Favorite Broccoli Salad
This broccoli salad recipe is the best! It's healthy, too, thanks to the delicious honey-mustard vinaigrette (no mayo). This broccoli salad packs great for lunch and potlucks. It'll be your new favorite!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
Let’s hit restart with my favorite broccoli salad recipe! It will become your new favorite, too.
This is the best broccoli salad I’ve ever had. Why? It’s crisp, crunchy and fresh, which is exactly what I want broccoli salad to be.
It’s also seriously addictive, thanks to the sweet-and-savory combination of freshly toasted sunflower seeds, dried cranberries and cheddar cheese.
I borrowed the honey-mustard vinaigrette from my Brussels sprout slaw, and it plays up raw broccoli’s best features. Who needs mayo when you have creamy and tangy honey-mustard dressing?
The Best Healthy Broccoli Salad
Standard potluck-issue broccoli salads include mayonnaise, sugar and bacon, and you won’t find any of those here.
I included the usual cheddar cheese since my assistant Mara absolutely loved it that way. The cheddar offers some creamy indulgence to the salad, which makes it a perfect transition food from rich holiday meals to healthier options.
That said, if you’re craving a lighter salad, you’ll also enjoy the recipe without cheese.
Watch How to Make Broccoli Salad
Is broccoli salad good for you?
Yes! I consider humble old broccoli to be a total super food, and this salad is loaded with broccoli. Broccoli is a member of the cruciferous family of vegetables, which offer potent anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer health benefits. Other members include cauliflower, cabbage, kale and Brussels sprouts.
Broccoli is also high in fiber and folate. Learn more about broccoli’s health benefits here.
Do you have to cook the broccoli for broccoli salad?
No, raw broccoli is fairly standard in broccoli salads. It doesn’t taste completely raw in this broccoli salad, since the vinaigrette breaks down the broccoli a bit. Chop up your broccoli florets into very small pieces, and you will have an irresistibly fresh broccoli salad.
If you hate raw broccoli, though, you can blanch the florets. Add the florets to a pot of boiling water for 1 minute, then transfer the florets to an ice bath to halt the cooking process. Drain the cooled broccoli well before using.
If you’re looking for a packable, potluck-friendly side salad, this is it. I’ve enjoyed a big bowl of it as a light meal, too. Please let me know how it turns out for you in the comments!
If you’re looking for more pack-for-work options, I’ve got you covered right here.
Craving more broccoli? Don’t miss these recipes:
Favorite Broccoli Salad
This broccoli salad recipe is the best! It’s healthy, too, thanks to the delicious honey-mustard vinaigrette (no mayo). This broccoli salad packs great for lunch and potlucks. Recipe yields 6 side servings.
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 pound broccoli florets (from 1 ½ pounds broccoli stalks), thinly sliced and then roughly chopped (see photos)
- ½ cup raw sunflower seeds or slivered almonds
- ½ cup finely chopped red onion
- ½ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (optional)
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries or dried tart cherries, chopped
Honey mustard dressing
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Toast the sunflower seeds: Pour the sunflower seeds into a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently (careful, they’ll burn!), until the seeds are turning golden on the sides, about 5 minutes. Pour the toasted seeds into a large serving bowl.
- Add the chopped broccoli, onion, cheese and cranberries to the serving bowl. Set aside.
- In a 1-cup liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients (olive oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic and salt). Whisk until the mixture is well blended.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and stir until all of the broccoli is lightly coated in dressing. I highly recommend letting the salad marinate for at least 20 minutes, or even overnight in the refrigerator.
- Divide the salad into individual bowls and serve. Leftovers will keep well for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, covered.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my honey mustard Brussels sprout slaw.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I have made this salad 3 times in as many weeks now. It’s wonderful to see people’s faces light up and hear nothing but praise! Nobody believes how easy it is to make on top of the wonderful taste… I got smart and send the recipe to everyone. Now I can eat it at their houses LOL (I USE CAULIFLOWER AMD BROCCOLI)
That’s fantastic! Way to go, Elvira! Thanks for your review.
Nice!! Thank you for sharing
You’re welcome, Sascha!
Hello Kate and Cookie, just a quick note to let you know this is my most favourite recipe, ever!! I love broccoli. But this mixture just takes it to the next level. I make it every week, nay every few days. There is now always broccoli salad in my fridge, always….
Thanks
I don’t like raw broccoli. What the crap. How did you make me like raw broccoli?? The world is upside down!
This salad is just that good! Thanks for your comment, Tatiana!
