Last Updated May 21st, 2023 at 11:54 pm by Lisa
A Broccoli Salad with vibrant colors of crisp green apples, crunchy broccoli, and sweet grapes. Topped with a creamy orange tangy dressing and salty pistachios mixed into this summer salad.
A classic broccoli salad typically has lots of mayonnaise. This no-mayo broccoli salad that swaps in Greek yogurt for the mayo cutting fat and calories.
Make a big batch, it works great for weeknight dinners, potluck picnics, and as a great side dish for summer BBQs. And is great at room temperature, I promise it will be the star of your cookouts...
Healthy Broccoli Salad Recipe
A version of this same salad was published by my Aunt Barbara in one of her cookbooks, Intimate Dining back in the 1990s. My Mom and Dad kept the recipe card handy and made it often. What an easy recipe, with simple ingredients.
This recipe is a modern clean version very similar to how my family made our favorite broccoli salad recipe. Try some of the alternative ingredient additions I suggest for you to jazz it up your way.
fresh broccoli salad ingredients
- 4 cups small broccoli florets
- 2 cups thinly sliced purple cabbage
- 2 cups sliced green Granny Smith Apples
- 1 ½ cups seedless grapes sliced in half or any green/purple grapes
- ½ cup salted pistachio nuts
- garnish: orange zest
creamy orange dressing ingredients
- ½ cup greek yogurt
- 1 cup fresh orange juice 3-4 oranges
- zest from 2 oranges
- In a small bowl, mix the creamy dressing ingredients until smooth. Add the orange zest first, fresh orange juice, Greek yogurt, and mix well with a spatula. Set aside.
- Wash the broccoli, grapes, and apples in cold water. Cut the raw broccoli into small broccoli florets, leaving some of the broccoli stem. Place in a large bowl.
- Cut the grapes in half, add them into the bowl. Finely dice the cabbage on a board with a knife, in a food processor, or use a bag of shredded cabbage.
- Chop the apple into smaller pieces, or shred in a food processor. Add the apple to the big bowl. Add the pistachio nuts on top.
- Pour the salad dressing on, and toss to combine. Garnish with orange zest.
Easy Brocolli Salad Tips, Swaps, & Additions
PRO TIP: To make the best broccoli salad recipe, don't blanch or cook the broccoli! A lot of recipes call for this step. For the best results, I recommend you don't steam or boil the raw broccoli.
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cabbage purple cabbage is so gorgeous in this salad, but green would work just fine. A store-bought bag of green or red cabbage or slaw mix at your local grocery store will work for this recipe. Use good fresh cabbage with a crunchy crisp texture.
green apples I used green Granny Smith, but any apple you prefer will work just fine.
pistachios the salty crunch of these is so amazing, and their green color pops in this salad against the bright purple and green colors! Another great addition to this popular recipe would be to toss in crunchy sunflower seeds or toasted pine nuts.
yogurt swapping out the mayo for Greek yogurt is the best thing, as it saves over 661 calories! This cold broccoli salad is also safe for outdoor picnics as it has no mayonnaise. When the temperature rises, mayo dressings can become unsafe to eat in high temperatures as they are hard to keep chilled.
orange juice and zest bring both a tangy zing and add a sweet freshness to keep the apples from browning. You can use regular oranges, small mandarin oranges, or pixie tangerines in the dressing.
grapes seedless grapes sliced in half, any green or purple grape will work. The grapes I found used in this recipe are tricolor grapes, they are so gorgeous!
Addition Ideas
- Mayonnaise: add in ½ cup of mayonnaise in place of the Greek yogurt in the broccoli salad dressing, mayo does add back in alot more calories!
- Grated Cheese: Adding a good grated cheddar cheese, crumbled blue cheese, or feta cheese would also be tasty addition.
- Dried Fruit: dried cranberries or any dried fruit like blueberries or cherries would be so pretty and yummy.
- Bacon: salty bacon bits or crumbled bacon cut into small pieces would be wonderful with the creamy orange dressing.
- Onions: toss in some raw veggies like green onions, sweet onions, or finely cut red onions.
