely a keeper! I made it in the morning and let it sit until dinner–it was delicious! And yes, it was even better the next day–although there was only a tiny amount left, and I ate it for breakfast…
Ha, I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I am looking to make this Keto friendly. What can I replace the maple syrup/honey with?
Hi Carleigh, I think you could probably just leave it out.
This was fantastic! Easy, fresh, and I liked it better than the original with the bacon and lots of mayo. Felt fresher and more interesting tasting. Will make again.
I’m so glad you loved it!
Very good! I just made it today!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Love this recipe! another winner! I made the recipe exactly as written with 2 changes. I used low sodium soy sauce instead of tamari and golden raisins instead of cranberries because that’s what I had on hand. I doubled the batch of nuts and used one tablespoon of soy sauce for the double batch of nuts (halved the amount of tamari/soy sauce called for)so it wouldn’t be overly salty for my taste.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
This salad is a cracker!! It’s so clean and i can literally feel my body saying THANK YOU ☺️ every time I make and eat it. I used spring onions last time as I didn’t have red onion and I also tossed some thinly shredded red cabbage through it. The dressing is delicious. Thank you for such a healthy fresh summer salad.
I’m so glad you’ve loved it!
I love this recipe! She’s right, don’t forgot the nuts. Is this recipe in a cook book? I have the Every day cookbook, maybe I should get the A-Z. I love all your recipes, haven’t made one I didn’t like yet. Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! No, the recipes on the blog aren’t in the books and vice versa (for the most part).
This recipe is the best. I have made it many times now. It’s got the right balance of textures and flavors and it’s all good for you. <3
Thank you for posting it!
I’m so glad you’ve been loving it!
This recipe is the best. It’s got the right balance of textures and flavors and it’s all good for you. <3
Thank you for posting it!
I am in love with this salad! The flavors, the crunch, the subtle smokiness . . . soooo yummy! Thank you for another healthy and delicious recipe!
I’m so glad you loved it!
I have made this many times and I’m always asked for the recipe. So delicious !!
I also add sesame seeds 🙂
Hi Kim, I’m so glad you’ve loved it!
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I could have cut down the dressing a bit but overall it was excellent!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
The family loved this recipe! We used plain raw crushed almonds and cashews and a few shelled sesame seeds with the pepitas instead of the tamari mix. I also did double the honey and added a bit of sugar to take the edge off the dijon. We always add more garlic. And I only had white onion this time. I really enjoyed it! Thank you so much!! We will love this from here on.
I’m so glad everyone loved it!
This is fantastic! I have made it twice now. First time I followed it to the letter. Loved every bite. Second time I opted to not season or toast the nuts (no good reason. Just thought what the heck). So good. This SALAD IS SO GOOD! I am having it as part of my batch cooking/meal prep habits…. Its made my lunches extra good – like with grain bowls or even on top of another salad like the spinach and arugula salad my kids didnt eat the night before. 😎
What tips do you have when meal prepping the broccoli salad?
Hi Liz, it keeps well for multiple days in the fridge – if you wanted, you could keep the nuts and seeds separate until you’re ready to eat.
I’m so glad you loved it and that it’s so versatile!
So excited to prepare this for our Easter Dinner as we celebrate the Risen Lord and Saviour! Should I use dried cranberries that have had sugar added? Thank you very much! Please have a Blessed Day 💕
This is, by far, the best broccoli salad I’ve ever had – truly scrumptious and so easy to prepare!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Awesome recipe thank you for sharing. I tried it for my first time and followed the directions as is, and it turned out great. I definitely recommend!
This is such a great recipe. Thanks! I’ve made it twice. My family loves it. It has won a spot in our regular rotation.
I’m so glad you loved it!
Perfect and delicious. Everyone asked for recipe.
I made it a second time and added crumbled bacon. Very good.
Do you have nutritional content?
I’m so glad you loved it! I’m sorry, we don’t post nutrition facts, you could plug the ingredients into a site like my fitness pal.
Wowwwww this is good. Looks like it’s going to be dry but it’s BOMB. ❤️
Ha, I’m so glad you loved it!