My healthy broccoli salad recipe is refreshing and super crunchy with apples, sugar snap peas, and tangy poppy seed dressing. If you're looking for a light and tasty broccoli salad without mayo, you're in the right place.
And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my black eyed pea salad with smoky-sweet dressing, too!
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❤️ Why You'll Love this Recipe
Quick and Easy - This healthy broccoli apple salad recipe comes together with simple ingredients, and you won't need any special tools or techniques. And just about 15 minutes of active prep time!
Make-Ahead Friendly - Cold broccoli salad is one of those salads that gets better with time (and everything stays crunchy in the fridge!), so you can enjoy it as part of your meal prep.
👉🏾 If really good salads are your thing, I have plenty more where this one comes from! Get into my spring greens salad with champagne dressing, baby kale and pear salad with blood orange vinaigrette, chopped Mediterranean cucumber salad, and harvest salad with kale and roasted squash.
Featured Reader Review
★★★★★
"You got my son to eat his veggies--and gladly--with this one Jazz. This salad is a keeper for us!"
-Karly Rae
What You'll Need for this Recipe
Broccoli can be from fresh or frozen broccoli florets or a whole broccoli crown, but I recommend fresh florets for the easiest chopping and the best texture.
Snap Peas or Snow Peas both work in this recipe, so it's great through the spring and summer months when they're in season. Between the two, I find snow peas to be slightly less stringy.
Apples for sweet, tart, juicy crunch! I recommend using two different kinds of apples here--like one Honeycrisp and one Granny Smith--to add different flavors.
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
Mustard - Use Dijon, whole grain, spicy brown, Creole, or whichever mustard you like best.
Sweetener - You can use honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, or your favorite zero-sugar sweetener interchangeably in the dressing.
And you can easily change up this salad with different dressings! Try my orange juice vinaigrette, blood orange poppy seed dressing, or apple cider vinaigrette next.
How to Make a Healthy Version of Broccoli Salad
- Step 1: Lightly steam the broccoli.
- Step 2: Add all the dressing ingredients to an airtight container, seal, and shake until mixed.
Pro Tip #1
Here's how to make quick work of steaming the broccoli: Add it to a large, microwave-safe container with about one inch of water in the bottom. Microwave on medium heat for about three minutes, and that's it!
- Step 3: Cut the apples and snap peas into little matchsticks and roughly chop the cooled broccoli.
- Step 4: Pour in salad dressing and toss ingredients until evenly coated.
Pro Tip #2
Cutting each ingredient to about the same size ensures you can taste all of the flavors in every bite!
- Step 5: Chill, then serve.
Make it a Meal!
Add Protein: To make this salad more substantial, pair it with an easy protein, and you'll have dinner in no time! It tastes great with grilled chicken thigh skewers or roasted honey mustard chicken, or lemon pepper shrimp. And each of these can be made in 30 minutes while the salad chills in the fridge.
Remix Leftovers: Mix and match this dish with different proteins and rice, lentils, or quinoa for endless options throughout the week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
How to Serve
Meal Prep: Because this broccoli crunch salad keeps well in the fridge, you can make it on Sunday evening and enjoy all week long.
Easy Side Dish: We love to pair it with crispy roasted chicken and yellow rice or jollof rice for nutrient-packed lunches and dinners.
Cookout Contribution: This broccoli salad is delightful at summer cookouts and backyard BBQs. The light, tangy dressing goes well with smoky baby back ribs.
More Favorite Vegetable Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
I hope you'll enjoy this light and easy broccoli salad soon and very soon. And sharing is caring, so be sure to pin this recipe for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
📖 Recipe
Healthy Broccoli Apple Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
Equipment
- 1 knife
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 9 ounces broccoli florets fresh or frozen, thawed, and drained
- ½ cup water
- 1 Granny Smith apple
- 1 Honeycrisp apple
- 12 ounces snap peas or snow peas
For the Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup agave nectar
- 1-2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 ½ tablespoon poppy seeds
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- sea salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Steam the Broccoli: Add broccoli to a heat-safe bowl with water then microwave, uncovered, for about three minutes. This will lightly steam the broccoli, making it more tender and mellowing the taste a bit. Set aside to cool.9 ounces broccoli florets, ½ cup water
- Prep the Produce: Core and cut the apples into matchstick-size pieces. Remove any strings from the peas then slice them into thin strips. Chop the cooled broccoli into ½ - one-inch pieces.1 Granny Smith apple, 1 Honeycrisp apple, 12 ounces snap peas
- Make the Dressing: Add olive oil, vinegar, agave, mustard, poppy seeds, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to an airtight container. Seal container and shake vigorously until emulsified (about 30 seconds).1-2 tablespoon Dijon mustard, ¼ cup agave nectar, ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 1 ½ tablespoon poppy seeds, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper
- Assemble the Salad: Add all the prepped produce to a large mixing bowl, pour salad dressing over top, then toss until evenly coated. Cover and place in refrigerator to chill for at least one hour.
Karly Raye says
You got my son to eat his veggies—and gladly—with this one Jazz. This salad is a keeper for us!
Jazzmine Woodard says
That's wonderful to hear Karly Raye. So glad you and your son enjoyed!