15 minutes is all you need for a healthy broccoli salad. Nutritious, delicious and easy recipe that’s vegan, gluten-free and paleo compliant.

Recently I was at a party where mayo laden broccoli salad appeared on many plates, being touted as the healthy choice. I got to thinking about how healthy that salad would be if I could recreate it, and nix the mayo, the bacon, the cheese, and the croutons. My mind was working overtime thinking about what would I use to create a creamy, tasty and satisfying healthy broccoli salad, without compromising my nutrition standards.

The search for healthy options.
Here’s one thing I’ve learned from 6 years as a health coach. Most people want to make healthy choices, and are actually trying hard to do that. BUT….it’s not always easy. Have you ever gone to a cookout and seen a broccoli salad on the buffet and assumed it was a healthier choice than the coleslaw because it is loaded with broccoli?
Broccoli Salad: It MIGHT be the healthy coice.
It appears to be a solid choice, and it possibly IS a healthy option…..but it also may be loaded with mayo and sugar and other ingredients that degrade it as a good choice. Confusing, I know. Maybe the coleslaw has a simple oil/vinegar S+P dressing on top of shredded cabbage and carrots. Super choice. Clean ingredients all the way. And there you have it. The entire list of ingredients is needed to make informed decisions about what you choose to put into your body.

If you want to do right by yourself, you have to get curious. There’s nothing wrong with asking what’s in a dish. Nothing at all. At a restaurant, a prepared foods counter, or even as the guest at someone else’s house. You can ask questions without judging. Consider yourself on a fact-finding mission that is crucial to meeting your health goals.

Homemade Dressing for the WIN!
Finding a dressing that uses unrefined oils, no sugar or preservatives is not easy. This is why I make my own. Contrary to popular belief, it is not time consuming to make your own salad dressing. This simple miso dressing is so good, it is one of my everyday dressings. I like to swap miso into recipe that calls for a thicker, creamy texture like mayo. Not only does it avoid a chemically processed, refined oil, but miso is a great addition because it is fermented and offers probiotic benefits as well. I usually use an immersion blender for this dressing, but you can easily blend it together quickly with a whisk. Bam! Done!

Broccoli’s Health Benefits.
In the example I gave about assuming the broccoli salad with the mayo was healthy because of the broccoli, it makes perfect sense. Broccoli is loaded with fiber, antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron and potassium….what’s not to like about that? The delicious dressing in this recipe makes the raw broccoli tasty and lets you reap those benefits without destroying any of them in the cooking process. Yay. It doesn’t really take long to trim the broccoli and cut it into bite sized florets, but if you’re short on time, buy broccoli slaw and sub that in. It will still be crunchy and tasty and nutritious….and lack of time won’t be your excuse for not making this.

Sunflower Seeds add nutrition and crunch!
Sunflower seeds are a tasty way to add protein to this already nutrient dense salad. I generally buy raw and unsalted nuts and seeds to have in my pantry. That way, if I need to toast them for a recipe I can, and if the recipe calls for raw, I’m on it. I think this healthy broccoli salad tastes best with toasted sunflower seeds—I love the crunch they add. If you want to save time, buy your sunflower seeds already toasted, just read the label and make sure unnecessary refined oils weren’t added in the process.

A note about the sun-dried tomatoes in this recipe. Totally optional. I like to sub them in where bacon would otherwise be called for. Their texture and flavor is a similar vegan alternative. Sun dried tomatoes are a healhier choice. Let me know what you think in the comments about this swap and whether or not you decided to use them.

Healthy Broccoli Salad is perfect for a pot-luck because:
- It is super tasty.
- You can make it ahead (it actually tastes better when it’s been sitting in the dressing for at least a couple hours).
- It has an ingredient list that is simple and wholesome.
- You can make it in under 15 minutes.
- It is nutrient dense.
- There will be plenty of people looking for a healthy option.
- The dressing is delicious, and you won’t need it all….perfect for tomorrow’s lunch!

For those of you observing Yom Kippur this week, this would be an awesome choice to bring to break-fast…..where the buffet is often lacking healthy options. This apple honey cake would be another great thing to bring. Who doesn’t like to break their fast on a pice of moist and flavorful cake? Wishing you all an easy and meaningful fast, and obvious healthy choices at the end of it.
📖 Recipe

