You're going to love this healthy Broccoli Cauliflower Salad. It's made with raw broccoli and cauliflower and without bacon, making it an easy side dish for any occasion that's ready in under 20 minutes!
Drooling over broccoli seems a bit... dramatic.. but I could not be more obsessed with this broccoli cauliflower salad.
It's one of those recipes that I whipped up randomly and have now decided that it's going to be a weekly staple in my household.
Typically, I enjoy making my easy weeknight broccoli, or pairing it with tofu in my tofu broccoli stir fry. But, this recipe is a great way to enjoy raw broccoli and cauliflower WITHOUT bacon.
...I mean, you know I love bacon, but I wanted to keep this salad truly light and refreshing, so I decided to omit it and I pinky promise you won't even miss it!
Recipe features
- A great way to consume raw broccoli and cauliflower
- Filled with salty-sweet ingredients like dried cranberries and pistachios
- Made without bacon, so it's vegetarian-friendly
- Coated in a creamy yogurt-based dressing making it healthy and guilt-free
- It's a raw salad, so there's no need to turn on the oven; simply chop and stir together!
Ingredient notes:
- Broccoli: Raw; I prefer buying pre-cut broccoli florets, since this recipe uses only florets and not the steam.
- Cauliflower: Raw and chopped into bite-size pieces.
- Cheese: The recipe calls for either cubed or shredded white cheddar cheese. I wouldn't omit the cheese, but if you need a substitution, try sharp cheddar, feta, or even vegan feta cheese to keep this salad vegan-friendly.
- Onion: Red onion or sub shallot instead.
- Dried cranberries: I wouldn't omit these! They add a sweetness that pairs really well with the other ingredients. If you need a substitution, try chopped dates instead.
- Pistachios: Can also use sliced almonds or sunflower seeds.
- Honey mustard "dressing": This dressing uses Greek yogurt as a base, along with honey, dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar. You can sub red wine or white wine vinegar instead; wouldn't substitute the honey.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Chop the veggies. Begin by chopping both the broccoli and cauliflower into small florets, then place them in a large bowl.
Step 2: Add the remaining ingredients. To that same bowl, add the cheese, onion, cranberries, and pistachios.
Step 3: Make the dressing. Next, whisk all of the dressing ingredients together. The dressing should be thick but pourable.
Step 4: Combine. Pour the dressing over the broccoli cauliflower salad and use a large spoon or kitchen tongs to stir everything together, adding more salt and pepper to taste.
Expert tips & FAQs
-Time-saving hack: Buy pre-cut broccoli and cauliflower; this can be a little more expensive, but it will save you time prepping this salad.
-If you're making this for an event or party, I recommend making it the morning of, and then letting it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours. That way, the vegetables can really soak up the dressing, which makes the salad more flavorful.
-As if you need another reason to consume broccoli: Health.com breaks down the 9 health benefits of broccoli. Eat up!
Is this broccoli salad healthy?
Sure is! The two main ingredients are broccoli and cauliflower, so it's an awesome way to squeeze veggies in. Plus, the sauce is made with Greek yogurt and honey, keeping it light and even healthy!
I know this is vegetarian, but can it be made vegan?
To make this salad vegan, I recommend using vegan feta (or cheddar) cheese, your favorite plain dairy-free yogurt and agave instead of honey.
Storage
- Refrigerator: This broccoli cauliflower salad tastes best cold, so be sure to store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes, or up to 4 days.
More healthy side dishes:
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups broccoli chopped
- 3 cups cauliflower chopped
- ¾ cup white cheddar cheese cubed or shredded
- â…“ cup red onion diced
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup pistachios chopped
for the dressing:
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop broccoli and cauliflower and place them in a large bowl. Then, add the remaining salad ingredients to the bowl.
- Next, make the dressing: whisk the yogurt, oil, vinegar, honey, dijon, and salt together. Pour the dressing over the salad and use a large spoon to stir everything together until the veggies are completely coated.
- Place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours. Enjoy!
Kathy says
We really liked this salad. The only reason it did not get a five was that one family member felt that the plain yogurt left the dressing bland. I might try vanilla yogurt next time, as I appreciated the calorie savings and taste over the usually mayonnaise. Or maybe just add a bit more seasoning. Definately worth adjusting and trying again.