Next time you need to bring a salad to a BBQ or gathering, this healthy broccoli salad should be at the top of your list. This is not your typical broccoli salad. It's loaded with veggies like kale and cabbage and is made with a creamy, naturally sweetened dressing. Every time I bring this somewhere, someone is asking for this recipe!
I'm also a huge fan of bringing my kale and spinach superfood salad or this asparagus and quinoa salad to summer gatherings.
"I stumbled upon this recipe around Memorial Day and it was such a hit. I spent the last two months looking for it again and I am so happy I found it 🙂 It was so good!" I added carrots" - Veronica
Why You'll Love This Healthy Broccoli Salad
Broccoli salad is a classic Midwestern staple, and trust me, I've eaten a lot of broccoli salad over the years growing up in Minnesota. As a clean foodie adult, I knew I needed one that had the classic flavors of what I grew up with, but made with better-for-you ingredients.
And this healthy broccoli salad doesn't disappoint. It's...
- Veggie packed - I'm adding in extra veggies to this healthy broccoli salad, like purple cabbage and kale.
- Made with a better-for-you dressing - I made a few healthier swaps like using avocado-oil based mayo (just like in my cashew chicken salad), Greek yogurt and adding a touch of sweetness with honey.
- Quick and easy - Just like my Asian cabbage salad, this salad only requires a little chopping and mixing, and in 15 minutes it's ready to go!
- Diet-friendly - Gluten-free, dairy-free friendly, grain-free, refined sugar-free!
- A crowd-pleaser - This is one of those salads that is perfect for a crowd (or keeping to yourself and enjoying for lunch or an easy side dish all week).
If you're from the Midwest, you might also be familiar with Scotcheroo bars! If so, be sure to check out my healthier Scotheroos next!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Healthy Broccoli Salad
- Ingredient Notes
- Variations & Substitutions
- Step-by-Step Directions
- What Makes This a Healthy Broccoli Salad?
- Sara's Tips & Notes
- Do I need to Cook Broccoli for Broccoli salad?
- Serving Suggestions
- Healthy Broccoli Salad Recipe FAQs
- Storage & Food Prep
- More Healthy Summer Salads To Try!
- Best Healthy Broccoli Salad
Ingredient Notes
- Kale - I recommend using curly kale. You could try lacinato kale, but that is a bit richer in flavor and might be overpowering in this healthy broccoli salad. Have any leftover kale? Use it in my easy kale fruit smoothie.
- Bacon - Yeah, yeah, bacon might not be the "healthiest." But, it's a guilty pleasure of mine and I love the flavor it brings to this salad. Feel free to skip it if you don't want bacon. If using, look for uncured bacon, which means it's processed without added nitrates or nitrites. Preferably look for organic bacon (or a label stating no antibiotics were used) and bacon without any added sugar. Both Applegate and Niman Ranch have great options.
- Apple - A sweet apple is best, such as Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Gala.
- Sunflower seeds/nuts - I recommend raw/unsalted.
- Greek yogurt - Plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt is best. If you can't find Greek yogurt, any plain/unsweetened yogurt will work.
- Mayonnaise - Look for mayonnaise that is made using 100% avocado oil and has no added sugar. Chosen Foods is one of my favorites.
- Honey - I recommend raw honey, as it does not go through a lot of processing like regular honey does. That said, any honey can be used.
- Apple cider vinegar - You can use apple cider vinegar, or fresh lemon juice can be used in its place.
Variations & Substitutions
- For a healthy dairy-free broccoli salad, use dairy-free yogurt (Kite Hill almond milk Greek yogurt is my favorite).
- To make a mayonnaise-free broccoli salad, use all Greek yogurt and skip the mayonnaise.
- Play around with your favorite add-ins. Some suggestions include blueberries, sliced red grapes, roasted cashews (or raw), walnuts, shredded carrots, and/or shredded cheddar.
- Add protein. Some cooked and chopped chicken would be amazing or for a vegetarian protein, add in a bag of thawed edamame or a can of drained/rinsed chickpeas.
Step-by-Step Directions
- Step 1: Add all the salad ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
- Step 2: In a separate bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
- Pour the prepared dressing over the salad.
- Use tongs or a large spoon to mix the dressing and salad ingredients together.
Top tip: I highly recommend allowing the salad to sit in the fridge for a minimum of an hour so the flavors can meld together and the salad can chill - it's best when it's cold! Stir before serving.
What Makes This a Healthy Broccoli Salad?
- Made with a lightened-up dressing using avocado oil mayonnaise and plain/unsweetened Greek yogurt to keep it creamy, but light! It's also sweetened with a bit of honey (lots of the other broccoli salads have SO.MUCH.SUGAR, but not this one). Feel free to use all Greek yogurt if you want a no-mayo broccoli salad.
- Loaded with veggies. Not only does this provide the health benefits of broccoli, like antioxidants, vitamin C and vitamin K, but I added in kale and cabbage for an extra nutrient boost.
- Skips the dried fruit. Classic broccoli salad typically calls for dried fruit, which just adds sugar. I use chopped apples instead for a little sweet crunch.
Sara's Tips & Notes
- Make sure to cut the broccoli florets in small pieces (no big chunks allowed); smaller pieces make for a better salad. Use the florets, but you can also chop up bits of the stem too!
- Toast the sunflower seeds for the best flavor and extra crunch and add them right before serving for the freshest flavor and texture.
- Before serving, give the salad a good stir. The dressing will settle to the bottom as it sits in the fridge.
- If your honey has crystallized, throw it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds, or run the bottle under warm water, until pourable.
Do I need to Cook Broccoli for Broccoli salad?
No, raw broccoli is what gives this salad its satisfying crunch. Plus, as the salad sits, the dressing will soften the broccoli slightly so there is no need to cook or blanch the broccoli.
That said, if you prefer a more crisp-tender texture, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and then add your chopped broccoli. Boil for 1-2 minutes, or until bright green and just barely tender. Immediately remove from water and place in an ice bath to cool. Once cool, drain water and allow broccoli to dry before adding to the salad.
Serving Suggestions
This healthy broccoli salad is a versatile summer side, great for holiday meals, or delicious for enjoying as is for a light lunch.
For cook-outs and easy weeknight meals, this salad is great alongside cilantro lime chicken, Paleo pulled pork, air-fryer turkey burgers, or my friend Nadia's Traeger Kabobs.
If you're just looking for more easy, summer or holiday side dishes, make a salad spread and serve with Paleo coleslaw, peach and goat cheese salad, or easy cucumber radish salad.
Healthy Broccoli Salad Recipe FAQs
Salads made with a mayonnaise-based dressing can sit out at room temperature for up to two hours. However, if it's outside and is hot (85+), it should be left out for no longer than one hour.
Full-fat, plain Greek yogurt is the best substitute, as it will provide a similar, creamy texture. You can also blend in some mashed avocado for healthy-fats.
When stored in an airtight container in the fridge, broccoli salad will last for 3-4 days. Give the salad a good stir before serving to re-incorporate the dressing. To extend freshness up to 5 days, store the salad and dressing separately.
Yes, must make sure it is plain and unsweetened. However, Greek yogurt is thicker, so your dressing may be a little on the thinner side if you use regular yogurt.
Storage & Food Prep
How to store: Leftovers should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container and will stay fresh for 3-4 days.
How to meal prep: Like my southwest quinoa salad with avocado, this healthy broccoli salad is perfect for prepping and enjoying all week long. Prep the salad ingredients and dressing and store them separately in the fridge. When ready to serve, dress only the amount you'll be eating and keep the rest stored separately. The salad and dressing will last 5 days in the fridge.
More Healthy Summer Salads To Try!
If you make this recipe, please let me know what you think! I would so appreciate you leaving a star rating and/or comment below. And don't forget to share a photo on Instagram or Facebook and mention @CleanPlateMama!
Eat Clean.Be Well!
-Sara
Best Healthy Broccoli Salad
Save This Recipe For Later!
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later. Plus, enjoy weekly clean eating recipes as a bonus.
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 small mixing bowl
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 4 cups coarsely chopped broccoli (about 1lb. 5oz)
- 2 cups torn kale leaves, packed
- 1 cup finely chopped purple cabbage
- â…“ cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1 large sweet apple, chopped
- 8 oz. cooked and crumbled bacon
Dressing Ingredients
- â…“ cup mayonnaise (see notes)
- â…“ cup plain/unsweetened Greek yogurt (dairy-free if needed)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Place all salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl.4 cups coarsely chopped broccoli, 2 cups torn kale leaves, packed , 1 cup finely chopped purple cabbage, â…“ cup raw sunflower seeds, 1 large sweet apple, chopped , 8 oz. cooked and crumbled bacon
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients.⅓ cup mayonnaise, ⅓ cup plain/unsweetened Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons honey, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Add dressing to broccoli mix. Using tongs or large spoon, mix until broccoli and all other ingredients are fully coated with the dressing.
- I recommend refrigerating for a minimum of an hour before serving, but if needed, you can serve right away.
- Stir before serving and enjoy!
Notes
- Curly kale works best; tear the leaves from the thick inner stems.Â
- To keep the dressing clean, use mayonnaise that uses only avocado oil and has no added sugar (I like Chosen Foods mayo). You can use all Greek yogurt for a mayo-free dressing.Â
- I like using raw honey as it's less processed, but any honey can be used.Â
- Let the finished salad sit in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour before eating to allow the flavors to meld together and the salad to chill.
- Add some fresh cracked pepper before serving, if desired.Â
Nutrition
Save This Recipe For Later!
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later. Plus, enjoy weekly clean eating recipes as a bonus.
Veronica R says
I stumbled upon this recipe around Memorial Day and it was such a hit. I spent the last two months looking for it again and I am so happy I found it 🙂 it was so good! I added carrots
Sara says
I am happy you found it, too! And the addition of carrots sounds just perfect 🙂
Stacy says
First off, I would like to THANK YOU so very much for these clean eating delicious recipes!! I have no choice other than to eat clean due to health issues. I can not eat any sugar nor mayonnaise. That being said I omitted mayo, and kale only because I can't digest kale and I added a bit more of the Greek yogurt and some other vinegar I had on hand. The salad was lovely!! I had absolutely no issues with digestion at all! Again, I am so grateful to you!!😊
Sara says
Thank you so much for the kind note, Stacy! I am so glad you have found some recipes here that you can have due to health issues. Love that you can adapt as needed and they still work for you. I so appreciate you letting me know. Enjoy!
Melissa says
This salad was delicious and easy to throw together. My 9 yr old helped and loved it too! We used shredded carrots instead of the kale. So good.
Sara says
Thanks for letting me know, Melissa! Subbing carrots sounds delicious, so glad you and your 9 year old love it!
Deb says
If you omit the apple, what would Carb count be?
Sara says
Based on the my nutrition calculator, if I removed the apple, there would be 15g in one serving.
Julie says
Your avocado Mayo recommendations are ‘crossed out’ but there aren’t any notes to say why...
Sara says
The link still works if you click on the link. My apologies it's crossed out - I will look into that. Thanks for letting me know!
Danielle says
I made this for Thanksgiving. It was a huge hit!