Such a yummy salad. My husband added poached chicken and left out the cheese and it was delicious. Thanks
Absolutely delicious. I’m eating it right now as I type. I didn’t add the cheese, and I really can’t see how it would improve in the flavour (I wanted fewer calories/grams of fat). I’d make rbis again in a heartbeat.
Just made this for the 8th time and thought I should send thanks – we love it and so does everyone who has tried it!
Love this recipe. Have made it many times. I omit the honey and make sure my mustard does not contain sugar. We add various toppings like crispy chickpeas or sprouted pumpkin seeds, as well as crispy bacon sometimes. When I add grated cheese, I do it right before eating and it is always Seaside Smoked Cheddar. Tiny amount and it just makes it that much better!
Looking forward to checking out your other recipes.
I’m happy you have found a version you love, Joan! Thanks for your review.
This salad is SO good!! I added a bunch of chopped kale because I was craving it and did not toast sunflower seeds because im lazy.
This sounds amazing! If you use almonds, do you toast them like the sunflower seeds, or leave them raw?
I suggest toast, almost always :)
Love this broccoli salad! Never thought that raw broccoli (never eat raw broccoli before!) will be this good when mixed with all of these ingredients. Kinda magic :) I added quinoa for extra carb.
Love it I have your cook book .it’s much better than w the mayo.
I’m happy to hear that, Robert! Thank you for your review.
Winner! Made it for the first time and everyone including the males loved it! It’s saved in my favs now! Thank you so much, super easy, quick, tasty and guilt free!
Kate,
You always have the best recipes, thank you!
You’re so sweet! I’m happy you love them.
I made this for a pot luck several weeks ago. It was a huge hit. Making it again for our thanksgiving dinner!
Yum!! Just the right balance of savoury and sweet and so satisfying!
I’m happy you agree, Linda!
I used feta cheese instead of the cheddar, this salad is delicious!!
Deeeeelicious!
My favorite broccoli salad. My family thinks it’s delicious. -Rosemary
Tried it with cashews and Parmigiano, really nice, thanks,
Loved the broccoli salad, it’s the best. I keep it longer by only adding dressing as I need it. All round best salad.
I’m glad you loved it, Lyn!
Love this salad – it’s the plate I bring to pot luck dinners now. I get lots of compliments each time. the cranberries make it perfect for a summer Xmas too.
I love love love this broccoli salad! I had some feta in the fridge so I threw that in instead of cheddar, but it’s good both ways! I love making it and taking it for lunch all week.
I’m glad you love it, Kelly! Feta sounds great :)
Soo yummy. Liked by many
This is unbelievably awesome. I made it without the cheese and using maple syrup. We had 10 guests for dinner and everyone loved it.
Also made your banana bread the other day. I added dates. This too was awesome and I certainly will be doing this again.
Thank you for such great ideas.
Thanks for sharing! I’m glad both recipes were a great hit, Jill. I appreciate your review.
Great recipe, thanks Kate. Made a few little variations; added pine nuts, pepitas and slivered almonds to the nut mix, and used grated parmesan as the cheese for a bit extra bite. Also used dried currants instead of cranberries. Yum! Such a good way to get all the goodness of raw broccoli in your diet.
Thank you for sharing, Malcolm!
I’ve been making this for near on 2 years now, it’s a family favourite now and they complain that I don’t make it enough. It tastes delicious summer or winter and I’m sure my body says “Thank you” when I eat it. So thank you for sharing.
I love that, Lynne! Thank you for sharing.
I started a ‘cooking class’ today at the Assisted Living Facility where I work, and to see if it would get off the ground, I chose this recipe because it has a different dressing, and some different ingredients.
I am happy to say my class was a success, and was raved about – yeah! I bet my numbers increase for the next class!!
I’m going to look for a cold pasta salad next. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
That does sound fun! I love it. Thank you for sharing, Susie.
I’ve made this salad multiple times (without cheese), and it always gets rave reviews! Thank you for this easy and delicious recipe!
I have become such a fan of yours! Love this salad. I used cherry-flavored dried cranberries for a lovely different taste. Also used part lemon juice, part vinegar for a lighter liveliness with the cherri-ness. Yum yum! My co-workers were so happy that I shared this!
I’m happy you are enjoying my recipes, Pat! Thank you for your review.
I never thought that I would enjoy raw broccoli but tried this recipe and really enjoyed it. Thank you! I will be making this again.
