Easy Healthy Broccoli Salad with tangy, creamy Greek yogurt dressing. Crunchy broccoli, crispy bacon, shredded cheddar, this perfect picnic side dish is healthier and flavorful!
For more healthy broccoli recipes, try crispy air fryer broccoli and crustless broccoli quiche.
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It took me 20 years to fall in love with this salad. I find traditional versions overpoweringly sweet, salty and fatty. Now, not this healthy broccoli salad!
It is fresh and vibrant, perfect for summer with healthy burger recipes, or as a classic holiday side dish! It comes together in less than 30 minutes.
We now added this salad recipe to our regular healthy sides rotation because our family just loves it, especially kids! Yes, kids love this salad so much!
So, it has everything a classic version should have but is made only with real food ingredients. It combines the best of both worlds! Healthy veggies and seeds, and everyone’s favorite bacon and creamy dressing.
I always say that moderation is key when living a healthy lifestyle, at least for us. And this salad is a proof of that. Pinky promise, it is light and still the best!
Ingredients for the Salad
Everyone loves a broccoli salad with their own twist. And good news is that this recipe is highly customizable. Use what you have on hand and please check out list of substitutions and variations below.
- Broccoli for broccoli salad is usually raw. You can buy pre-chopped broccoli but I would use it within a few days while fresh.
- Bacon: Let’s just agree that if a little bit of smoky bacon makes us eat more broccoli, we should add it!
- Cheese: Sharp cheddar cheese is a good choice for healthy broccoli salad because it adds more flavor with less calories than regular cheddar. The sharper, the better. Look for old aged or extra sharp cheddar cheese. The thicker the shred, the better.
- Dried cranberries: Unsweetened dried cranberries are a healthier choice but they are not always available in supermarkets. Use regular ones but maybe less.
- Sunflower seeds: Buy roasted seeds or give them a quick toast in a skillet for extra flavor and crunch.
- Red onion: It is more mild onion variety than yellow or white onion, and looks pretty.
Healthier Creamy Yogurt Dressing
What pulls together all the ingredients is the creamy, tangy dressing. It pairs so well with raw broccoli and also helps to soften it.
- Yogurt: Plain regular or Greek yogurt with at least 2% fat content for the creamy factor.
- Mayo: And a touch of your favorite mayonnaise completes the perfect balanced yogurt salad dressing. I like to use avocado oil mayo but you can substitute with equal amount of yogurt.
- Mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper: To round out flavors in creamy dressing.
How to Make Healthy Broccoli Salad
This recipe couldn’t be easier! First of all, the only thing we have to cook is bacon. Secondly, even dressing is made in same bowl as the salad. Easy-peasy.
Cook bacon: You can bake it in the oven or in the air fryer. After transfer bacon on double folded paper towel to drain.
Make salad dressing: Combine yogurt, mayo, mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper in a large salad bowl and whisk until smooth. We will add all salad ingredients on top.
Chop broccoli and red onion: Cut broccoli florets into bite-sized pieces. I prefer to cut a floret into 4 quarters and then tear with hands to avoid mess. Chop red onion.
Assemble salad: To the bowl with dressing, add broccoli, red onion, sunflower seeds and dried cranberries. Shred cheese and crumble bacon on top. Stir and serve salad immediately or let it chill.
Tips and Tricks
Want to make the best broccoli salad ever? Here are a few simple tips:
- Cut your broccoli small: Because broccoli stays raw in this salad, you want to make sure to cut it small. This way each piece gets a coating of the dressing and a fair load of all other delicious ingredients. You can also peel and finely chop the stalk.
- Let it marinate: While you can serve this salad right away, I prefer to let flavors “marry each other” in the fridge for about 30 minutes to 2 hours. It also softens the broccoli. My family loves it on day two and three.
- Save bacon and seeds for later: Sure I love to let the flavors develop in this salad. But if you plan on enjoying it over a few days, save some seeds and bacon to add for impeccable crunch right before serving.
Substitution Ideas
Use this recipe as a guide and build your own:
- Super healthy: Skip bacon completely and add 3 tbsp of nutritional yeast to the dressing and maybe another sprinkle to taste to the salad. Feel free to cut back mayo to 1 tbsp or none, and amp up the yogurt. Or use olive oil and soy sauce based salad dressing from my spinach salad recipe. It suits this salad very well!
- Dried cranberries substitute: Raisins, dried cherries or fresh grapes would also work very well in this recipe. The addition of sweet fruit/berries combined with salty bacon and sharp cheddar is what makes this salad outstandingly flavorful.
- More veggies: Chopped celery adds volume, texture, crunch and nutrition to any salad!
FAQs
No. Since broccoli can be eaten raw, we do not have to cook or steam it.
