Let’s hit restart with my favorite broccoli salad recipe! It will become your new favorite, too.
This is the best broccoli salad I’ve ever had. Why? It’s crisp, crunchy and fresh, which is exactly what I want broccoli salad to be.
It’s also seriously addictive, thanks to the sweet-and-savory combination of freshly toasted sunflower seeds, dried cranberries and cheddar cheese.
I borrowed the honey-mustard vinaigrette from my Brussels sprout slaw, and it plays up raw broccoli’s best features. Who needs mayo when you have creamy and tangy honey-mustard dressing?
The Best Healthy Broccoli Salad
Standard potluck-issue broccoli salads include mayonnaise, sugar and bacon, and you won’t find any of those here.
I included the usual cheddar cheese since my assistant Mara absolutely loved it that way. The cheddar offers some creamy indulgence to the salad, which makes it a perfect transition food from rich holiday meals to healthier options.
That said, if you’re craving a lighter salad, you’ll also enjoy the recipe without cheese.
Watch How to Make Broccoli Salad
Is broccoli salad good for you?
Yes! I consider humble old broccoli to be a total super food, and this salad is loaded with broccoli. Broccoli is a member of the cruciferous family of vegetables, which offer potent anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer health benefits. Other members include cauliflower, cabbage, kale and Brussels sprouts.
Broccoli is also high in fiber and folate. Learn more about broccoli’s health benefits here.
Do you have to cook the broccoli for broccoli salad?
No, raw broccoli is fairly standard in broccoli salads. It doesn’t taste completely raw in this broccoli salad, since the vinaigrette breaks down the broccoli a bit. Chop up your broccoli florets into very small pieces, and you will have an irresistibly fresh broccoli salad.
If you hate raw broccoli, though, you can blanch the florets. Add the florets to a pot of boiling water for 1 minute, then transfer the florets to an ice bath to halt the cooking process. Drain the cooled broccoli well before using.
If you’re looking for a packable, potluck-friendly side salad, this is it. I’ve enjoyed a big bowl of it as a light meal, too. Please let me know how it turns out for you in the comments!
If you’re looking for more pack-for-work options, I’ve got you covered right here.
Craving more broccoli? Don’t miss these recipes:
Favorite Broccoli Salad
- Author:
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes (plus 20 minutes marinating time)
- Yield: 6 side servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: By hand
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
This broccoli salad recipe is the best! It’s healthy, too, thanks to the delicious honey-mustard vinaigrette (no mayo). This broccoli salad packs great for lunch and potlucks. Recipe yields 6 side servings.
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 pound broccoli florets (from 1 ½ pounds broccoli stalks), thinly sliced and then roughly chopped (see photos)
- ½ cup raw sunflower seeds or slivered almonds
- ½ cup finely chopped red onion
- ½ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (optional)
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries or dried tart cherries, chopped
Honey mustard dressing
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Toast the sunflower seeds: Pour the sunflower seeds into a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently (careful, they’ll burn!), until the seeds are turning golden on the sides, about 5 minutes. Pour the toasted seeds into a large serving bowl.
- Add the chopped broccoli, onion, cheese and cranberries to the serving bowl. Set aside.
- In a 1-cup liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients (olive oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic and salt). Whisk until the mixture is well blended.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and stir until all of the broccoli is lightly coated in dressing. I highly recommend letting the salad marinate for at least 20 minutes, or even overnight in the refrigerator.
- Divide the salad into individual bowls and serve. Leftovers will keep well for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, covered.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my honey mustard Brussels sprout slaw.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Julie
I see this recipe was posted a while ago, I just made it – I’m eating as I write this – and it is just amazing. Thank you so much, and I think the fact that I let it set and marinate in the fridge overnight was key to the flavourful outcome. Thanks Kate!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Julie! I’m happy you loved it.
Denise
I came across this yesterday when I was pulling my hair out trying to come up with an original way to serve broccoli (even roasting gets a little old after a while). We loved it! The only change I would make is to reduce the honey, because I can’t find unsweetened dried cranberries, and it was a touch too sweet when served as leftovers for today’s lunch. Oh, I also threw in a handful of pepitas along with the sunflower seeds, because we love them.
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! I’m glad you foud this recipe and enjoyed it You can reduce the honey if you like. Pepitas are usually a great idea. Thank you for sharing!
