Recipe: Healthy Broccoli Salad (No Mayo!)

Broccoli, grapes, dried cranberries, and crunchy sunflower seeds are tossed in a simple but flavorful mayo free dressing in this healthy broccoli salad recipe – the perfect meal-prep friendly salad for cookouts and potlucks.

Salad season is here and this healthy broccoli salad is the perfect cookout salad to share with family and friends. Unlike lettuce based salads this one can be prepped in advance and won’t wilt or turn soggy, in fact – it tastes even better the longer it chills in the fridge. 

We lightened up this salad by using Greek yogurt in place of mayo and ditching the bacon and cheese. This creamy broccoli salad is naturally gluten-free and vegetarian and makes a great side for a variety of grilled meats, making it a great salad for your next summer bbq with family members and friends.

Check out my favorite healthy salad recipes for even more fun ideas!

Ingredients for Healthy Broccoli Salad

These simple and nutritious ingredients will keep you satisfied all day!

• Broccoli: you’ll need about 2 medium florets or 3 smaller raw broccoli florets for this salad. Once chopped, you’ll want about 5 cups of broccoli pieces. 
• Grapes: we like to use red grapes to give this salad some more color, but green grapes are fine too. 
• Red Onion: adds some extra savory flavor to this salad. If you find red onion in salads too strong, soak the chopped red onion in a bowl of ice cold water for 5 minutes to remove some of the bite. You could also use shallot or green onion instead. 
• Dried cranberries: adds a lovely sweet-tart note to this fresh broccoli salad. We love how they soften as they sit in the dressing.  
• Sunflower seeds: adds a bit of crunch. You can swap with other nuts or seeds if you prefer – almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, or pistachios would work well. 
• Greek yogurt: adds creaminess to the dressing for this no mayo healthy broccoli salad. Make sure to use plain and unsweetened Greek yogurt. 
• Apple cider vinegar & Dijon mustard: add zippiness to the creamy dressing for this healthy salad recipe.

Variations and Substitutions

You can easily customize my health broccoli salad recipe with these substitution ideas:

• Use different dried fruit: if you don’t have cranberries on hand or want to try something different, you could also use dried cherries or raisins for this broccoli salad without mayo. 
• Use both broccoli and cauliflower: cauliflower can also be used in this tasty salad. We recommend doing half broccoli and half cauliflower if you want to try something new. 
• Add bacon or cheese: for a heartier variation of this salad, you can add some chopped bacon or shredded sharp cheddar cheese. 
• Make it dairy free & vegan: use plain plant-based yogurt instead of plain Greek yogurt in the dressing.

How to Make Healthy Broccoli Salad

Follow these instructions to give my healthy broccoli salad a try!

• Prep the Veggies: wash and chop the broccoli into bite-sized pieces, chop the red onion, and halve the grapes. Add them to a large bowl with the dried cranberries and sunflower seeds.
• Mix Up the Broccoli Salad Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the greek yogurt, vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, sea salt and pepper to make the creamy greek yogurt dressing. 
• Combine & Chill: Pour dressing over the broccoli mixture and toss to coat everything in dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill for 30 minutes to overnight and serve.

Tools You’ll Need

• Mixing Bowl
• Cutting Board
• Chef’s Knife
• Whisk

What to Serve with Healthy Broccoli Salad

This easy healthy broccoli salad with cranberries is the perfect side dish for a variety of main dishes – especially grilled meats or burgers. Here are a few of our favorite dishes for serving with this salad: 

• Fire up the grill for this spicy grilled pork tenderloin and serve this salad on the side. 
• This salad makes a healthy side dish for burgers like these healthy greek turkey burgers or our spicy black bean burgers.  
• Make this salad as an easy side dish for grilled kebabs.

Is Broccoli Salad Healthy?

Yes! This no mayo broccoli salad is a lighter spin on a traditional broccoli salad that contains lots of mayo, bacon, and cheese. Although this one is healthy, it’s still packed with lots of great flavor.

Broccoli is a nutrient-dense veggie that is packed with fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants.

Do you cook broccoli for broccoli salad?

There’s no need to cook the broccoli before mixing up this easy broccoli salad recipe. We love the crisp-chewy texture of raw crunchy broccoli, but if you aren’t a fan, you can blanch the broccoli before using in this salad. 

Add the chopped broccoli boiling water for just a minute or two then use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a bowl of ice water to cool it off. You don’t want to cook it fully or else it will be too mushy for salad – blanching will just make it a bit softer.

Meal Prep and Storage

This broccoli salad tastes better with more time to chill in the fridge before serving. We suggest chilling for at least 30 minutes but it tastes best with an overnight chill – perfect for prepping in advance! You can store this salad for up to 3-4 days total in an airtight container.

Unfortunately, like most salads, this broccoli salad isn’t freezer friendly.

Other Favorite Salad Recipes

• Healthy Teriyaki Salmon Salad
• Homemade Cobb Salad
• Wild Rice Salad with Chicken
• Orzo Kale Salad
• Southwest Quinoa Salad
• Pear, Walnut & Gorgonzola Salad
• Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza