Healthy Broccoli Apple Salad Recipe + Video

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This crunchy and colorful Healthy Broccoli Apple Salad is a breeze to make and is perfect for your fall or holiday table. It’s great for picnics and potlucks too. Make it using a few simple ingredients using my easy recipe (paleo, gluten-free, vegetarian, can be easily made vegan).

Healthy broccoli apple salad served in a bowl.

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About Broccoli Apple Salad
Ingredients
How To Make Healthy Broccoli Apple Salad
Frequently Asked Questions
Variations
Serving Suggestions
Storage Suggestions
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Recipe Card

About Broccoli Apple Salad

This Healthy Broccoli Apple Salad Recipe is a delicious salad recipe with sweet and savory flavors.

It’s crunchy and colorful and comes together in under 20 minutes. This salad is one of the best ways to enjoy broccoli!

The classic Southern Broccoli and Apple Salad have a creamy mayonnaise-based dressing, but to give my salad a healthy twist, I made a light apple cider vinegar dressing which pairs very well with it.

I have shared the creamy mayonnaise-based dressing in this post too. So choose which one you want to go for.

This salad is great for your fall or holiday table. And since it can be made ahead as the ingredients that go into it do not become soggy for quite some time, it’s great for box lunches, potlucks, and picnics.

Broccoli and Apple Salad is super healthy and nutritious. The sweetness of the apples and honey perfectly balances the bitterness of the broccoli.

Make this nutritious broccoli salad any time for any meal, and you will feel wholesome. It is paleo, gluten-free, and very diet-friendly, and it can be easily made vegan.

You can easily double or triple the recipe too.

If you love a good salad, here are some more delicious salad options for you

Ingredients

Apples – Use sweet red apples like Gala, Honeycrisp, or Fuji, as they are sweet and juicy and taste great in this salad. You can also use green apples if you like their sour taste. You don’t have to peel the apples for this salad.

Broccoli – Cut the raw broccoli into small, bite-sized florets. Buy pre-cut broccoli florets to save time.

Carrots – I diced the carrots, but you can use shredded carrots too. Buy pre-shredded carrots to save time.

Onions – I like to use red onion as it is slightly pungent, but you can also use white or yellow onion.

Dried Cranberries add a nice, chewy texture and a sweet, tangy taste. You can use raisins or craisins in place of cranberries.

Toasted Pecans – Pecans add a nice crunch or bite to the salad. You can replace pecans with almonds, cashew nuts, or walnuts.

For The Dressing – To enhance the flavor of this simple salad, you will need a light dressing that will instantly oomph up the taste.

I made a light dressing using extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper.

You can replace lemon juice and zest with orange juice and orange zest. Honey adds a nice sweetness. But if you want a vegan version, go for maple syrup instead.

Others – You can add cheese like blue cheese or feta to the salad as they pair beautifully with the other ingredients.

How To Make Healthy Broccoli Apple Salad

Preparation

Toast the pecans in a pan over medium heat until crisp (3-4 minutes). Chop and set them aside.

Wash a 12 oz (340 g) head of broccoli and cut it into small, bite-size florets.

Bring a medium-sized pot of water to boil over medium-high heat.

Add 1 teaspoon salt and broccoli florets to the boiling water. Press down the florets gently with a spatula.

Cook for 2 minutes. Do not overcook, or the broccoli will become mushy.

While the broccoli is cooking, keep a large bowl full of ice-cold water ready.

Drain the water and transfer the broccoli to the bowl of ice water so the ice-cold water can stop the cooking.

Let the broccoli rest in ice-cold water for 2 minutes. Then drain and set aside.

Make The Salad

Mix

3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoon honey (maple syrup for vegan)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper.

in a large mixing bowl.

Dressing ingredients added to a large bowl.

Add

cooked broccoli
2 cups of cored and diced apples
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup chopped onions
½ cup diced carrots
½ cup chopped roasted pecans

to the bowl and toss everything well.

Chill the salad for 1-2 hours and serve cold.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you make creamy mayonnaise dressing for broccoli apple salad?

Stir together ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt, ¼ cup full-fat mayonnaise, 1-½ tbsp apple cider vinegar, 3 tbsp honey, and salt (to taste) in a bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until evenly coated.

Trade some mayonnaise with yogurt to make it healthier without compromising taste.

Can you pack broccoli and apple salad for lunch?

The ingredients in this salad are primarily raw and will not wilt even after a few hours of making it. However, I suggest packing the dressing in a separate bottle and mixing it with the salad once you eat.

If you are making a creamy yogurt or mayonnaise dressing, then you can mix it in advance too.

Which apples are best for broccoli and apple salad?

To make this salad, I prefer sweet and juicy apples like Red Delicious, Gala, or Fuji over sour ones like Granny Smith.

You can try a mix of sweet red apples and sour green apples if you wish. Be sure to choose fresh and firm apples. Their crunch is what makes this salad extra special.

Is apple broccoli salad vegan?

All the broccoli and apple salad ingredients are vegan except for the honey. So to add some sweetness to the dressing, you can substitute honey with maple syrup.

Variations

Greek Yogurt – Use ¼ cup for dressing. Add garlic powder, salt, pepper, and lemon juice for a healthy, creamy dressing.
Mayonnaise – The classic Southern Broccoli Apple Salad uses mayonnaise in the dressing. I am not a big mayonnaise fan, but if you like mayo, go ahead and use it in the salad.
Sour Cream – Sour Cream is a great replacement for Greek yogurt and mayonnaise. You can even use a mix of these creamy ingredients.
Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing – This is my fav all-purpose salad dressing. It goes well on all salads.
Tahini Dressing – Looking for something different and earthy in this salad? Then Tahini Dressing is your thing.
Crispy Bacon – Crispy Bacon on anything is good.
Roasted Walnuts or Pecans – I like some crunch in my salad, and what better than some roasted crunchy pecans or walnuts? You can use cashews, walnuts, or sunflower seeds for the crunch.
Cheese – A fresh grating of parmesan cheese works excellently in this salad. Blue cheese and Feta cheese also pair well with the other salad ingredients.
Lettuce – I haven’t added lettuce or any other salad greens in this recipe, but you can. Cabbage is a great option, too.
Fruits – Feel free to add fruits other than apples to this recipe. Mangoes, avocados, and strawberries are some of my favorites. But be creative and choose fruits you like.
Beetroot – Boiled or roasted beetroot and crunchy broccoli and apples will work great. Give it a try.
And do try roasting the broccoli instead of blanching it. It will be a very new and delicious taste profile.
In this recipe, you can also use honey mustard dressing, yogurt dressing, lemon garlic dressing, strawberry vinaigrette, or any other dressing you choose.