Teresa
My very foodie family LOVED this version of broccoli salad. My 17 yr old took seconds! Instead of cheese, I made bacon (I know, I know) so the non-vegetarians in my household could add it to their own helping. My vegetarian daughter really appreciated that no mayo was used in the making of this salad and DH was excited to see the sunflower seed were still in there. :-)
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad it was a hit with your family, Teresa!
Caroline
Just made this salad with delicious organic broccoli from our local farmers market (Dunedin, NZ). I didn’t use cheese but added chopped avocado at the end. Super delicious and healthy and specially love the dressing!
★★★★★
Kelly
I’ve made this recipe about 5x already this summer! It’s a huge hit at home and everywhere I bring it! I use feta instead of cheddar and 1.5x the dressing. DELISH! Thank you for the recipe.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Kelly!
DomesticRuby
I make this at least 1x/week! The entire family (including 3 teens) LOVE this salad!!!
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! I’m delighted to hear that. Thank you for your review!
Jill
This salad is AMAZING! I made it for my first time last week and my husband and I loved it! It is healthy, has a great dressing, and is easy to make. I am going to double it and make it for a potluck dinner in a few weeks. I’m sure it will be a hit! Thank you for sharing this delicious and healthy recipe!
★★★★★
Kj Smith
My family likes this broccoli salad far better than the “traditional mayo and bacon one”. It is lighter, fresher and tastier.
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great! Thank you for sharing, KJ.
Marie
Hi! Is there a print button somewhere on the page that I just can’t see? Can’t wait to make it! Thanks
Kate
Hi Marie, it’s currently not working. I do apologize! I’m actively working to get it back up. I appreciate your patience in the mean time!
Lisa
I absolutely love this recipe!
A really great, healthy alternative to the usual Mayo-sugar-bacon recipes of plenty (in fact, come to think of it, I have never gone back to those Mayo-sugar-bacon recipes). Sometimes I mix the onions with the dressing to “marry the flavours” a bit. Orange flavoured cranberries also add another level of flavour dimension if I have them around. And when all is lost, raisins are a fair substitute.
A HUGE HIT with my family of foodie critics! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you love it, Lisa! Thank you for your review.
Deborah Ann Malacaso
Absolutely loved this recipe! One question, if I wanted to make the full recipe for myself could I freeze portions of it?
★★★★★
Kate
Hi, I don’t think this is the best recipe to freeze. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Kristy
This is the absolute bomb!! I’ve only just discovered you…felt like broccoli last night so searched your site and found this. Made it without cheese. WOW! Thank you xx
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Kristy! Thank you for your review.
Laura Depolo
I made the Favorite Broccoli Salad. It was good! I love the dressing. I have found that it tastes best after marinating 36 hours. I used the slivered almonds.
Thanks for sharing this!
Laura
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Laura! Thank you for sharing.
TERI BENNETT
Fresh and just how I want to make a broccoli salad!! Love the ingredients, thank you!!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome!
Dale
I LOVE this recipe. I’ve made it for a couple of years now, I’m even playing with it. I doubled the dressing tonight, added 2 cups of cooked quinoa and almost a whole shredded chicken. Was a perfect summer bowl meal and so easy to prep in advance and grab from the fridge to eat. Would make great lunch prep, too. Thank you!
Gail
That sounds like a great plan!
Joan
Thank you so much for sharing!!! We love this recipe as is and with tweaks! We toast sliced almonds to toss in and we use cheddar that we cold smoke. And sometimes I omit the honey from the dressing depending on who is eating. It is so versatile and so good. Going to make some now for tomorrow!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome!
Shannon Hassell
I came across this recipe last Christmas when looking for a different and delicious salad. This salad has since been a mainstay at both mine and my mums house, we love it soooo much!!! I also put in fried bacon pieces and red capsicum. Its perfectly balanced between crunchy and creamy, salty and sweet.
Thank you for the best salad recipe EVER!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Shannon! Thank you for your review.
Charlotte Teneback
This salad is delicious and super easy to make. It will definitely become a staple. I made the vegan version. I love that it does not have a mayonnaise based dressing.
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Charlotte! I appreciate your review.
Deb
I had this salad at my sisters and loved it. She sent me the link and I have since made it a few times. It is now my new favourite salad! So fresh and tasty. I took it to a dinner with friends on the weekend and everyone loved it and now they all want the recipe too. Definitely a hit!
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great, Deb! Thank you for sharing.
teri jones
This is so now my favorite way to eat broccoli. It is one of those dishes where everyone asks for the recipe.
Thanks for sharing
Teri
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Teri! I appreciate your review.
