Why do you blanch broccoli for salad?

The short cooking time brings out the natural colors in the fruit or vegetable before they can turn a displeasing color (because no one wants to eat ugly broccoli!). By stopping the cooking process, the color-changing enzymes are deactivated and the vegetable maintains its vibrant color.

What is broccoli salad made of?

What Is in Broccoli Salad? Raw broccoli florets. Yep, no need to blanch broccoli for this salad. ... Bacon. Cooked until crispy, then minced. Raw red onion, also minced. Sunflower seeds, for crunch. Look for the unsalted kind. Raisins. Feb 20, 2024

What happens if you don't blanch broccoli?

You may find that frozen broccoli that hasn't been blanched doesn't have as good of a taste or texture in recipes . However, it's usually fine in soups and stews, especially blended soups where it's not as crucial to have florets with a specific texture.

Can broccoli be eaten raw as in a salad?

Broccoli can be prepared in numerous ways, including sautéed, steamed, boiled, or roasted, but it can also be served raw in salads or with dips.

What is the healthiest preparation of broccoli?

Boiling will remove up to 90% of broccoli's nutrients , so prepare it a similar way, such as blanching. First, get a bowl of ice water ready next to the stove. Boil water in a pot, add salt, and cook broccoli florets for 1-1½ minutes until they're just tender. Quickly cool them in the ice water.

Why is restaurant broccoli so good?

How do restaurants make broccoli taste so good? As with everything made by chefs, they have unexpected (read: unhealthy) additions to their meals — mostly butter, oil and heaps of salt . An excellent tip for the perfect broccoli is the blanching step.

What are the benefits of blanching broccoli?

This softens vegetables while locking in their colors so they stay bright and fresh-looking. Blanching is also a wonderful technique to use for certain vegetables — such as broccoli — that are to be used in salads or crudité platters.

Why do you blanch vegetables for salad?

Blanching cleans the surfaces of fruits and vegetables to remove dirt and organisms and can also reduce bitterness . It brightens the color of certain vegetables, especially broccoli and other green veggies.

Should you blanch broccoli before eating?

Then you can sauté it for stir-fries, add it to pasta salads, or pile it on your next vegetable platter. Blanched broccoli is an easy, healthy ace to keep up your sleeve . Blanching is a cooking process that removes the harsh, bitter taste of raw broccoli while setting its bright green color.

Does broccoli need to be blanched?

Like most vegetables, if frozen raw, the texture and taste of broccoli will deteriorate into a mushy, grey and unpleasant shadow of its former self, with the goodness leeching away. So, do make sure you blanch it to preserve its colour, flavour and nutrients .

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

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