Best Broccoli Salad

Meet my favorite broccoli salad recipe...aka the best cookout side dish! With a lightly creamy, tangy dressing, it's fresh, healthy, and delicious.

Broccoli salad

This broccoli salad recipe is one of my favorite side dishes. It’s my lighter spin on classic Midwest broccoli salad, and though you won’t find any cheese or bacon here, it’s every bit as delicious. A creamy, tangy dressing coats crisp broccoli florets, chewy dried cranberries, sharp red onion, and smoky roasted nuts. Even salad skeptics will love it.

This broccoli salad recipe is easy to make, and even better, make ahead. A few hours or a day in the fridge gives the broccoli a chance to soften and soak up the dressing’s punchy flavor. Pack it up for a potluck, a cookout, or a weekday lunch. It’s guaranteed to be a hit!

Broccoli salad recipe ingredients

A Broccoli Salad Recipe That’s Good for You

Broccoli salad is a standard cookout side dish, but the typical classic broccoli salad recipe is loaded up with sugar, ample mayo, bacon, and sharp cheddar cheese. My version is a fresher, healthier twist—I nix the sugar, meat, and cheese altogether. The result is a crisp, refreshing salad that’ll be the star of your cookouts all summer long!

Chopped broccoli on a cutting board

How to Make Broccoli Salad

The first step in this recipe is chopping the broccoli. Make sure to cut the florets into bite-sized pieces and to finely dice the stems. The small pieces will soften more and soak up the dressing better than larger pieces will.

Next, you’ll mix up the homemade broccoli salad dressing. Instead of using the typical 1 cup mayo: 2 tablespoons vinegar ratio for my broccoli salad dressing, I replace some of the mayo with olive oil and up the proportion of vinegar. I also add a few teaspoons of Dijon mustard and a little honey to the mix, making for a light, super tangy dressing with a delectable sweet/salty flavor.

Add the broccoli, red onion, and dried cranberries to the creamy dressing, and stir to coat.

Broccoli salad dressing

Now for the best part: the smoky tamari almonds and pepitas! They add wonderful crunch to the salad and bring richness and smoky flavor. They’re the perfect nutritious substitute for bacon and cheese. They’re easy to make—toss the almonds and pepitas with tamari, maple syrup, and smoked paprika, and toast in a 350°F oven for 10 to 14 minutes, until golden brown. Top the salad with the nuts.

Season to taste, and enjoy!

Tip: If you can’t find pepitas, sunflower seeds work here too!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Adding florets to bowl of creamy dressing

Best Broccoli Salad Recipe Tips

Want to make the best broccoli salad around? Here are a few simple tips:

  • Cut your broccoli small. Because this salad features raw broccoli, you want to make sure the pieces are small enough to become fully coated and soften in the dressing. Also, when the broccoli pieces are a similar size to the other ingredients in the salad, you can get a little of everything in each bite.
  • Let it marinate. This salad is good right after it’s made, but it’s even better after a few hours (or even days) in the fridge. The broccoli softens and absorbs the flavors of the dressing—my family loved it on day three!
  • Save some nuts for the last minute. Sure, I like to make this salad ahead so that the flavors can develop, but the key to making it great is the crispy, smoky nuts and seeds on top. If you add them too early, they’ll lose their crunch, so save some to sprinkle on right before serving!

Hands tossing almonds and pepitas with seasonings on a baking sheet

Storage

  • If you’re making this recipe ahead, wait to add the almonds and pepitas. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Store the rest of the salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Add the almonds and pepitas right before you eat.
  • If you have leftover salad, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Healthy Broccoli Salad Recipe

What to Serve with Broccoli Salad

This broccoli salad recipe is a perfect side dish for potlucks and cookouts! Serve it alongside classic cookout recipes like these:

Round out the meal with other summer favorites like grilled zucchini and grilled corn on the cob. Don’t forget the lemonade to drink!

Best Broccoli Salad on a plate

More Salad Recipes You’ll Love

If you love this summer salad, try one of these easy salad recipes next:

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Broccoli Salad

rate this recipe:
4.99 from 404 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Serves 4 to 6
This broccoli salad recipe is the perfect easy cookout side dish! Tangy, refreshing, and full of yummy sweet/salty flavor, it's a lighter version of the classic recipe, made with less mayo and no sugar, meat, or dairy.

Ingredients

Smoky tamari almonds

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Chop the broccoli florets into ½-inch pieces and any remaining stems into ¼-inch dice. Peel any woody or course parts from the stem first.
  • In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, mayo, apple cider vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, garlic, and salt. Add the broccoli, onions, and cranberries and toss to coat.
  • Place the almonds and pepitas on the baking sheet, toss with the tamari, maple syrup, and smoked paprika and spread into a thin layer. Bake 10 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes (they’ll get crispier as they sit).
  • Toss the almonds and pepitas into the salad, reserving a few to sprinkle on top. Season to taste and serve.