Amanda
This is my go to recipe for Broccoli salad now. I sub feta cheese for the cheddar and use walnuts. It’s delicious.
★★★★★
Allie
This is my absolute favorite salad. It’s so amazing and if you haven’t tried it yet you should. I love anything from cookie & Kate but this is def one of my favorite recipes.
★★★★★
shannon
I agree. I love anything from Cookie and Kate!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Shannon!
Valerie
SO DELICIOUS! I had a lot of brocolli to use, so I googled this recipe while at the grocery store on my way home from work. I was thrilled that it uses a vinaigrette instead of mayonnaise.
I couldn’t find sunflower seeds or dried cherries, so I used pink sea salted walnuts and currants. I thought I bought a block of cheese but it was thick sliced, so I made matchsticks and chopped those up.
I can’t wait to taste it tomorrow after the flavors meld.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Valerie! I hope you enjoyed the entire batch.
Lindsey
I prepped this for dinner and was worried the sunflower seeds would get soggy before we eat. Now I’m worried there won’t be any left for dinner
It’s sweet, salty, tangy, crunchy. I will never eat mayonnaise broccoli salad again!
★★★★★
Kristen B
Made this recipe this weekend for a potluck! I doubled the dressing- I like extra dressing and it turned out well. I made the salad the day before serving. I used Cabot cheddar cheese. I will make this in the future- very delicious.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Kristen! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
Karen
Will definitely be making this again! Perfect make-ahead option for fresh, healthy lunches.
★★★★★
Kate
Great leftover! Thank you for your review, Karen.
Jackie
Absolutely delicious! Broccoli salad has always been a favorite for me but I have never made it myself until today using this recipe. I used chopped pecans rather that sesame seeds just because I have them on hand (for your heavenly banana muffin recipe). I loved it and my husband, who shockingly has never had broccoli salad, raved about it. So flavorful and crunchy. Super easy to make too. Delightful!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m so glad you love it, Jackie!
Nandita
Is it uncooked broccoli?
Kate
Yes! I hope you try it.
Mary-Anne
Absolutely delicious. I used pepitas instead of sunflower seeds and also added some crispy bacon…. so quick and easy.. enjoy
★★★★
Kate
Thank you for your review, Mary-Anne!
Raquel Bravo
We loved this recipe! I had a lot of broccoli stems left and a few flowerets. I diced the stems and added to broccoli pieces as you suggested. I had no sunflower seeds, so I added toasted pecans. Delicious! I wonder if it will work for cold slaw?
★★★★★
Mary Hall
Fresh, delicious and crunchy. I made this to go with other raw salads as well as some homemade humous. Love salads like these even in winter.
Busy checking out your other recipes now…..roasted spaghetti squash and your lasagna. Yeah! Very grateful Kate, thankyou.
★★★★★
Nina Green
I have made this twice and it was delicious.I left out the cheese.The second time I made it I very lightly steamed the broccoli for about 3 mins as I don’t like it raw.Also I could not get almond flakes second time so I used salted flaked coconut
and that was great too.The dressing for this is delicious and I am making a bottle to keep in my fridge and add to other salads.Thank you for such a great way to cook broccoli my least favourite vegetable!
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful to hear, Nina! Thank you for your review.
Jill
This recipe was great! Really easy, healthy and delicious! This will become a regular for me. Thank you.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Jill! Thank you for your review.
Joan A Deja
Congrats on the book!! And of course that new family member!
Go girl in 2022!
Kate
Thank you, Joan!
Judy
I’m loving your recipes and sharing your page with my friends. Trying your recipes is a great way to fill the long days of winter, and I’m all about eating healthy food.
Faye Russell
I haven’t made this recipe yet but I KNOW I will – it’s right up my alley. And I keep making the Crunchy Thai Peanut and Quinoa Salad – so delicious! And I requested your cookbook for Christmas from the kids and I’m so happy to have it. Thank you so much for all the scrumptious recipes!
Faye Russell
Kate
I hope you love it, Faye! Be sure to report back and tell me what you think.
Joan
Congratulations on your cookbook, Kate! I just saw this recipe in my inbox. Does anyone know a sub for raw sunflower seeds? We can only get roasted and salted ones here and my husband is allergic to almonds. I think they or something like them is necessary. Thanks!
Kate
Hi! You can try either of the options you can find or omit. Pepitas could work too!
Joan
Thank you!
Emily
I don’t love raw broccoli but decided to give this a shot – Y U M. My kids, husband, and I all devoured it! So delicious.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m so glad you tried it, Emily! Thank you for your review.
