This light, colorful Broccoli Apple Salad is perfectly balanced and packs a ton of nutrients. Better yet, it’ll be ready in 10 minutes, including the creamy yogurt dressing!
I love a good salad and this one is my ideal fall dish. At this point in the season we’ve used apple in every possible way: cakes, muffins, applesauce, apple butter, pies, crumbles, the list goes on. Just type 'apple' in the search box on top of the page and check the apple recipes. Most of them are sweet and I'd start with the Healthy Apple Muffins. On the other hand, it’s easy to overlook savory options and this Broccoli Apple Salad is the perfect example. Not only is it bright, crispy and full of flavor, it’s also versatile. Add a grilled chicken breast to make it a full meal like our Chicken Salad with Apples or serve it as a side when you’re entertaining friends and family around a holiday table.
How to Make
My favorite thing about this Broccoli Apple Salad is how fast and easy it is to make. The hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds and pomegranate add a layer of sophistication that will make everyone think you spent much more time on it than you did.
I like to make the dressing first so it’s ready when I finish prepping the salad ingredients. It’s super simple to stir everything together. Just make sure to taste it and add more pickle juice if needed.
When you prepare the salad ingredients, you don’t have to wait until the last step to cut the apple to avoid browning. Instead, try squeezing a few drops of lemon juice over the slices immediately after cutting. Alternately you can fill a bowl with water, add lemon juice to it and place the apple slices in the water.
How to Blanch Broccoli Florets
Blanching is a great process for cooking vegetables or fruits that allows them to retain their texture, color and fresh flavor. Before you begin, fill a large bowl with cold water and add a few ice cubes to chill it completely. Set the bowl aside but keep it close by as you’ll want to transfer the broccoli florets directly from the stove to the bowl.
Next, make sure your pot of water is fully boiling (sometimes called a rolling boil) and add the broccoli. Cook for just 2 minutes and then transfer to the ice water using a slotted spoon. You’ll notice that the broccoli looks extra bright green which is exactly what you want. Let it cool completely in the cold water. Then drain it and spread the broccoli out on a clean kitchen towel to dry before adding it to the broccoli and apple salad.
Substitutes
Like many salads, this Broccoli Apple Salad is pretty flexible. The hazelnuts can be replaced by pecans or cashews. If you want to avoid using nuts altogether, use sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Cranberries are a great alternative to pomegranate. And any of the salad ingredients can be left out if needed due to allergies.
Whether you’re eating it for lunch at your desk or cooking for lots of friends and family, I hope you enjoy making this crunchy delicious fall salad!
Want more inspiration for side dishes to pair with your meals during the holiday season? You should see Bacon and Blue Brussels Sprouts Salad and Lemony Tortellini Broccoli Salad too.
More Side Dishes
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📖 Recipe
Broccoli Apple Salad with Yogurt Dressing
INGREDIENTS
Salad:
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 3 apples diced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 carrots diced
- ¼ cup red onion diced
- ¼ cup dill pickles diced
- ¼ cup hazelnuts roughly chopped
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup pomegranate arils
Dressing:
- ¾ cup plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons pickle juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
INSTRUCTIONS
Salad:
- Blanch the broccoli florets in boiling water for 2 minutes and transfer them immediately into a large bowl of cold water. Let them cool completely and drain well.
- Put diced apples in a large bowl and immediately pour lemon juice over them. Stir well so that all pieces of apple are coated with it.
- Add in cooled and drained broccoli florets, carrots, anion, dill pickles, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds and pomegranate arils.
Dressing:
- Whisk together all the ingredients until smooth.Taste and add extra pickle juice if needed.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve.
NUTRITION
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Healthy Kitchen 101 says
This plate looks so tempting 😍 I usually make salad for my breakfast and yours seems a good option for me 🙂 Especially the yogurt dressing! I will try it soooon!
- Natalie