This deliciously easy Broccoli Salad Recipe is a creamy, sweet, and refreshing delight any time!
Broccoli is one of those vegetables that is equally good raw and cooked. I couldn’t tell you which I prefer, but if I had to pick one, it would probably be raw, to eliminate the smell of cooked broccoli wafting through the air. There’s something about cooking broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage that makes me want to bake cookies afterwards to try to get a cinnamon-and-vanilla scent to permeate the air. I don’t have to worry about that when making this broccoli salad recipe.
Now that my kids are grown and out of the house, I get to cook the way I like—meaning foods on the sweeter side. My whole family disliked it when I made meals with sweet components, except for marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving. To be honest, I think they only ate the marshmallows.
I grew up enjoying holiday meals that contained raisins, prunes, apricots, honey, and cinnamon. Perhaps that’s why I love this recipe so much. It contains honey and dried cranberries, making it a bit on the sweeter side. This version puts a smile on my face because it’s like having sunshine in a bowl. There’s the brightness of freshly squeezed lemon juice, the earthiness of sunflower seeds and almonds, and the slightly sharp bite of diced red onion. Combine all of that with the creamy mayonnaise dressing, and you have a crave-worthy dish.
This salad is great on its own or as part of a meal. It’s a perfect picnic, buffet, potluck, or barbecue dish. Serve it with your favorite sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, chicken wings, and fish fries. And, since soup and salad go so well together, consider serving it alongside your favorite bowl of soup or chili. Adding a side of cornbread to your broccoli salad is another great option, especially when you serve it with butter and honey. Mm, mm, good!
Tips and tricks for broccoli salad
This broccoli salad recipe is so good you’ll probably want to make it often. It’s easy to whip up, requiring only 15 minutes of preparation, then an hour to let the flavors meld in the refrigerator. I often make it the day before, as letting it sit overnight in the refrigerator brings out such amazing flavor. You can also switch things up a bit by substituting a bag of broccoli slaw mix for the broccoli.
Additions such as halved grapes, raisins (especially golden ones), chopped cooked bacon, and mandarin orange sections are also good. You can substitute chopped walnuts for the almonds, and even add some pumpkin seeds in place of or with the sunflower seeds. I’ve been adding sunflower and pumpkin seeds to almost every salad I make lately, and I love the extra crunch they bring.
How do I store leftovers?
Refrigerate leftovers from this broccoli salad recipe in a tightly covered bowl or in an airtight container for up to 4 days. It doesn’t freeze well, so prepare only as much as you expect to consume during that time. Raw broccoli tends to absorb strong odors, so keeping it away from foods with pungent odors is best. Always stir the salad before serving to redistribute any settled dressing and smaller ingredients.
Similar recipes to try
If you like this broccoli salad recipe, try our Keto Broccoli Salad for a change of pace. I love this creamy, tangy version, and I omit the bacon but add sunflower and pumpkin seeds for additional flavor and crunch. I also like to turn broccoli into coleslaw with this Broccoli Slaw Recipe or Healthy Broccoli Slaw. When you’re ready to venture beyond broccoli, check out Keto Brussels Sprout Salad With Hot Bacon Dressing.
Broccoli Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 cups broccoli florets cut into bite-size pieces
- 5 tablespoons red onion diced
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds unsalted
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, honey, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper until smooth.
- In a large bowl, combine the broccoli florets, red onion, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Before serving, toss the salad again and sprinkle with slivered almonds.
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