D. Stowe
OMG! This broccoli salad leaves me speechless. It is so delicious, filling, and easy to make. I will be making this often.
Thank you.
Kate
You’re welcome!
JacquieB
Made this tonight without the cheese and used pumpkin seeds as that is what we had on hand. Will make this again for certain, just delicious salad and easy to make. Thank you for the great recipe.
★★★★★
Anita from Vancouver BC
I scrolled through the comments and found that someone had made it with walnuts (instead of almonds/sunflower seeds) and feta cheese (Instead of cheddar) as they had those items in their fridge (as did I). Loved it. I have made the mayonnaise type many times, but this is my new go to.
★★★★★
Bette
Made it for a brunch at friends and everybody raved. Next time double the amount they requested.
★★★★★
Pammy Mac
I recommend you don’t sample this salad before serving! Otherwise there will be none left!! I made that mistake. I could have quite happily taken the salad bowl to the table and scoffed the lot. I keep a hand written cook book that is for my Grandaughter this will be written in. Fabulous.
★★★★★
Kate
Good problem to have! I’m glad you enjoyed it, Pammy.
Carol Brogren
Loved it! Great flavors – perfect! Thank you!!
Kate
You’re welocome, Carol!
Morag
This broccoli salad was delicious
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Morag!
Tom
This was great. Thanks, Kate!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Tom!
Lindsay Eakin
Can I make this one day ahead for a dinner party?
Kate
Yes! This salad is great leftover. Let me know what you think!
Carolyn
I’ve made this yummy salad three times now
A hit every time!
So easy and fresh
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great to hear, Carolyn. I appreciate your review!
Mimi Koral
This recipe is on constant repeat at our house. We love it.
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful! Thank you for your review.
Lauren
This is so good! If your broccoli has stems, grate them or toss in the food processor and add to the salad. The dressing is perfect, I don’t miss the mayo. I used crumbled feta instead of cheddar cheese. I packed the leftovers in the fridge for lunches this week, which I am looking forward to eating without having to use the smelly office microwave. I’ll be looking for more make-ahead salad/cold lunch recipes for the future. Thanks!
★★★★★
Kerrianne
So good – thanks for sharing! I needed a dressing for a bag of broccoli slaw that has been sitting in our fridge. I used this dressing and added the other items to the existing slaw. Very flavorful and we will be making this again! Your recipes are always delicious.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Kerrianne! I’m happy you enjoy it and other recipes. I appreciate your review.
Naima
Do you cook the brocoli?
Kate
No need to!
Bonnie Arriaga
Wow was this good! I’ll be honest, I love broccoli salad with mayo, sugar and bacon, so I had reservations. But I am eating healthier now, and decided to try your recipe because I use so many of your delicious recipes. I didn’t have sunflower seeds so rough chopped almonds I had roasted. This is so fresh, crunchy and just enough sweet from the honey and craisins. And my vegetarian daughter could eat it and she loved it too! This is a keeper! Thank you,!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Bonnie! Thank you for your review.
RK
Is amazing! Made a few modifications but overall recipe fairly similar. Be aware, if you put nuts in the salad and put it in the fridge. They won’t be as crunchy. I’d suggest waiting to add them until your ready to eat!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, RK! I appreciate your review.
Vanessa Mann
Delicious! Definitely recommend letting salad sit for at least a few hours before eating it
Cheese is a delicious addition
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Vanessa! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Nessa Auntie
Excellent dressing, I decreased the olive oil to 1/4 cup and added a few tablespoons of mayo. I don’t care for dressings that are mayo-heavy and this one was perfect.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Nessa! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Kate
Have been making this salad for nearly 4 years now and we still love it! Also keeps well in the fridge, which is a bonus!
★★★★★
Kate
I love to hear that, Kate! Thank you for your review.
Lucy
Yet again, another wonderful Cookie + Kate recipe! I had lots of shredded Parmesan cheese so I replaced the cheddar for the parm. I thought it tasted great! Also, my family and I all swore we could taste bacon in the salad but of course it wasn’t in there. What a score! Tasting bacon without any of its drawbacks!
★★★★★
Oghor
I tried it and it was totally worth it. Thank you.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Oghor!
Sophie
This was great! Loved the contrast between salty and umami from cheese, the crunchiness from broccoli and nuts or seeds and sweet from cranberries and tart sweetness from dressing. We added some shredded carrots which enhanced the colors, too.
