Why do you blanch broccoli for salad?

🥄 How to Make Broccoli Salad Blanching keeps the broccoli firm but the taste will be a little less “raw” and it also sets the pretty green color. This is an optional step, but I think it's really worth doing. To blanch the florets, bring a large pan of water to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and cook for 1 minute.

How to cut raw broccoli for salad?

To chop broccoli for a salad, start by separating the florets from the stalks. Use a sharp knife to cut off the florets, leaving some stem attached. Then, chop the florets into bite-sized pieces. For the stalks, trim off the tough ends and slice them into thin rounds or julienne them, depending on your preference.

Do you wash broccoli before or after cutting?

before washing, you can lose it's vitamins. Better if you take the whole head and put in water.

What happens if you don't blanch broccoli?

If you don't blanch your broccoli, it will turn color and acquire a bitter taste. You can either stick it in boiling water for three minutes to blanch, or steam it for five minutes, whichever you choose.

How many minutes to blanch broccoli?

Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice. Carefully lower the broccoli florets into the boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. The broccoli should be bright green and just barely tender. With a slotted spoon, remove the broccoli and immediately plunge into the ice water.

Can broccoli be eaten raw as in a salad?

Serving broccoli raw is an excellent option, since it retains these nutrients and the enzyme that forms isothiocyanate compounds. Before serving on a relish tray or salad, quickly blanching and cooling allows you to get even a bit more of these compounds.

Is broccoli florets the same as chopped broccoli?

When buying broccoli, you'll have two options – broccoli florets or cuts. The difference between the two is just in the way they are cut. As mentioned above, florets are the top parts of the broccoli, also known as the “crown” where the green and white buds are, and some of the short, thin stems.

How to cut broccoli so it doesn't fall apart?

Trim the stems of your florets to an even length. You should leave about ½ inch (1.27 cm) of the stems attached to your florets. Cutting off too much stalk from the floret can result in your broccoli crumbling apart while cooking or handling.

How do you cut broccoli florets into small pieces?

Use your knife to cut the stem off of the floret close to the base where the buds start. Set stem aside. Use your knife to slice just a little big through the base of the small floret. Pull small floret apart into two pieces.

Healthy Broccoli Salad Recipe - Kristine's Kitchen (2024)

This Healthy Broccoli Salad is an easy and delicious side dish that’s perfect for any summer occasion! This healthy recipe features crunchy broccoli, apple, sunflower seeds and dried cranberries in a creamy homemade dressing. It’s the best healthy broccoli salad recipe and a reader favorite!

Healthy Broccoli Salad Recipe - Kristine's Kitchen (1)

Broccoli salad is a classic side dish for summer BBQ’s and potlucks. While I love this classic Broccoli Salad recipe, when I want a lighter, healthier side dish I make this healthy broccoli salad. It’s a long-time favorite and a reader favorite, too!

One of the best things about this salad is that it’s so quick and easy to make! You mix together a simple 5-ingredient dressing and pour it over the broccoli and other salad ingredients and that’s it! The creamy dressing is made with protein-packed Greek yogurt instead of mayo, for a lighter, fresher salad.

Take just one bite of this fresh no mayo broccoli salad and you will see why it’s so popular. The combination of flavors and textures is irresistible. The broccoli has the perfect crunch and the creamy dressing is just right. When you combine these with other classic broccoli salad ingredients you have a side dish that you’ll want to make all summer long!

Serve this healthy broccoli salad as a side dish with a weeknight dinner, or make it for Easter, the 4th of July, or a picnic!

This healthy side dish goes perfectly with this easy grilled chicken or grilled pork chops. If you’re planning your menu for a BBQ, also try these potato salad, macaroni salad, corn salad, coleslaw and fruit salad recipes.

See over 30 MORE healthy side dishes here!

Why you’ll love this healthy broccoli salad:

The combination of crunchy broccoli, crisp apple, sunflower seeds, onion and creamy dressing is irresistible!
The fresh and colorful ingredients make this salad so appealing. The blueberries are an unexpected and delicious addition. It will be the hit of the party!
You can make it ahead and it will stay fresh up to one day in the refrigerator.