OMG, can’t wait to give it a try! We love broccoli and this recipe is both very simple and tasty at the same time. Thanks!
This is INCREDIBLY delicious!!! Thanks for the great recipe! The toasted sunflower seeds really give it some extra flavor!
I absolutely love this! I am not fond of the mayonnaise and bacon recipe, I like this so much more. I made it exactly how it was written and I loved the dressing. The only problem is that i ate too much of it.
Its healthy and tasty.Made the recipe exactly as it is.. Came out perfect.
Delish! I used roasted & salted sunflower seeds, and added tri-color slaw (ie: green and purple cabbage w/ carrots). Super yummy and healthy! Thanks so much for all of your wonderful recipes!
Simple, easy and very flavorful. I omitted the cheese to keep the dish vegan. This is a great dish to take to work for lunch. I can also see myself serving this as a side dish in the coming months, alongside veggie burgers and more. This recipe is a keeper!
Loved this! Wasn’t huuuuge on the olive oil flavor in the dressing though, thoughts on trying to sub veganaise 1:1?
Sure, you could try! Or try a more mild olive oil—my favorite is California Olive Ranch Everyday.
Tried your broccoli salad today for the first time and loved the balance of flavors. Normally I blanch broccoli a bit before proceeding with a recipe like this, but I decided to use your recipe as is, and I’m so glad I did because I will never blanch broccoli again for a salad. So happy about that because it’s one less step. Your dressing is also a giant improvement on the usual mayo dressing and that’s another thing I really like. So thank you so much and I’ll be making this recipe again and again as is, i.e. it’s now my go to broccoli salad recipe and no further experiments need be conducted. I do want to try the Greek version as well. PS: Didn’t even miss the bacon.
This recipe is amazing! I made some minor changes. I didn’t toast the sunflower seeds because #momlife #toddlers, I used spicy brown mustard instead of Dijon, and I didn’t have apple cider vinegar so I used rice vinegar. I’m addicted to this salad. It took me 10 minutes to put it together and it’s by far healthier and more delicious than similar salads. Thanks for this staple recipe :)
I stumbled across this recipe as I had not much in my fridge- wow! Delicious!! Definitely will make again.
I didn’t have cranberries or cherries, but the result was still very tasty. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Dominique!
Winner recipe!!! Replaced red onions with spring onions and cranberries with fresh pomegrante seeds – delicious
ok. Im an excellent cook. Decided on this today. Raw broccoli not my thing. Only really dipped in hot water then ice water. Rest is same. Putting in frig for 24 hrs Gave a taste though, nice and tasty. thank you
Thanks, Kate! and greetings from San Miguel de Allende, MX – I made it last night and it was amazing! I sent it to my Recipe group here in San Miguel, and to a friend in London – YUM! Gracias, Jane
LOVE. This is absolutely delicious. I swapped out pepita’s for the sunflower seeds and pickled the onion for less of a bite. I will definitely be making this again.
This is the best! We ate so
Much of it at one sitting. It is absolutely delish. I bought a big bag of broccoli and was looking for recipes. I tried the old faithful recipe with mayo first then this one. There’s no going back. Thank you!
My new favourite salad!! Tastes great and fresh with a satisfying crunch still tastes great after a day or two in the fridge!!
I just made this to go with my lunches for the next few days and ate the whole thing myself. Guess that’s my dinner sorted!
Geat recipe. I blanched florets for 30 seconds. I used Balsamic Vinegar which upped the taste but didn’t make it look as pretty being a dark vinegar. I needed to finish off last bit of a tall bottle that keeps getting knocked over. I used almonds. I also peeled broccoli stems and sliced them and added them. I let everyone put in either the cranberries or cheese or both at the table. Two out of five of hate raisins and craisins. One hates cheese in salads, one thinks Never Enough cheese in the salad. So, that made everyone very happy. We used it as a side dish for pizza to up the veggie intake of all. Will definitely make again!
Thank you for sharing your approach! I appreciate your review.
This is one recipe it’s delicious, my husband loves salads and he said this one is the best I have ever made, I did my changes as I didn’t have all the same ingredients, here is mine, I blanched the broccoli for 2 mins, I used raisings instead, I used red wine vinegar, and an aged cheddar cheese mature 4, great quality Irish cheese and I roasted my Sunflower seeds to strength their flavor. Incredible and thank you for this great idea! I am a fan! Now, I am using kale, spinach, and cauliflower with the same base!
Delicious and easy to make. Popular with my teenage children. This is now my go-to broccoli salad recipe