★★★★★
Marjey
Amazing!! At a picnic yesterday, we ate traditional, mayo-laden broccoli salad that tasted good, but left me wanting a healthier alternative. I had a 2 pound bag of broccoli from Costco and put it to good use in your recipe. It was a hit with my husband and me! I’ll be making this frequently. Thank you for all your great recipes. You are my go-to recipe website!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Marjey! I’m glad you found a use for it. I appreciate your review.
Helen
I made this today. It’s delicious. Lovely crunchy texture with a little bit of sweetness. A great way to eat broccoli!
Judith
Hi! I’ve tried some of your recipes and they’re great. I’m also a food writer and “new” cookbook author but needed to try something a bit different to entice hubby to eat his broccoli. So many of the broccoli salad recipes are full of mayo and too sweet. I prepared yours exactly as written using toasted sliced almonds. It was delicious and even better the next day. I plan to post my photo of your recipe with a link directly to this page and attribution to you. Thanks for the easy tasty healthy recipe. https://kitchenmaven.org
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Judith! I appreciate your review.
Maraina
Could I use purple cauliflower in part of this recipe instead of broccoli? (So broccoli+purple cauliflower as I’m growing both of them!)
And if I could, should I roast the cauliflower a bit?
Kate
I find this works best, but it may be interesting with cauliflower. Let me know if you try it! I have had a roasted cauliflower and potato salad before, and didn’t mind it. I haven’t tried it with this method,though.
Mahesha
So delicious! I make this all the time and it’s always a hit. Thank you Kate :)
Kate
You’re welcome! Thank you for your review.
Tara
OMG so delicious!! Ate it as main course!!
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great to hear, Tara! Thank you for your review.
Bette Lubin
Just put “Favorite Broccoli Salad” in the fridge for a party I’m going too this evening. Everyone can bring what they want but I have to bring my salad. Everyone loves it. I double the recipe. Great recipe.Sometimes I change the nuts or seeds but never the cranberries and no cheese.
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful, Bette! I appreciate your review.
R. Morgan
I love this receipe. I’ve shared the link to it to family and friends who also love it. It’s adjustable in terms of ingredients and still tastes delicious. I eleminate cheese and/or nuts for guests with allergies. The dressing is acctually what makes this a delicious salad. I only have issues with all the chopping involved, which may not be a problem for others.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad it is a hit! Thank you for sharing this recipe, R. Morgan.
Carol from Canada
Yum. Broccoli and red onion from farmer’s market. Subbed a no-salt trail mix fruit and nut mix, not toasted, for the sunflower seeds (what I had on hand). Delicious. Served with a skillet honey garlic salmon fillet and rice. So good. And I made enough for lunch tomorrow. Lucky me! Loved that it didn’t have mayo. Will definitely make again.
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great to hear, Carol! Thank you for your review.
Hope Tilton
Oh so good! I was looking for a salad recipe that I had all the ingredients for and this was it, I’m so glad I made it. I did substitute Pepitas for the sunflower seeds because that is what I had. This broccoli salad recipe is definitely a keeper. Thank You!
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, hope! I’m glad you were able to make it work with what you had.
Beth
This was so delicious! Everyone loved it! I also added some red cabbage from our garden for color. Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you love it, Beth! Thank you for your review.
Agatha
My go to recipe. I tend to use a diced apple or pear in lieu of the dried cranberries/cherries, as its hard to find those w/out added sugar. I also sub maple syrup for honey. I have used toasted almonds, sunflower seeds, pepitas and chopped pecans. And often use swiss cheese in lieu of cheddar. But this recipe is the perfect formula.
Suzanne
Kate I make this salad all the time and it’s so amazing! Also so versatile! I have changed the cranberries for raisins and have left out seeds at times. Also change up the cheese to what I have on hand. It’s always delicious! Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Suzanne!
Matthew
I love this recipe! I was looking for a broccoli salad without mayonnaise and this recipe was perfect. It is a nice compliment to the other Thanksgiving dishes. I made this for my family last year and four people hounded me for the recipe afterwards. Delicious! I will be making this again this year!!!
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great to hear, Matthew! I appreciate your review.
Rhona
This recipe is so fresh and delicious! It does taste best when made hours ahead of time so the flavors meld, but it’s good when you only have about a half hour to spare. I was directed to make this for a holiday dinner and had to triple the recipe because the host’s family loved it so much!
★★★★★
Melisss
So dang good. I’m eating it right now. I used dried currants as that’s all I had and white onion. I will be adding this to my regular rotation!