Healthy Broccoli Salad Recipe - Kristine's Kitchen (2)

How to Make Healthy Broccoli Salad without Mayo

This healthy broccoli salad is one of the easiest side dishes to make! You’ll start by washing and chopping your ingredients and adding them to a large bowl:

Fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces. Discard any large stems and just use the florets.
One apple, chopped. Toss the apple with a little lemon juice to prevent browning.
Fresh blueberries. I know this is not a traditional broccoli salad ingredient, but it’s delicious and I love the extra pop of color!
Red onion, chopped.
Dried cranberries.
Sunflower seeds.

Once you have your salad ingredients in the bowl, make the dressing. In a bowl, whisk together plain Greek yogurt, honey, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and poppy seeds. Pour this over the other ingredients and stir until everything is well coated with dressing.

More Healthy Broccoli Salad Ideas

When it comes to broccoli salad, there are many variations on the classic recipe. Try any combination of these ingredients in your salad:

raisins or dried cranberries
chopped fresh apple
sliced or slivered almonds, sunflower seeds or pecans
shredded carrot
chopped kale
chopped red onion or shallot
crumbled bacon
shredded cheddar cheese

Healthy Broccoli Salad Recipe - Kristine's Kitchen (3)

Recipe Tips

Be sure to chop the broccoli small – you want bite-size pieces.
This broccoli salad is delicious with crisp, crunchy raw broccoli. I never cook my broccoli before adding it to broccoli salad, but some readers prefer it a little softer. You can blanch the broccoli by boiling it for no longer than one minute and then transferring it to a bowl of ice water with a slotted spoon. Blanching the broccoli softens it a bit, and gives it a bright green color. Just be sure to cook it very briefly because you do not want mushy broccoli in this cold broccoli salad recipe.
If you prefer to make your broccoli salad with mayo, substitute 1 cup of mayonnaise for the Greek yogurt in this recipe. Reduce the honey to 3 tablespoons.
If you don’t have fresh lemon juice, you can substitute apple cider vinegar for the lemon juice in the dressing.
You can leave the poppy seeds out of the dressing and no substitutions are needed.
You can make this healthy broccoli salad ahead. Once you toss it with the dressing, it’s best served within one day. However, you can store the dressing and salad separately for up to 2-3 days in the refrigerator and toss together right before serving. Once the dressing and salad are combined, the dressing may get watered down over time, but it will still taste delicious.

More Broccoli Salad Recipes

Mason Jar Broccoli Salad (meal prep lunch)
Broccoli Kale Salad
Broccoli Slaw

4.80 from 10 ratings

Healthy Broccoli Salad

Servings: 8 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 15 minutes mins

This Healthy Broccoli Salad is an easy and delicious side dish that's perfect for any summer occasion! This easy, healthy salad has crunchy broccoli, apple, sunflower seeds and dried cranberries in a creamy yogurt-based dressing.

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Ingredients

▢ 1 ½ pounds fresh broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces
▢ 1 cup fresh blueberries
▢ ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
▢ ½ cup dried cranberries
▢ ¼ cup sunflower seeds
▢ 1 large apple, chopped into bite-size pieces
▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the homemade dressing:

▢ 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, I use full fat, low fat will also work
▢ ¼ cup honey
▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
▢ 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
▢ 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Instructions

Place broccoli, blueberries, red onion, cranberries, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl. In a small bowl, toss apple with 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Add to the big bowl with the salad.
In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine. Salad may be served immediately or refrigerated until serving. Once tossed with the dressing, it's best served within one day.

Notes

You can substitute 1 cup mayonnaise for the Greek yogurt. Reduce the honey to 3 tablespoons.
You can substitute apple cider vinegar for the lemon juice in the dressing.
You can leave the poppy seeds out of the dressing and no substitutions are needed.
If you wish to make the salad ahead, I recommend storing the dressing and salad in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. Toss the dressing with the salad right before serving.

Serving: 1/8 recipe, Calories: 128kcal, Carbohydrates: 23.6g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 2.3g, Sodium: 39mg, Fiber: 3.9g, Sugar: 16.5g

Nutrition information is an estimate.

Cuisine: American

Course: Side Dish

Tried this recipe?Mention @kristines_kitchen on Instagram or tag #kristineskitchenblog.

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