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 see this recipe was posted a while ago, I just made it – I’m eating as I write this – and it is just amazing. Thank you so much, and I think the fact that I let it set and marinate in the fridge overnight was key to the flavourful outcome. Thanks Kate!
Thank you, Julie! I’m happy you loved it.
I came across this yesterday when I was pulling my hair out trying to come up with an original way to serve broccoli (even roasting gets a little old after a while). We loved it! The only change I would make is to reduce the honey, because I can’t find unsweetened dried cranberries, and it was a touch too sweet when served as leftovers for today’s lunch. Oh, I also threw in a handful of pepitas along with the sunflower seeds, because we love them.
Hooray! I’m glad you foud this recipe and enjoyed it You can reduce the honey if you like. Pepitas are usually a great idea. Thank you for sharing!
My very foodie family LOVED this version of broccoli salad. My 17 yr old took seconds! Instead of cheese, I made bacon (I know, I know) so the non-vegetarians in my household could add it to their own helping. My vegetarian daughter really appreciated that no mayo was used in the making of this salad and DH was excited to see the sunflower seed were still in there. :-)
I’m glad it was a hit with your family, Teresa!
Just made this salad with delicious organic broccoli from our local farmers market (Dunedin, NZ). I didn’t use cheese but added chopped avocado at the end. Super delicious and healthy and specially love the dressing!
I’ve made this recipe about 5x already this summer! It’s a huge hit at home and everywhere I bring it! I use feta instead of cheddar and 1.5x the dressing. DELISH! Thank you for the recipe.
You’re welcome, Kelly!
I make this at least 1x/week! The entire family (including 3 teens) LOVE this salad!!!
Hooray! I’m delighted to hear that. Thank you for your review!
This salad is AMAZING! I made it for my first time last week and my husband and I loved it! It is healthy, has a great dressing, and is easy to make. I am going to double it and make it for a potluck dinner in a few weeks. I’m sure it will be a hit! Thank you for sharing this delicious and healthy recipe!
My family likes this broccoli salad far better than the “traditional mayo and bacon one”. It is lighter, fresher and tastier.
That’s great! Thank you for sharing, KJ.
Hi! Is there a print button somewhere on the page that I just can’t see? Can’t wait to make it! Thanks
Hi Marie, it’s currently not working. I do apologize! I’m actively working to get it back up. I appreciate your patience in the mean time!
I absolutely love this recipe!
A really great, healthy alternative to the usual Mayo-sugar-bacon recipes of plenty (in fact, come to think of it, I have never gone back to those Mayo-sugar-bacon recipes). Sometimes I mix the onions with the dressing to “marry the flavours” a bit. Orange flavoured cranberries also add another level of flavour dimension if I have them around. And when all is lost, raisins are a fair substitute.
A HUGE HIT with my family of foodie critics! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
I’m glad you love it, Lisa! Thank you for your review.
Absolutely loved this recipe! One question, if I wanted to make the full recipe for myself could I freeze portions of it?
Hi, I don’t think this is the best recipe to freeze. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
This is the absolute bomb!! I’ve only just discovered you…felt like broccoli last night so searched your site and found this. Made it without cheese. WOW! Thank you xx
You’re welcome, Kristy! Thank you for your review.
Hi, Quick question: I know red onion imparts a special zing, but I don’t have any. How would shallots, Vidalia, or regular yellow onion work?
The salad is so simple that I don’t want to mess with the ingreds more than necessary.
Thanks!
You can use what you have. Shallots could be nice here too.
I made the Favorite Broccoli Salad. It was good! I love the dressing. I have found that it tastes best after marinating 36 hours. I used the slivered almonds.
Thanks for sharing this!
Laura
Great to hear, Laura! Thank you for sharing.
Fresh and just how I want to make a broccoli salad!! Love the ingredients, thank you!!
You’re welcome!
