Published: Jun 15, 2019 Updated: Jun 10, 2022 by Hilda Sterner | This post may contain affiliate links 2 Comments

Healthy Broccoli Salad

Name: Healthy Broccoli Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 4 cups broccoli florets; ½ medium pomegranate; ¼ cup red onion ((chopped)); 3 tbsp Craisins; ¼ cup pumpkin seeds ((peeled)); ¼ cup Gorgonzola cheese ((crumbled)); ⅓ cup citrus salad dressing; ¼ tsp salt ((optional)); ¼ tsp black pepper ((optional)); 4 slices crispy crumbled bacon ((optional))

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You'll love this Healthy Broccoli Salad recipe with a sweet citrus salad dressing. Eating healthy is easy with this delicious and filling easy broccoli salad recipe. The crunch of the broccoli and the creaminess of the dressing makes this salad irresistible!

broccoli salad with dressing and red napkin

Using fresh ingredients, and leaving out the sugar and mayo (usually found in packaged broccoli salad recipes) means you can enjoy the taste, without the added calories. If you prefer vegan broccoli salad, just leave out the cheese and bacon!

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🧐 About This Recipe
🔖 Broccoli Salad Ingredients & Substitutions
🥦 How to Make Broccoli Salad
👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips
🥗 Related Recipes
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

🧐 About This Recipe

Don't you hate it when you eat something that's supposed to be healthy (like fresh broccoli salad) but you don't reap the health benefits because of added sugars and gobs of mayonnaise that are added?

Almost always the extra calories are in the dressing. That's why making your own dressing is definitely the way to go!

When I want to control extra added sugars found in many salad dressings, I use my citrus salad dressing instead. The sweet and tangy flavors pair perfectly with broccoli.

Prefer your salad sweeter? Feel free to add an additional packet of Truvia. Or alternatively, you can add more honey to the dressing before mixing it in with the salad.

🔖 Broccoli Salad Ingredients & Substitutions

Broccoli: You'll need fresh, raw broccoli to make this salad.
Cheese: I love blue cheese mixed into broccoli salad. If you don't like blue cheese, you can use feta cheese or sharp cheddar cheese instead.
Bacon: I love the crunch and texture of the crumbled bacon in this salad. However it can be left out to make the salad even healthier!
Pomegranate Seeds: When pomegranates are not in season, don't let that stop you. This broccoli salad recipe is still excellent without the pomegranate seeds.

*A full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card.

🥦 How to Make Broccoli Salad

Step 1: Rinse broccoli and drain then chop into bite-size pieces. Add to a medium-sized bowl.

Step 2: Remove seeds from half a pomegranate and stir into the broccoli. Next, add diced onion, Craisins, pumpkin seeds, and gorgonzola cheese.

Step 3: To make the broccoli salad dressing, whisk the citrus dressing ingredients in a small bowl and taste to see if it needs salt and pepper. Pour over the salad ingredients in a small bowl and taste to see if the salt and pepper need adjusting.

Step 4: Add bacon, toss, and serve immediately. This broccoli salad recipe can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge in an airtight container until you're ready to serve it. Mix in the bacon and dressing just before serving.

Salad Mix-Ins

So what can take this Healthy Broccoli Salad to a whole new level? BACON! Of course, if you are a vegetarian, you can leave it out.

If, however, you appreciate deliciously crispy bacon, just mix in four crumbled bacon strips into the salad before serving.

Since this recipe yields four servings, that's one strip per person. That's how we can still get away with calling it "Healthy Broccoli Salad."

Roasted Broccoli Salad Option

Yet another idea for this broccoli salad is to roast the broccoli before tossing it in with the other ingredients.

If you've never had roasted broccoli, you don't know what you're missing! Roasting the broccoli brings out a sweeter, intense flavor. The end result is tender broccoli florets with crispy, browned edges.

If you prefer a crunchy texture, you can skip this suggestion. To learn more about roasting broccoli, check out this link.

broccoli salad in a blue bowl with a red napkin

👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips

Grapes are just one example of what can be added to this recipe, especially if pomegranates are not in season. Also, try apples and pears.
If you don't like blue cheese, try feta or goat cheese.
Although I used pumpkin seeds, the nut or seed options are truly endless. Some examples include pistachios, walnuts, pecans, almonds, and sunflower seeds.
Don't like onions? Leave them out, or leave them on the side as an add-in option.
Not a fan of dried cranberries? Add raisins, dried cherries, or chopped dried apricots instead.
Increase the protein by adding diced grilled chicken to the broccoli salad.

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

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