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Home » Recipes » Grilling

May 3, 2021

Broccoli Raisin Salad

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A pinterest pin for healthy broccoli & raisin salad with an overhead shot of a bowl of the salad this Recipe
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Crunchy and sweet Broccoli Raisin Salad: the healthier side dish that's welcome at any summer barbecue or cookout!

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An up-close overhead shot of a small bowl of healthy broccoli salad

Need an easy-to-make, wilt-resistant, and tasty side dish salad that will be welcome at any potluck or barbecue? This Broccoli Raisin Salad is just for you!

With a yogurt-based dressing, crisp apples, and sweet raisins, this is a healthier take on classic Broccoli Salad. Seasonings like ginger and honey add flavor in place of bacon, making this salad delicious but light.

Best of all, this salad is ready in just a handful of easy steps. So easy that kiddos could even help make the recipe.

A pinterest pin for broccoli raisin salad with An up-close overhead shot of a bowl of the salad

Just whisk the dressing ingredients together in the bowl, gently fold in the chopped broccoli, celery, and fruit, and chill for 30 minutes - 1 hour.

Then, just before serving, sprinkle the salad with toasted sliced almonds (slivered are ok, too!) and your dream summer salad side dish is served.

The yogurt dressing on this salad does have reduced-fat mayonnaise in it, so it can't stay out in the heat for hours, but the broccoli will hold the chill (keeping the dressing safe) longer than would lettuce or another leafy green.

A shot of a small bowl of broccoli salad in front of others and a bowl of the salad

This salad is perfectly served for almost any summer get-together: Memorial day, the 4th of July, or weekend barbecues, cookouts, or potlucks. It's also welcome at baby showers, wedding showers, or anywhere you're serving a light spread.

Because this salad doesn't contain bacon it's naturally vegetarian. It's also super easily made vegan by substituting vegan mayonnaise for the reduced-fat mayo and plain nut-milk yogurt for the dairy yogurt.

Swap the raisins and ginger for ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese and this recipe is now low carb, keto, and delicious. The options are endless!

Any way you mix it, this broccoli salad is summer in a bowl. What are you waiting for? Save or pin this recipe for your next event or whip up a batch of it today!

A pinterest pin with An up close overhead shot of bowls of broccoli salad

Table of contents

  • This recipe is...
  • Recipe ingredients
  • Ingredient substitutions
  • How to make this broccoli salad with raisins...
  • Recipe pro-tips:
  • Recipe variations:
  • Serving suggestions:
  • Storage recommendations:
  • Tools needed to make this recipe:
  • Other summer salad recipes you'll love:
  • Get all my new recipes as they drop. Sign up to receive new recipes each week.

This recipe is...

  • Fresh
  • Crunchy
  • Sweet
  • Versatile

This healthy broccoli salad is a favorite cold side dish recipe for hot summer days. Unlike potato salad, you don't have to turn on your stove or heat up your kitchen for any part of it! Easy breezy and so delicious.

All the ingredients for broccoli and raisin salad

Recipe ingredients

  • Broccoli florets - small florets are best
  • Raisins - either red or golden raisins
  • Apple - gala, fuji, Honeycrisp, or Cameo apples work best for this recipe
  • Celery
  • Toasted sliced almonds
  • Low-fat plain yogurt - 1 or 2% fat is ideal for this recipe
  • Reduced-fat mayonnaise - I love Best Foods (or Hellman's) olive oil mayonnaise
  • Honey
  • Distilled white vinegar
  • Ginger powder
An up-close overhead shot of a bowl of broccoli raisin salad

Ingredient substitutions

  • Raisins - substitute dried cranberries for the raisins and enjoy a fresh broccoli cranberry salad; chopped-up dried apricots are also nice! Similarly, 1 ½ cups halved grapes can work in place of the raisins
  • Apples - tart granny smith apples can work in place of the sweeter apples, but the salad will have a bit of a bite to it
  • Vinegar - white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar can easily work in place of the distilled white vinegar
  • Nuts - cashews, walnuts, and even pecans are also delicious on this salad
Chopped broccoli on a cutting board
a small cup of chopped apple in front of the rest of the ingredients

How to make this broccoli salad with raisins...

  1. Whisk the yogurt salad dressing ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until smooth.
  2. Add the broccoli, celery, and fruit to the yogurt dressing.
  3. Gently fold the veggies and fruit into the broccoli salad dressing until evenly covered with the dressing.
  4. Chill the salad for 30 minutes to 12 hours.
  5. Garnish the salad with almonds and serve cold!
A large mixing bowl of yogurt, mayo, seasonings, and vinegar
A yogurt broccoli salad dressing
a large mixing bowl with all the ingredients for broccoli raisin salad
broccoli raisin salad mixed up and ready to serve

Recipe pro-tips:

  1. Chill the salad before serving - this will help the salad dressing flavors penetrate the salad. I recommend at least 30 minutes - 1 hour, but you can chill it for up to 12 hours before serving.
  2. Don't use non-fat yogurt - the small amount of milk fat in 1 or 2% yogurt adds loads of flavor to the recipe. Without it, the flavors aren't as developed and the texture of the dressing isn't as rich.
  3. Wait until serving to garnish the salad with almonds - as they will get soggy from sitting too long on the salad. If you plan on having leftovers, garnish individual servings with the almonds immediately before serving.
  4. To save time, use pre-cut broccoli - pre-cut broccoli is a game-changer for this recipe! If the pieces are too large, break or cut them down into smaller pieces before mixing them into the dressing, but they will still make the recipe that much simpler and easy to make.
An up-close overhead shot of two small bowls of broccoli raisin salad next to a large bowl of the salad
Can you make broccoli crunch salad ahead of time?