I LOVE this recipe. I’ve made it for a couple of years now, I’m even playing with it. I doubled the dressing tonight, added 2 cups of cooked quinoa and almost a whole shredded chicken. Was a perfect summer bowl meal and so easy to prep in advance and grab from the fridge to eat. Would make great lunch prep, too. Thank you!
That sounds like a great plan!
Thank you so much for sharing!!! We love this recipe as is and with tweaks! We toast sliced almonds to toss in and we use cheddar that we cold smoke. And sometimes I omit the honey from the dressing depending on who is eating. It is so versatile and so good. Going to make some now for tomorrow!
You’re welcome!
I came across this recipe last Christmas when looking for a different and delicious salad. This salad has since been a mainstay at both mine and my mums house, we love it soooo much!!! I also put in fried bacon pieces and red capsicum. Its perfectly balanced between crunchy and creamy, salty and sweet.
Thank you for the best salad recipe EVER!
I’m glad you loved it, Shannon! Thank you for your review.
This salad is delicious and super easy to make. It will definitely become a staple. I made the vegan version. I love that it does not have a mayonnaise based dressing.
Great to hear, Charlotte! I appreciate your review.
I had this salad at my sisters and loved it. She sent me the link and I have since made it a few times. It is now my new favourite salad! So fresh and tasty. I took it to a dinner with friends on the weekend and everyone loved it and now they all want the recipe too. Definitely a hit!
That’s great, Deb! Thank you for sharing.
This is so now my favorite way to eat broccoli. It is one of those dishes where everyone asks for the recipe.
Thanks for sharing
Teri
You’re welcome, Teri! I appreciate your review.
This is my go to recipe for Broccoli salad now. I sub feta cheese for the cheddar and use walnuts. It’s delicious.
This is my absolute favorite salad. It’s so amazing and if you haven’t tried it yet you should. I love anything from cookie & Kate but this is def one of my favorite recipes.
I agree. I love anything from Cookie and Kate!
Thank you, Shannon!
SO DELICIOUS! I had a lot of brocolli to use, so I googled this recipe while at the grocery store on my way home from work. I was thrilled that it uses a vinaigrette instead of mayonnaise.
I couldn’t find sunflower seeds or dried cherries, so I used pink sea salted walnuts and currants. I thought I bought a block of cheese but it was thick sliced, so I made matchsticks and chopped those up.
I can’t wait to taste it tomorrow after the flavors meld.
Thank you for sharing, Valerie! I hope you enjoyed the entire batch.
I prepped this for dinner and was worried the sunflower seeds would get soggy before we eat. Now I’m worried there won’t be any left for dinner
It’s sweet, salty, tangy, crunchy. I will never eat mayonnaise broccoli salad again!
Made this recipe this weekend for a potluck! I doubled the dressing- I like extra dressing and it turned out well. I made the salad the day before serving. I used Cabot cheddar cheese. I will make this in the future- very delicious.
Thank you for sharing, Kristen! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
Will definitely be making this again! Perfect make-ahead option for fresh, healthy lunches.
Great leftover! Thank you for your review, Karen.
Absolutely delicious! Broccoli salad has always been a favorite for me but I have never made it myself until today using this recipe. I used chopped pecans rather that sesame seeds just because I have them on hand (for your heavenly banana muffin recipe). I loved it and my husband, who shockingly has never had broccoli salad, raved about it. So flavorful and crunchy. Super easy to make too. Delightful!
I’m so glad you love it, Jackie!
Is it uncooked broccoli?
Yes! I hope you try it.
Absolutely delicious. I used pepitas instead of sunflower seeds and also added some crispy bacon…. so quick and easy.. enjoy
Thank you for your review, Mary-Anne!
We loved this recipe! I had a lot of broccoli stems left and a few flowerets. I diced the stems and added to broccoli pieces as you suggested. I had no sunflower seeds, so I added toasted pecans. Delicious! I wonder if it will work for cold slaw?
Fresh, delicious and crunchy. I made this to go with other raw salads as well as some homemade humous. Love salads like these even in winter.