Yogurt as a main component of the dressing cuts back fat by 50-60%. Using a pound of raw broccoli, you are definitely meeting your daily veggie intake. And lastly, sunflower seeds, red onion and dried fruits contain vitamins and nutrients.
Also we use only 5 slices of bacon and 1/4 cup of sharp cheddar to add more flavor with less calories. You can always use low sodium versions or cut back the amount.
Can I Make It Ahead?
Yes. This healthy broccoli salad recipe is a great make ahead salad. Unlike lettuce salad, it is quite sturdy and doesn’t wilt, and tastes even better in a few hours.
To make ahead, combine all ingredients, except seeds and bacon, and do not stir. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Store seeds in a container in a pantry, and refrigerate bacon in another airtight container.
Combine and stir the salad anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours before serving.
What to Serve with Broccoli Salad?
In summer, if you make this recipe for a cookout, serve alongside healthy black bean burgers or healthy turkey burgers, and super easy Instant Pot corn on the cob.
As I mentioned above, it’s the perfect recipe to prep ahead. I think it actually gets better with time as broccoli florets sit in the dressing and soften. And the flavors “marry each other”.
For easy dinner year round, baked honey garlic chicken breast with its sticky glaze goes amazing with this salad. It’s that combination of sweet and salty combined with creamy and crunchy. That’s when kids fell in love with this salad.
More Healthy Salad Recipes
- Cauliflower potato salad
- Healthy coleslaw
- Healthy pasta salad
- Instant Pot potato salad
- Healthy potato salad
- Vegan broccoli salad
Also check out these 52 healthy salad recipes for more inspiration!
I hope you give this healthy broccoli salad a try! It is easy green salad that I am sure you will love!
Healthy Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb raw broccoli crowns 5 cups
- 5 bacon slices
- 1/2 cup Greek or regular yogurt 2%+ fat
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup red onion finely chopped
- 1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese coarsely grated
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries unsweetened
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper. Add bacon strips and bake for 20 minutes or until crispy. After transfer bacon on double folded paper towel to drain.
- In the meanwhile, in a large salad bowl add yogurt, mayo, mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- Chop broccoli florets into bite-sized pieces and add to the bowl with the dressing. Also add red onion, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries and cheese.
- Crumble or chop bacon, add to the salad bowl, stir and let broccoli salad sit. While you can serve broccoli salad right away, I prefer to let flavors "marry each other" in the fridge for about 30 minutes – 2 hours.
Video
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
- Make ahead: Combine all broccoli salad ingredients, except seeds and bacon, and do not stir. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Store seeds in a dry place and bacon in the fridge, and add before serving.
- Broccoli for broccoli salad is usually raw, no need to cook or steam it.
- Dried cranberries: Unsweetened dried cranberries are a healthier choice but they are not always available in supermarkets. Use regular ones but maybe less.
- Yogurt and mayo: Plain regular or Greek yogurt with at least 2% fat content is the best. If using Greek yogurt and dressing is too thick, add a few tablespoons of water. Feel free to use less or omit mayo. I like avocado oil mayo.
Very yummy salad! Perfect for grilled meats!
So glad you enjoyed it!
This salad is delicious! Even hubby likes it!!!!!
So happy to hear this! Yeah!
The recipe on YUM that lead me to these directions is different broccoli salad than the directions are for plus different ingredients.
I’m confused. The ingredients on yum recipe didn’t have bacon or Dijon mustard
I started at yum under recipe “Healthy Broccoli Salad” not “….with Greek dressing….”
Hi! Yummly does not account for any updates that have been made to the recipe and that is an older version. Feel free to omit the Dijon/bacon in current version and use plain yogurt. Directions can still be followed the same (skipping step 1).
Delicious! I chopped the broccoli nice and small!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Our family loved it!
I’m so happy to read this! Thanks for your positive feedback!
This broccoli salad is the best! I will definitely make it again and it will be a go to for me at regular and special meals.
Thanks
Fantastic! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Made it this evening absolutely yummy and it’s true there was not a strong broccoli taste at all? Will defo be doing again and the cauliflower potato salad too ❤️❤️
Yay!
Another great recipe! Thanks Olena! I had fat free yogurt so I added a small box of raisins to sweeten it up a little. I like that the recipes have whole foods. My husband love this! I finally found healthy recipes that are fun and easy to make!
That’s awesome Rose!
Awesome. This is exactly a kind of recipes I have been looking for ,easy and practical.
I was missing dried cranberries but it still tasted sooooo good. As a bachelor who’s disastrous in the kitchen this has become my go to dish. My family also were in disbelief that I was taking Broccoli.
So thank you !!!!
That’s great to hear. I hope you find my other recipes helpful too 🙂
This is a delicious salad!! I highly recommend. We had it on it’s own as a meal and it was extremely satisfying.
Hi Elena, thank you for sharing your positive feedback!