Notes

*Note: Chop the florets into roughly ½-inch pieces. Dice the stem into smaller ¼-inch pieces.

 

335 comments

4.99 from 404 votes (259 ratings without comment)

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Victoria
    09.04.2024

    5 stars
    The dressing for this salad is the next level! Delicious ?

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      09.06.2024

      Hi Victoria, I’m so glad you loved it!

  2. Becca
    08.07.2024

    5 stars
    Hands down the best broccoli salad! Used slivered almonds instead of whole (it’s what I had on hand), and it was still delicious!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      08.08.2024

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  3. Bob Herring
    07.27.2024

    4 stars
    This is the best broccoli salad I’ve ever tasted.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      08.01.2024

      Hi Bob, I’m glad you loved the salad!

  4. Sue
    07.26.2024

    5 stars
    I absolutely love this salad!!
    Will be on regular repeat in my kitchen.
    Thank you!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      07.26.2024

      Hi Sue, I’m so glad you love the salad!

  5. Sarah
    07.22.2024

    5 stars
    I never leave reviews, but WOW— what makes this simple recipe magic?? I’ve been struggling to get my 2 year old to eat raw veggies but as I was making this I noticed her “stealing” bites to nibble on. At dinner time she wouldn’t touch her chicken or rice but had 3 helpings of broccoli salad! Safe to say this is going in our regular rotation. Thanks!

  6. Kelly Rachel
    07.17.2024

    5 stars
    I love this recipe!! I add some roasted walnuts to the dish for a little crunch and nutty flavor. But, by itself its just a wonderful dish.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.18.2024

      Yum, I’m so glad you loved it!

  7. Lisa
    07.11.2024

    Hi! I love all of your recipes, but recently had to go Paleo (so no added sugar or grain). I can’t find a specific section for Paleo recipes ? How do you think substituting raisins or apple in this recipe would be? Or maybe you have another idea? Thanks!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.11.2024

      Hi Lisa, you could just leave them out, it would still be delicious.

  8. Nancy Doda
    07.07.2024

    could i sub broccoli slaw?

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      07.12.2024

      Hi Nancy, yep! You could use broccoli slaw instead of the broccoli here.

  9. Henry
    07.02.2024

    5 stars
    This salad is fantastic. Much lighter that the usual broccoli salad and so much flavor. My new favorite!

  10. Brittany
    06.23.2024

    5 stars
    Do you miss this before hand or just when your ready to serve?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.25.2024

      Hi Brittany, I think “miss” was a typo, I’m not sure what your question is.

      • Anna Estep
        07.03.2024

        I think maybe she meant to write “mix?”

  11. Lindsay Clark
    06.22.2024

    4 stars
    I love a classic broccoli salad, and this one trumps the cheese/bacon but variety! Love the toasted nuts. I did add more mayo (close to double?) as we’re are firmly team mayo around here. It’s fabulous.

  12. Nancy
    06.17.2024

    5 stars
    Interesting, delightful salad. It reminds me of a Waldorf salad b/c of the slightly sweet taste. Nice, light salad. Next time, I’ll cut the broccoli pieces smaller (similar size to the whole almonds in this) and parboil the broccoli to take off the crunch edge just a bit. The nut recipe for this is genius, takes the salad to the next level! I have gotten to rely on Love and Lemons as one of my go-to websites for recipe ideas. Thanks for what you do!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.20.2024

      Hi Nancy, I’m so glad you loved the salad!

  13. YES!! I agree…this salad is to die for!! It’s one of my go-to recipes…I make it to go with veggie burgers because my husband like it so much, he’ll eat it instead of fries…big victory…I often add cut up apple, as well… thanks for this great recipe!!

  14. Lisette
    06.07.2024

    5 stars
    I stopped by two grocery stores because I was craving broccoli salad. I’m so glad neither had it because this recipe is delicious! I love the tangy and sweet flavors. I didn’t have the pepitas. I had Korean bbq almonds on hand so I diced and used those. I will definitely be making this over and over again this summer!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.13.2024

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  15. Nia Jax
    06.07.2024

    I love broccoli, especially in the winter months, when the fresh produce selection around these parts is slim. This salad offers a delightful combination of textures and flavors the crispiness of broccoli and bacon, the sweetness of cranberries, the crunch of sunflower seeds, and the creamy tanginess of the dressing. Enjoy

  16. Sue Bartles
    05.22.2024

    Looks very much like recipe by Sohle El-Waylly for New York Times. It also gets rave reviews, but this version uses items I have in my pantry. Thanks.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      05.22.2024

      I hope you enjoy the salad!

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.