Crunchy Broccoli Salad

This Crunchy Broccoli Salad combines a variety of crunchy vegetables along with sweet raisins, dried cranberries, salty sunflower seeds, and a delicious creamy cider coleslaw dressing.  Whether enjoying as a side dish for dinner or a healthy lunch, this salad’s a winner!

A while ago I published a recipe for Curried Couscous Salad.  This broccoli salad has a similar story.  It was inspired by a salad I tried from the deli of a grocery store.  I enjoyed it enough that I brought some extra home to me to develop a copycat version.  I haven’t been able to stop eating it since.   I’m not kidding.  I made this batch and then made a TRIPLE batch of it a few days later!  And I’m still not tired of it!  Yes, it’s that good.  I’ve been trying to shed a couple of pounds I put on through some recent naughty indulgences and this has been the perfect diet food.  Just vegetables and seeds with only 2 tablespoons of honey for the entire batch.

But I had some competition.  Believe it or not, my 2 year old daughter LOVES this stuff.  Every time I dished up a bowl for me, she came and sat down beside me asking for more and more.  She ate most of my serving each time.  So now I know to dish up an extra bowl of it every time I have some.

I had my family sample the original deli version and my version without knowing which was which.  The vote was unanimous:  This one’s the clear the winner.  Fresher, more flavorful, and without any of the nasty chemicals and ingredients that often go even into “healthy” store-bought foods.

This salad makes a wonderful side dish.  Serve it with anything you would normally serve coleslaw with or any number of chicken dishes, just for example.  It also makes a satisfying lunch as a larger serving.

Give it a try – you’ll love it!

Let’s get started!

Combine all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl or bottle and stir or shake until combined and the honey is completely dissolved.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Finely chop the broccoli.  Yes, you can use a food processor for chopping all the veggies.  I just like to chop it by hand – it’s therapeutic.

Finely dice the celery and carrot.

Finely dice the red onion.

Measure out the raisins, dried cranberries, and toasted sunflower seeds.

Place all the salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.

Pour the dressing over it and stir to combine.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving, stirring once or twice.

Enjoy!  This salad will keep in the refrigerator for at least 3 days.

Print Recipe

5 from 8 votes

Crunchy Broccoli Salad

Whether enjoying this as a side dish for dinner or as a healthy lunch, this Crunchy Broccoli Salad is a winner!

Prep Time15 mins

Total Time15 mins

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 269kcal

Author: Kimberly Killebrew

Ingredients

• 6 cups finely chopped broccoli florets and stems (about 2 large broccoli crowns)
• 1/2 cup finely diced celery
• 1/2 cup finely diced carrot
• 1/3 cup finely diced red onion
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup toasted sunflower seed kernels
• For the Cider Coleslaw Dressing:
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon DIjon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

• Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a bottle and shake to combine until the honey is completely dissolved. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl, pour the dressing over, and stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving, stirring once or twice.

Calories: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 483mg | Potassium: 384mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1804IU | Vitamin C: 63mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg