Broccoli Apple Salad

You can never go wrong with a cool salad on a warm day and my family goes crazy for this delicious Broccoli Apple Salad! It’s loaded with broccoli, carrots, red onion, apple, sunflower seeds, cranberries and it’s tossed in a creamy, tangy dressing. It’s easy to make, feeds a crowd and is perfect for potlucks and family gatherings.

Cold broccoli salad has been a staple in our house for as long as I can remember. We often serve it as a side dish for burgers or grilled chicken and it’s always the dish to bring to potlucks! Needless to say, we have had a lot of practice to PERFECT this easy broccoli apple salad.

This broccoli salad recipe gets dressed with a sweet, tangy and creamy homemade dressing. It’s the perfect ratio of dressing to salad. I hate when a broccoli salad recipe is too dry or too soggy with dressing. This is the perfect amount! In my opinion, this version is the best one around – it’s got plenty of fresh veggies, a hint of sweetness from the apples and cranberries, and a nice crunch from the sunflower seeds. Everyone will be asking you for this recipe!

Ingredients needed

This vibrant, fresh, nutritious salad is filled with good-for-you ingredients that pair wonderfully together! Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

• Produce. We’re using broccoli (of course), carrots, red onion, and apple.
• Mix-ins. Roasted sunflower seeds add crunch and a little saltiness and dried cranberries give this salad a hint of natural sweetness.
• For the dressing. You’ll need Greek yogurt (or a plant-based yogurt for a vegan option), mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper.

Ingredient swaps

Want to change things up? Here’s some recommendations for substituting in this salad recipe:

• Veggies. This recipe would work well with shredded Brussels sprouts, cauliflower florets or even kale.
• Different add-ins. Instead of sunflower seeds, try slivered almonds or chopped pecans. And if you don’t have dried cranberries on hand, dried cherries, chopped Medjool dates or chopped dried apricots would be delicious.
• Dressing. I really like the flavor that the small amount of mayo gives the salad, but you can always use all Greek yogurt to save on some fat and calories. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, you can use red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar.
• Add protein. To make this salad a main dish, add 1 can of drained chickpeas, some grilled chicken, grilled salmon or crispy bacon.

How to make this recipe

Broccoli apple salad is super simple to throw together! Here’s the simple method:

Please see the recipe card, below, for the full, printable recipe.

1. Combine produce. In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, carrots, red onion, apples, sunflower seeds and dried cranberries.
2. Make the dressing. In a spouted glass or mason jar, stir together the mayonnaise, yogurt, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined.
3. Toss the salad. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix until everything is well combined and broccoli is coated with the dressing mixture. This salad is great served chilled or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Tips for recipe success

A few notes for the best broccoli apple salad every time:

• Does the broccoli need to be cooked? Nope! This healthy broccoli salad uses raw broccoli and is traditionally served raw in broccoli salad. The dressing marinates it as it sits. If you’re sensitive to raw veggies like broccoli, feel free to lightly steam or blanch it.
• Chop veggies small. Be sure to chop your broccoli and dice your red onion fine, so that all of the ingredients are nicely dispersed and you don’t end up with large pieces in each bite.
• Favorite apple variety. I personally like to use Honeycrisp apples for any apple recipe. The tart apples pair really well with the sweet dressing and makes for a great flavor. They are also firm enough to hold up to being stirred into the salad. Other great apple options are Fuji, Braeburn and/or Pink Lady apples.

Variations

We love this recipe as written, but feel free to change up the ingredients a bit depending on what you have on hand. Here’s some ideas:

• Fruit. Try using raisins or another dried fruit instead of cranberries. You could also use pears or grapes instead of apples.
• Cheese. Traditional broccoli salads usually have cheese mixed in. If you’d like, stir in about 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese or small cubes of cheese.
• Nuts/seeds. Any favorite nuts or seeds work great in this salad! If you have an allergy or just don’t care for nuts, simply omit them.
• Vegetables. Substitute half of the broccoli for cauliflower florets. You could also mix in diced celery, some shredded Brussels sprouts and/or a handful of kale.

How many calories in broccoli salad

This recipe has 171 calories per portion. Perfect for a healthy side dish, packed full of vegetables!

Make ahead and storing

The best part about this salad is that it gets even better over time as it marinates in the dressing. This makes it a great option for meal prep and making ahead of time. You can be make it up to 8 hours before you plan to serve it.

Store the salad in an airtight container (or a few meal prep containers) for up to 4 days and enjoy all week long!

More healthy side dish recipes to try

Looking for more easy sides? Here are some faves:

• Italian Pasta Salad
• Green Bean Almondine
• Easy Roasted Vegetables
• Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta
• Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Radishes

If you make and enjoy this Broccoli Apple Salad recipe, be sure to leave a comment and ★ rating below letting me know how they turned out. Your feedback is so helpful for me and our Clean & Delicious community (thank you!).