★★★★★
Erin
Seriously so good! My new favourite
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great to hear, Erin! I appreciate your review.
Alison
I’m sitting by the pool in Maui right now, so understand your need to escape the cold. It’s definitely my happy place. If you’re coming with a little one, there are lots of things to do here, and many restaurants with kid-friendly menus and spaces. Aloha!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Alison! I can’t wait.
Rod Kane
This reminds me of a similar salad which also included red and green cabbage slaw, plus a small amount of grated carrots, no cheese , served with a similar dressing with poppy seeds .
★★★★★
Reign
We made this tonight . 20 stars !!!! It is awesome and we are looking forward to more broccoli recipes and other veggies too. Thank you very much ,it is a lovely salad and a full meal in itself. Tomorrow we are using the rest up and adding some cold pasta and chickpeas . It will be lovely .
Reign
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! Thank you for sharing, Reign.
Jean
Absolutely delicious. Used whole grain mustard as I only had that on hand. Left out the cheese. Husband asked me to keep the recipe and that’s the end of the story :) thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
Happy to hear that, Jean!
Barb
LOVE this salad! I use half the amount of honey, tart cherries instead of cranberries, and substituted feta for cheddar. It’s amazing!
April
I have made this twice now and it’s delicious! I did use pepitas instead of sunflower seeds because that’s what I had and for cheese I used goat cheese crumbles. The creaminess goes well. Thanks!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, April! Thank you for your review.
Laurie
As usual, your recipe did not disappoint! We’re big Cookie & Kate fans at our house, but I was nervous about making this recipe for my husband because he LOVES the version we have at Christmas which is made with mayo. Not surprisingly, he raved about this one and said we should have it for lunch often! It makes a great weekday lunch.
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Laurie! I appreciate your review.
Joanna
Not sure if I didn’t leave a comment already but goodness me this salad stole hearts last summer to everyone even meat eaters, thank you back on the page to try something new this year to impress.
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Joanna!
Diane Rock
I just came across this recipe. When my sons were young (now age 24 and 26) I made broccoli all the time because they loved it. I got burned out and haven’t eaten much broccoli since they left for college.
Hooray! Now I found a way to eat broccoli again. I love this salad and will make it often. My only modification was reducing the onion by 1/2 because I don’t like a strong onion flavor. I will be trying out some of the suggestions in the comment section as well. Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Diane! I appreciate your review.
Eva
Delicious! You can skip the cheese too, but a good quality cheddar will taste great!
★★
Tracy Wilkinson
This salad is the ultimate to watch friends take a little at first and then go back again for more and more! Absolutely delicious recipe and a firm fav of ours. Make it and see if you surprise every guest who tries it for the first time. Love ❤️ ❤️
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Tracy! I appreciate your review.
Sheila Davies
Thank you Kate for the best broccoli salad I have ever eaten! Took me an hour to prep but well worth the time! The flavors are all balanced…and I would serve this proudly with any meal I serve. I have roasted your beets many times. Yummy!!! Thank you for sharing your recipes and your notes too. Your notes engaged me to try things I may not have tried. I am in love with your website and you! I will now buy your cookbook! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I have kept Cookie in my prayers…
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for your kind words, Sheila. I’m glad you have loved this recipe.
Shannon Roberts
My mom made this for Easter & my husband asked me to get the recipe. It’s a winner!
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Shannon!
Ann
Yum! I wanted to make a broccoli salad tonight and knew I’d find a great recipe here. I made half the recipe and looks like we should get at least 4, more likely 6 side servings. I didn’t have quite enough broccoli so made up the weight difference with some diced red pepper, which looks very nice (note to self: this would make a good Christmas dinner salad – with white cheese rather than orange – especially since it can be made ahead). The cutting method for the broccoli is great – so simple, but I’d never thought of it, and it yields up the perfect texture, quickly and easily. Do include some of the stems, peeled if necessary and diced small – or keep to grate into a slaw or add to soup. Thanks for another winner, Kate!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it, Ann! I appreciate your review.
Ann
I should add, the garlic flavour can get pretty strong once this has sat for a day or two in the fridge, so you might want to tone back on it if making for a family gathering or a potluck where you don’t know everyone’s preferences.
★★★★★
Elle
Absolutely delish. I didn’t have cranberries so added pomegranate instead. Also subbed the onion for thinly sliced pickled onion which works well with the cheddar.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you ended up enjoying it, Elle! I appreciate your review.