Healthy Broccoli Salad with Simple Miso Dressing
Ingredients
Dressing:
- ¼ cup white Miso
- 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 2-4 Tablespoons water
Salad
- 1 lb. broccoli about 5 cups florets
- 1 cup chopped cabbage
- 3 scallions thinly sliced
- ¼ cup unsweetened unsulfured dried cranberries or cherries
- ½ cup sunflower seeds toasted
Instructions
- Make Dressing: Combine all ingredients, except water with immersion blender, or vigorous whisking, until well mixed. Gradually add water, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency. Thicker is better for the broccoli salad, but thinner is better if you have extra and want to use as an everyday salad dressing.
- Prepare the veggies: Trim broccoli and cut into bite sized florets, chopping stems into discs. (There is a lot of nutrition in the stems, so don’t just toss them. Trim off the woody part and what remains can be sliced into thin discs). Shred the cabbage and thinly slice scallions.
- Sunflower seeds: If they’re already toasted, you’re all set. If you have raw seeds, lightly toast in a dry skillet, shaking the pan so they don’t burn. Alternately, you can toast them in a 300 degree oven for 7-10 minutes, watching closely so they don’t burn.
- Place everything in a large bowl and pour half the dressing over. Toss well so everything is coated. Cover and store in fridge to let the dressing absorb and flavors gel. Minimum 2 hours or overnight. Taste to determine if more dressing is needed. Serve cold or at room temp. Leftover dressing can be used on any salad.
Notes
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
Gloria
Love the colours and crunch in the healthy and nutritious salad. The dressing sounds amazing, and brings all the flavours together nicely. This would be great for lunch, or as a side to a dinner….like with a burger instead of fries.
Debra Klein
I could totally see this on the side of a burger. Besides being healthier than fries, it packs a bigger flavor punch…and it’s crunchy too!
Melissa
This salad sounds perfect for picnics! I may have to bring this as a side to every one I go to from now on. Miso dressing is so good, I love that this salad has miso dressing instead of the usual dressing.
Debra Klein
Not such a difficult swap, and it makes a HUGE health difference. Perfect for a picnic.
jo
I am always looking for healthy fun recipes and this tops my search. so glad i found this and broccoli is my fave power food too. thanks for sharing and those pictures make me wanna dig in now.
Debra Klein
Thank you, and I agree that broccoli is a great food for energy.
Leanne
This salad dressing sounds so versatile and love that you make it with healthy ingredients. Gonna give it a try!
Debra Klein
Healthy is the name of the game, and so is versatility. Enjoy.
Lisa | Garlic & Zest
Now this is my kind of salad — perfect with grilled chicken or fish. Heck, I’d eat this one on its own for lunch. I’ve always avoided broccoli salad BECAUSE of the mayonnaise-based gloopy dressing, but your miso dressing sounds really light and flavorful. I love that miso flavor, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it in the store. Where do you buy your miso — because now I’m on a quest to find it.
Debra Klein
Most grocery stores carry Miso. Usually you can find it in the refrigerated section of the produce area. If you don’t see it, ask a store clerk because you shouldn’t have to shop around to find some.
Carmy
Your miso dressing sounds divine! I love a good broccoli dish (it was literally one of the few greens I would eat when I was a child!) and never thought to pair it up with miso! I can’t wait to give this recipe a try.
Debra Klein
I make a batch of that dressing every week. We put it on all our salads and it’s an awesome dipping sauce for raw veggies as well.
Tina - Monday is Meatloaf
This salad really is the healthy dish I’m always thinking is good for me at the office potluck, but isn’t. I think the addition of the sun-dried tomatoes if really interesting, and should be pretty tasty. This will be a great part of my meal prep this week!
Debra Klein
You are in good company! The sun dried tomatoes, and the miso dressing instead of Mayo are both nutritious and delicious. Enjoy.
Sarah
My husband LOOOOVES broccoli salad!! I’ve tried a few different recipes for him, but they were never quite right. I love that this has miso in it– it sounds like the perfect flavor punch! And so much healthier than the mayo versions!
Debra Klein
A man after my own heart! Hope this is the one for him!
Dana
I love how colorful this salad is! And I absolutely love the idea of miso dressing. Miso is so flavor packed. I think this would be a total hit at Friendsgiving this year!
Debra Klein
Friendsgiving is a perfect opportunity to make this salad….and you’re so right about the miso. Delish. Have fun!
Marisa Franca
The colors are gorgeous as well as the variety of textures. Just because a dish is nutritious doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be boring. This salad screams excitement — after all we feast on a dish first with our eyes. The dressing is definitely a compliment to the scrumptious salad.
Debra Klein
YES!!! Totally agree with all that you’ve said. Thank you.
Amanda
That miso dressing sounds absolutely divine! I love how you’ve balanced the sweet and savory with the addition of the maple syrup and the cranberries or cherries. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found myself gravitating away from mayonnaise based salads. This kind of broccoli salad would be right up my alley!
Debra Klein
This broccoli salad is right up everyone’s alley…..good for you for recognizing all the goodness here in nutrition and taste.
Jules
Loved this dressing. I will be making this one regularly now I’ve tried it. As for the salad, I love the variety and I added cauliflower, carrot, radish and capsicum (for more colour and vitamins).
Thanks so much for sharing this.
Debra Klein
Those additions sound good….and I’m with you on loving the dressing…it’s a winner!