Easy & Healthy Broccoli Salad (Potluck Perfect!)
This Healthy Broccoli Salad recipe is a lightened-up version packed with juicy fruit, crunchy seeds, and a creamy, slightly sweet and tangy Greek yogurt dressing. It’s perfect for potlucks, BBQs, and family gatherings, or just for easy weekday lunches. It's incredibly simple to whip up, requires no cooking, and delivers on taste every single time.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Small bowl For tossing apple
- Medium bowl or measuring cup For dressing
- Whisk For dressing
- Knife For chopping
- Cutting board
- large spoon or spatula For tossing
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds fresh broccoli chopped into bite-sized pieces, including florets and tender stems
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 0.25 cup finely chopped red onion
- 0.5 cup dried cranberries
- 0.25 cup sunflower seeds roasted and salted, or unsalted
- 1 large apple any crisp apple like Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice for tossing with apple
Dressing
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt full-fat or low-fat
- 0.25 cup honey adjust to desired sweetness
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice for dressing
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds optional
Instructions
- Wash the broccoli thoroughly and cut it into small, bite-sized florets, including the tender upper part of the stems (peel off any tough outer layer). Pop all your broccoli into a large mixing bowl.
- Finely chop your red onion. Chop your apple into bite-sized pieces and immediately toss them in a small bowl with the 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to prevent browning. Add the chopped onion, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds to the bowl with the broccoli.
- Make the dressing: In a medium bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the Greek yogurt, honey, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and poppy seeds (if using). Whisk until smooth and well combined. Taste and adjust sweetness or tang if desired.
- Drain any excess lemon juice from your chopped apple and add the apple pieces to the large bowl with the broccoli mixture.
- Pour the creamy dressing over the salad ingredients in the large bowl.
- Using a large spoon or spatula, gently toss everything together until all the broccoli, fruit, and seeds are well coated in the dressing.
- Chill the salad in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving for the best flavor. This allows the flavors to meld and the broccoli to soften slightly.
- Give it another quick toss before serving and enjoy!
Notes
Substitutions & Additions:
- Seeds/Nuts: Swap sunflower seeds for chopped almonds, walnuts, pecans, or pepitas.
- Fruit: Swap blueberries for chopped grapes or diced pear. Dried cherries or golden raisins can replace cranberries.
- Veggies: Add finely chopped celery or shredded carrots.
- Protein/Savory: Add cooked and crumbled bacon, cubed cooked chicken, or chickpeas.
- Dressing Sweetener: Use maple syrup or agave nectar instead of honey.
- Creaminess: Regular plain yogurt (drained) or a lighter mayo/yogurt mix could work instead of Greek yogurt. Tips for Success:
- Chop ingredients into uniform, bite-sized pieces.
- If making ahead by more than a few hours, hold back some dressing and add right before serving to prevent sogginess.
- Chilling for at least 30 minutes improves flavor.
- Taste and customize dressing sweetness before mixing. Storage:
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Flavors meld over time. Do not use frozen broccoli.
- Seeds/Nuts: Swap sunflower seeds for chopped almonds, walnuts, pecans, or pepitas.
- Fruit: Swap blueberries for chopped grapes or diced pear. Dried cherries or golden raisins can replace cranberries.
- Veggies: Add finely chopped celery or shredded carrots.
- Protein/Savory: Add cooked and crumbled bacon, cubed cooked chicken, or chickpeas.
- Dressing Sweetener: Use maple syrup or agave nectar instead of honey.
- Creaminess: Regular plain yogurt (drained) or a lighter mayo/yogurt mix could work instead of Greek yogurt. Tips for Success:
- Chop ingredients into uniform, bite-sized pieces.
- If making ahead by more than a few hours, hold back some dressing and add right before serving to prevent sogginess.
- Chilling for at least 30 minutes improves flavor.
- Taste and customize dressing sweetness before mixing. Storage:
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Flavors meld over time. Do not use frozen broccoli.