Yes, you certainly can make this recipe ahead of time. Whisk up the veggie salad (without the almonds) up to 12 hours ahead of time. Store it covered in the refrigerator until serving. Sprinkle the salad with the almonds immediately before serving and the salad will naturally be nice and crunchy!

Can you use frozen broccoli for this recipe?

I do not recommend using frozen broccoli for this recipe. Frozen broccoli is par-boiled (boiled quickly) before freezing, so it will not be crunchy or fresh when it defrosts.

An overhead shot of 2 small bowl s of healthy broccoli raisin salad next to a large bowl of the rest of the salad

Recipe variations:

  • Broccoli & cauliflower - switch this recipe up by substituting half cauliflower and half broccoli for the broccoli.
  • Add protein - make this recipe a complete meal by stirring in 1 ¼ cup chickpeas, grilled chicken, or cubed turkey breast.
  • Add in diced sweet onion or red onion - add even more dimension to the salad dressing by whisking in ½ cup minced sweet or red onion. Thinly sliced green onions also work!

Serving suggestions:

This salad serves best cold within an hour of being removed from the refrigerator. To keep the salad safe, don't let it sit out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.

Otherwise, this salad goes perfectly with almost any summer meal. It's perfectly served alongside potato salad, baked beans, and macaroni salad with...

  • Burgers (veggie burgers included!)
  • Hot dogs
  • Shish kebabs
  • Salmon
  • Chicken
  • Sausage
  • Brats

Storage recommendations:

  • Refrigeration: leftover salad keeps covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. For best results garnish the salad with almonds right before serving (especially if you anticipate having leftovers); almonds refrigerated on top of the salad will get soggy.
  • Freezing: unfortunately, this salad does not freeze well.
An up-close shot of raisins, applse, and broccoli in a large mixing bowl

Tools needed to make this recipe:

  • Cutting board
  • Chef knife
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Measuring cups & spoons
  • Silicone spatula

Other summer salad recipes you'll love:

  • 5 Bean Salad
  • Broccoli Slaw Recipe
  • Greek Pasta Salad
  • Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Salad Dressing
  • Italian Tuna Pasta Salad
  • Avocado Blueberry Salad

If you make and like this recipe, please review and rate it 5 Stars at the top of the recipe card. This helps other people to find the recipes and helps this reader-supported publication, too!

Thank you so much for your feedback and support of Mae's Menu!

An overhead shot of a bowl of broccoli raisin salad

Broccoli Raisin Salad

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Chelsea | Mae's Menu 2023
Crunchy and sweet Broccoli Raisin Salad: the healthier side dish that's welcome at any summer barbecue or cookout!
5
Print Recipe
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Chill Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 40 minutes mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 127 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • ⅔ cup low-fat plain yogurt
  • 3 tablespoons reduced-fat or olive oil mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 ½ tablespoon distilled white vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ginger powder
  • ½ large apple cored and diced
  • ½ cup raisins
  • ½ cup diced celery
  • 5 cups small broccoli florets
  • ⅓ cup toasted sliced almonds

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, honey, vinegar, sea salt, and ginger powder until combined.
  • Add the raisins, celery, and broccoli to the yogurt mixture. Gently fold the veggies and fruit into the yogurt until evenly covered in the dressing.
  • Cover and chill the salad in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 12 hours.
  • Sprinkle the salad with almonds and serve cold!

Notes

1. Leftover salad keeps covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. For best results garnish the salad with almonds right before serving; almonds refrigerated on top of the salad will get soggy.
2. The best apples for this recipe are sweet and crisp apples. I recommend gala, fuji, Honeycrisp, and Cameo apples.
3. Toasted slivered almonds can substitute for the sliced almonds.
4. You can chill the salad for 30 minutes up to 12 hours before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 127kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 4gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 137mgFiber: 5gSugar: 14g
Keyword broccoli crunch salad, broccoli raisin salad, broccoli salad, broccoli salad dressing, broccoli salad recipes, broccoli salad with raisins, healthy broccoli salad, healthy broccoli salad with raisins
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MEET CHELSEA MAE PLUMMER

Hi!  Join me in making quick and healthy recipes for active families!  Many of my recipes can be made gluten-free or lactose-free because life with food allergies doesn't have to lack flavor!
A bit about me: I'm a self-taught home cook of 20+ years, food lover, runner, and dog lover!

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A pinterest pin for healthy broccoli & raisin salad with an overhead shot of a bowl of the salad