- Dressing: instead of a dairy-based creamy dressing, you could make a Lemon Citrus Vinaigrette for a vegan broccoli salad. Follow the proportions for this recipe that uses lemon juice. You can also swap in apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar in place of the lemon juice, and blend with the olive oil and Dijon mustard.
- Creamy Broccoli Salad: add in creamy tahini, to any traditional broccoli salad in place of the dairy.
Broccoli Salad FAQ
Yes. Simply prepare all the ingredients, and mix the dressing toss at the time of serving.
It can be one of the most healthy side dishes with fresh real food ingredients. Skip high-calorie ingredients like cheese and mayonnaise.
For a clean light dressing, swap the mayo for yogurt, and mix in citrus zest and juice from lemons or oranges.
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Healthy Broccoli Salad Recipe (No Mayo!)
Ingredients
broccoli salad
- 4 cups raw broccoli florets
- 2 cups thinly sliced purple cabbage
- 2 cups sliced green Granny Smith Apples
- 1 ½ cups seedless grapes sliced in half or any green/purple grapes
- ½ cup salted pistachio nuts
- garnish: orange zest
creamy dressing
- ½ cup greek yogurt
- 1 cup fresh orange juice 3-4 oranges
- zest from 2 oranges
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the creamy dressing ingredients until smooth. Add the orange zest first, fresh orange juice, Greek yogurt, and mix well with a spatula. Set aside.
- Wash the broccoli, grapes, and apples in cold water. Cut the raw broccoli into small broccoli florets, leaving some of the broccoli stem. Place in a large bowl.
- Cut the grapes in half, add them into the bowl. Finely dice the cabbage on a board with a knife, in a food processor, or use a bag of shredded cabbage.
- Chop the apple into smaller pieces, or shred in a food processor. Add the apple to the big bowl. Add the pistachio nuts on top.
- Pour the salad dressing on, and toss to combine. Garnish with orange zest.
Notes
serve
To keep broccoli salad fresh, reserve dressing on the side and pour over or toss just before serving. And use fresh raw broccoli! Don't blanch or steam the broccoli for the best results. cabbage purple cabbage is so gorgeous in this salad, but green would work just fine. A store-bought bag of green or red cabbage or slaw mix at your local grocery store will work for this recipe. Use good fresh cabbage with a crunchy crisp texture. green apples I used green Granny Smith, but any apple you prefer will work just fine. pistachios the salty crunch of these is so amazing, and their green color pops in this salad against the bright purple and green colors! Another great addition to this popular recipe would be to toss in crunchy sunflower seeds or toasted pine nuts. yogurt swapping out the mayo for Greek yogurt is the best thing, as it saves over 661 calories! This salad is safe for outdoor picnics as it has no mayonnaise. When the temperature rise, mayo dressings can become unsafe to eat in high temperatures as they are hard to keep chilled. orange juice and zest bring both a tangy zing and add a sweet freshness to keep the apples from browning. You can use regular oranges, small mandarin oranges, or pixie tangerines in the dressing. grapes seedless grapes sliced in half, any green or purple grape will work. The grapes I found used in this recipe are tricolor grapes, they are so gorgeous!Addition Ideas
- Mayonnaise: add in ½ cup of mayonnaise in place of the Greek yogurt in the mayo does add back in a lot more calories!
- Grated Cheese: Adding a good grated cheddar cheese, crumbled blue cheese, or feta cheese would also be a tasty addition.
- Dried Fruit: dried cranberries or any dried fruit like blueberries or cherries would be so pretty and yummy.
- Bacon: salty bacon bits or crumbled bacon cut into small pieces would be wonderful with the creamy orange dressing.
- Onions: toss in some raw veggies like green onions, sweet onions, or finely cut red onions.
- Dressing: instead of a dairy-based creamy dressing, you could make a Lemon Citrus Vinaigrette and make it vegan and use creamy tahini in place of mayo or dairy. Follow the proportions for this recipe that uses lemon juice. You can also swap in apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar in place of the lemon juice, and blend with the olive oil and Dijon mustard.
WOW! This recipe is fresh and delicious AND nearly every ingredient is a "Negative Calorie" food according to Rocco Dispirito! I'm goning to live on this salad this summer!
So glad to hear you found a great summer salad Jill! It is a family fave I cleaned up...thank you for your rating too!