Busy checking out your other recipes now…..roasted spaghetti squash and your lasagna. Yeah! Very grateful Kate, thankyou.
I have made this twice and it was delicious.I left out the cheese.The second time I made it I very lightly steamed the broccoli for about 3 mins as I don’t like it raw.Also I could not get almond flakes second time so I used salted flaked coconut
and that was great too.The dressing for this is delicious and I am making a bottle to keep in my fridge and add to other salads.Thank you for such a great way to cook broccoli my least favourite vegetable!
Wonderful to hear, Nina! Thank you for your review.
This recipe was great! Really easy, healthy and delicious! This will become a regular for me. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Jill! Thank you for your review.
Congrats on the book!! And of course that new family member!
Go girl in 2022!
Thank you, Joan!
I’m loving your recipes and sharing your page with my friends. Trying your recipes is a great way to fill the long days of winter, and I’m all about eating healthy food.
I haven’t made this recipe yet but I KNOW I will – it’s right up my alley. And I keep making the Crunchy Thai Peanut and Quinoa Salad – so delicious! And I requested your cookbook for Christmas from the kids and I’m so happy to have it. Thank you so much for all the scrumptious recipes!
Faye Russell
I hope you love it, Faye! Be sure to report back and tell me what you think.
Congratulations on your cookbook, Kate! I just saw this recipe in my inbox. Does anyone know a sub for raw sunflower seeds? We can only get roasted and salted ones here and my husband is allergic to almonds. I think they or something like them is necessary. Thanks!
Hi! You can try either of the options you can find or omit. Pepitas could work too!
Thank you!
I don’t love raw broccoli but decided to give this a shot – Y U M. My kids, husband, and I all devoured it! So delicious.
I’m so glad you tried it, Emily! Thank you for your review.
OMG! This broccoli salad leaves me speechless. It is so delicious, filling, and easy to make. I will be making this often.
Thank you.
You’re welcome!
Made this tonight without the cheese and used pumpkin seeds as that is what we had on hand. Will make this again for certain, just delicious salad and easy to make. Thank you for the great recipe.
I scrolled through the comments and found that someone had made it with walnuts (instead of almonds/sunflower seeds) and feta cheese (Instead of cheddar) as they had those items in their fridge (as did I). Loved it. I have made the mayonnaise type many times, but this is my new go to.
Made it for a brunch at friends and everybody raved. Next time double the amount they requested.
I recommend you don’t sample this salad before serving! Otherwise there will be none left!! I made that mistake. I could have quite happily taken the salad bowl to the table and scoffed the lot. I keep a hand written cook book that is for my Grandaughter this will be written in. Fabulous.
Good problem to have! I’m glad you enjoyed it, Pammy.
Loved it! Great flavors – perfect! Thank you!!
You’re welocome, Carol!
This broccoli salad was delicious
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Morag!
This was great. Thanks, Kate!
Thank you, Tom!
Can I make this one day ahead for a dinner party?
Yes! This salad is great leftover. Let me know what you think!
I’ve made this yummy salad three times now
A hit every time!
So easy and fresh
That’s great to hear, Carolyn. I appreciate your review!
This recipe is on constant repeat at our house. We love it.
Wonderful! Thank you for your review.
This is so good! If your broccoli has stems, grate them or toss in the food processor and add to the salad. The dressing is perfect, I don’t miss the mayo. I used crumbled feta instead of cheddar cheese. I packed the leftovers in the fridge for lunches this week, which I am looking forward to eating without having to use the smelly office microwave. I’ll be looking for more make-ahead salad/cold lunch recipes for the future. Thanks!
So good – thanks for sharing! I needed a dressing for a bag of broccoli slaw that has been sitting in our fridge. I used this dressing and added the other items to the existing slaw. Very flavorful and we will be making this again! Your recipes are always delicious.
You’re welcome, Kerrianne! I’m happy you enjoy it and other recipes. I appreciate your review.