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About This Recipe
There’s nothing I love more than a fresh and tasty side dish recipe this time of year. I feel like as the weather starts to get warmer our calendars book up with tons of cookouts and get-togethers. So I’m always on the hunt for healthy recipes I can bring that are quick, easy to prepare in advance and most importantly delicious.
I always remember broccoli salad being a staple side dish and knew I wanted to make a healthier, fresher version. This Healthy Broccoli is a healthy twist on the classic broccoli salad and is the perfect side dish for any event this summer! It’s also great as a weekly side dish or meal prep since it last several days in the fridge!
To make this recipe better (and lighter), it uses a homemade creamy dressing that combines light mayo and greek yogurt. The greek yogurt brings all the creaminess you love in broccoli salad without all the extra calories.
The salty bacon and crunchy sunflower seeds mix perfectly with the sweet raisins to bring the most amazing flavor combination to this creamy broccoli salad and makes it the most amazing side dish for just about any recipe. Pair this delicious salad with my Air Fryer Burgers, Balsamic Grilled Chicken, Greek Turkey Burgers, Salmon Burgers or Cheeseburger Sliders!
For more delicious side dishes you can prepare with this easy healthy broccoli salad, check out my Rainbow Fruit Salad, Deli-style Macaroni Salad or Tuscan Pasta Salad!
Why You’ll Love This Healthy Broccoli Salad
- Perfecting when you need something to prep in advance! Taste even better the next day.
- Fresh, flavorful and packed with fiber!
- Lightened up from traditional broccoli salad by using a simple greek yogurt dressing!
- The perfect picnic side dish for summer cookout season.
- One of my favorite recipes this time of year! Great for warmer weather!
- Fresh broccoli florets – Target has the best pre-cut broccoli to save time!
- Bacon
- Raisins – or dried cranberries or dried cherries
- Sunflower seeds
- Red onion
- Light mayo
- Plain greek yogurt
- Maple syrup
- Apple cider vinegar
- Cheese: add shredded cheese, goat cheese or feta cheese!
- Fruit: add grapes, apple, blueberries, cranberries, etc.
- Nuts: add nuts like pepitas, walnuts or almonds!
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy clean up!) Add the bacon slices and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until crispy. When done, transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Then crumble into small pieces.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt. Once boiling, add broccoli florets and cook for 1 minute.
3. Then immediately transfer broccoli to a colander with ice and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Use a paper towel to dry the broccoli completely.
4. To a small bowl, add the mayo, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, vinegar and black pepper. Add a pinch of salt and whisk to combine.
5. In a large mixing bowl, combine the broccoli, raisins, red onion, and cooked bacon.
6. Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and stir until everything is well combined. Best if chilled in the fridge for at least an hour before serving!
Store this broccoli salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days.
Healthy Broccoli Salad Tips!
- Save Time: use pre-cut broccoli florets instead of whole heads of broccoli and make your bacon in advance or use the real bacon pieces (not bits!) available in the salad dressing section at your grocery store.
- Blanch The Broccoli: blanching the broccoli is totally optional, but I highly recommend it! I love broccoli with a tender, crisp bite (versus just straight raw taste) so we’re only cooking it for a minute! However, it’s more than fine to skip that step and just use raw florets.
- Prep In Advance: make the salad in advance so the flavors have a chance to come together. At least 1-2 hours of chilling but can be made up to a day in advance.
Do I have to cook the broccoli for this easy broccoli salad?
No, you do not have to cook the broccoli for this salad recipe. I do highly recommend blanching the broccoli (especially if you are sensitive to raw cruciferous vegetables but it’s not required.
Can I use frozen broccoli for this recipe?
Do not use frozen broccoli for this recipe. You want to use raw broccoli so it stays nice and crisps. The frozen broccoli will get mushy when you defrost it and will make your salad watery.
Can I make this fresh broccoli salad in advance?
Yes, this is a great side dish to make in advance. I actually think it taste better the longer the flavors have to come together so I recommend making it at least 1-2 hours in advance, if not the night before. If you need to prep even further in advance, you can can the dressing and store in a separate container until a few hours before serving.
What is blanching?
Blanching is when you submerge broccoli (or whatever vegetable you’re using) in boiling water for just a minute and then quickly remove and place in ice cold water to stop further cooking. Blanching can help preserve the flavor, color and texture of the vegetable you’re cooking and in this case create a tender, crisp bite compared to normal raw broccoli.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Healthy Broccoli Salad (with Greek Yogurt!)
Ingredients
- 24- oz. broccoli florets cut into bite-size pieces ~8 cups
- 5 strips bacon (60g) cooked & crumbled ~1/2 cup
- 1/2 cup raisins (80g) or dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds (60g) roasted & salted
- 1/2 cup finely diced red onion (60g)
- 1/2 cup light mayo (120g)
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (120g)
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (60g)
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (15g)
- 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
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Instructions
Cook the Bacon:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy clean up!) Add the bacon slices and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until crispy. When done, transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Then crumble into small pieces.
Blanch the Broccoli:
- (Optional but recommended step!) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt. Once boiling, add broccoli florets and cook for 1 minute. Then immediately transfer broccoli to a colander with ice and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Use a paper towel to dry the broccoli completely.
Making the Dressing:
- To a small bowl, add the mayo, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, vinegar and black pepper. Add a pinch of salt and whisk to combine.
Make the Broccoli Salad:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the broccoli, raisins, red onion, and cooked bacon. Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and stir until everything is well combined. Best if chilled in the fridge for at least an hour before serving!
Notes
- Cheese: add shredded cheese or goat cheese
- Fruit: grapes, blueberries, cranberries
- Different nuts!
- Blanching the broccoli is totally optional, but I highly recommend it! I love broccoli with a tender, crisp bite (versus just straight raw taste) so we’re only cooking it for a minute! However, it’s more than fine to skip that step and just use raw florets.
- Make the salad in advance so the flavors have a chance to come together. At least 1-2 hours of chilling but can be made up to a day in advance.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
