It’s official salad season. And while you might not gravitate toward a broccoli salad, this healthy broccoli salad will be sure to change your mind!
If I’m being honest, classic broccoli salad isn’t that appealing to me. I don’t know if it was the whole covered-in-mayo thing or what (I don’t mind mayo though), but something about it just didn’t appeal to me. But this healthy broccoli salad recipe is the complete opposite.
Never Miss a Recipe!
Get new recipes like this delivered to your inbox.
It’s light and fresh, made with simple ingredients like fresh broccoli, raisins, zippy red onion, and crunchy sunflower seeds, and tossed together with a homemade honey mustard dressing. You can’t go wrong!
And the honey mustard dressing is really the star of the show. It will totally have people eating more broccoli than they want to admit! With summer here, it is perfect for potlucks, BBQs, and picnics or just an easy side dish for dinner!
Why we love this healthy broccoli salad with raisins
- easy to make
- homemade honey mustard dressing – so much better than your typical mayonnaise dressing if you ask me!
- the flavor gets better as it sits – make it ahead of time!
- perfect for an easy weeknight side dish or for summer BBQs or cookouts
Why is broccoli healthy for you?
Broccoli is pretty much a nutritional powerhouse. It is a low-calorie and low-carb vegetable containing fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, antioxidants, and even protein. Yep, one cup has almost 3 grams of protein!
100 grams is just 34 calories with 2.6 grams of fiber, making it a high-volume food that you are able to eat a lot of it for not a lot of calories. Just be mindful of how much you eat as it can sauce bloating for some. It makes a great healthy addition to any diet!
Ingredients
- raw broccoli
- raisins – for some sweetness
- red onion
- sunflower seeds – for some crunch
- homemade honey mustard dressing – a combo of avocado oil, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and honey
How to make healthy broccoli salad
- Make the honey mustard. In a jar or measuring cup, add the avocado oil, djion, apple cider vinegar, honey, and salt and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Make the broccoli salad. In a large bowl, add the broccoli, red onion, raisins, sunflower seeds, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Pour over the honey mustard dressing and toss to combine and broccoli is evenly coated.
- Enjoy! Place in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors come together (I recommend doing this) or eat right away.
Team no mayo broccoli salad dressing
If there is one thing I know in life, it is honey mustard. I kid you not. It was my absolute favorite dressing growing up and I ate a lot of it. Not just any honey mustard though, I was super particular about it. Just ask my mom – I made her buy bottles and bottles of different brands until I found some I really liked. What moms do for their kids haha!
Looking back, those honey mustards were full of lots of weird ingredients. And little did I know it is so easy to make at home.
Honey mustard dressing ingredients:
- avocado oil
- dijon mustard
- honey
- apple cider vinegar
- salt
Simply whisk it all together until combined. Bonus – you can use it for so much more than this broccoli salad!
Tips for the best broccoli raisin salad
Here are a few tips to help make the best broccoli salad!
- Cut the broccoli into bite-size pieces. This way it will absorb the dressing better and it’s easier to eat.
- Make it the night before. The longer it sits, the more the dressing is absorbed into the ingredients. The broccoli gets a little more tender and the raisins get a little more juicer! It lasts in the fridge for up to 4-5 days so feel free to make it in advance or for meal prep to have on hand during the week!
What to serve with broccoli salad
This recipe is so versatile and you can eat it with anything! We love serving it with some protein and carbs for a complete meal. Here are some ideas:
- grilled pickle chicken
- salsa shredded pork chops
- honey chipotle chicken thighs
- buffalo chicken tenders
- our favorite grilled chicken thigh marinade
How long is broccoli salad good in the fridge?
Broccoli salad (and the leftovers) will stay good for 4-5 days in the fridge. As it sits, some of the ingredients might get a little soft.
Substitutions and additions
- raisins – dried cranberries will work instead of raisins.
- sunflower seeds – most nuts or seeds will work. Try almonds, pumpkin seeds, or pecans.
- avocado oil – a neutral-tasting oil works best here. Light olive oil might work, but extra virgin would probably overpower the other ingredients.
- honey mustard dressing – feel free to swap out another dressing if you prefer something else.
And here are some additions you can add:
- more veggies – feel free to up the veggies if you like. Cauliflower or shredded carrots would be delicious.
- bacon – usually in classic broccoli salad. Will add some smoky and salty flavor and more rich.
More easy veggie side dishes
- sesame garlic green beans
- tomato jicama salad
- greek chickpea salad
- grilled cabbage steaks
- roasted potato salad
If you love quick and easy meals and want to learn how to build a balanced plate, check out our FREE How to Build a Balanced Plate Guide!
Healthy Broccoli Salad
ingredients
Healthy Broccoli Salad
- 8 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-size pieces (600 grams)
- 1/2 cup diced red onion (65 grams)
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper, to taste
Honey Mustard Dressing
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- salt, to taste
instructions
- Make the honey mustard. In a jar or measuring cup, add the avocado oil, djion, apple cider vinegar, honey, and salt and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Make the broccoli salad. In a large bowl, add the broccoli, red onion, raisins, sunflower seeds, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Pour over the honey mustard dressing and toss to combine and broccoli is evenly coated.
- Enjoy! Place in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors come together (I recommend doing this) or eat right away.
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive so we can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
nutrition
Get My Guide On
How to Build a Balanced Plate
No recipe, no problem! Learn the key factors to build a balanced plate for sustainable eating and to fuel your body to support your activity, goals, and lifestyle.
Great recipe! I have been looking for a recipe without mayo and that’s not too sweet. This was perfect!
So glad you enjoyed it, Jennifer! Thanks for trying it!
This salad is the BOMB!!!!! It’s the perfect side dish and blend of crunch, tangy, sweet and flavorful.
So glad you enjoyed it, Pamyla! Thanks for trying it!
This salad is the BOMB!! It was fantastic and delcious. I did add some chopped orange and a can of rinsed chickpea, bean trio. Even the kids liked it. This is a keeper!!
Oh, those additions sound so good! So glad everyone liked it – thanks, Pamyla!
Have loved broccoli salad for as long as I can remember this non mayo version takes the cake. I may even try it again with blanched broccoli.
So glad you enjoyed it so much, Caitlin! Thanks for trying it!
So easy and so good!!
Glad you enjoyed it, Candy!
Looks great can’t wait to try
Hope you enjoy it!
I don’t know if I’ll ever make mayo based broccoli salad again. Currently counting macros and found this as an alternative to my normal Mayo based version but now it will be my go to!!
It’s also great for meal prep because it seems to just get better as it sits!
Yay for honey mustard! So glad you liked it, Caitlin! Thanks for trying!
This was so good!!! I kind of made the mistake of making it a few hours before dinner so that the broccoli would sit in the dressing for a bit. I almost ate it all before dinner! So easy and so delicious.
Haha! I do the same thing when making it lol! Glad you liked it Nicole and thanks for trying!