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We love a traditional broccoli salad for any potluck or bbq, it’s easy to make ahead and everyone loves it.
In this broccoli apple salad version, we’ve changed it up with the addition of crunchy, colorful veggies, fruit, and nuts. It’s all tossed in a 4 ingredient light and tangy dressing!
Broccoli Apple Salad
- Easy and inexpensive ingredients and very little prep! Two steps? Yes, please!
- Sweet, savory, tangy, crisp, and fruity, this salad is full of flavor.
- Broccoli apple salad can be used as a side, in a veggie wrap or tucked into a pita pocket for an energizing mid-day lunch.
What’s in Broccoli Apple Salad?
BROCCOLI: Broccoli is the star here! Choose florets that are dry, bright green, and odorless. To save time, purchase pre-shredded carrots or shred them on a cheese grater.
FRUIT:
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- Grapes: Purple grapes give this salad a shot of color and some sweetness but green grapes work just as well. Slice the grapes in half before adding to the salad.
- Apples: Green apples will make the salad a little more tart and the red and yellow apples are softer and sweeter.
EXTRAS: Crisp bacon bits or chopped bacon are great. (I often make bacon in the air fryer while I prep the other ingredients)!
DRESSING: The dressing is super easy and tangy delicious (and great on coleslaw too).
PRO TIP: For extra crunchy sunflower seeds, sauté them briefly in a dry pan until they are barely fragrant. This makes them extra crunchy and intensifies their flavor.
Variations to Try
This is the fun part! Use half broccoli and half cauliflower, add small cubes of cheddar cheese, switch out the raisins for dried cranberries, replace the carrots with a bag of coleslaw, add some small pieces of torn kale.
To make this into a bigger salad (especially for a crowd), double the dressing and add pasta to turn it into a broccoli pasta salad.
How to Make Broccoli Apple Salad
Toss these ingredients together for this creamy salad:
- Prep ingredients. Toss in a large bowl.
- Whisk dressing ingredients together, toss with the salad.
- Top with more bacon bits, cover, & refrigerate (As per recipe below).
What to Serve With Broccoli Apple Salad
Served as a hearty side salad, broccoli Apple salad pairs perfectly with so many entrèes! Try Easy Grilled Chicken Breast, Grilled Pork Chops, or Balsamic Marinated Flank Steak. Don’t forget to add some Fluffy Dinner Rolls or homemade Focaccia bread!
Make-Ahead Miracle!
This recipe gets better as all the ingredients have a chance to blend. Make it, chill it, and serve it!
Best of all, it keeps for a few days too!
Our Fave Flavorful Salads
- Creamy Cucumber Salad – perfect summer salad
- Strawberry Spinach Salad – with goat cheese
- Cobb Salad – loaded with fresh veggies
- Easy Arugula Salad – a light lunch or side dish
- Farmers Market Salad – colorful & filling
Did you make this Broccoli Apple Salad? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Broccoli Apple Salad
Ingredients
SALAD
- 1 head broccoli cut into bite-sized florets
- ½ cup red seedless grapes sliced in half
- 1 large apple any variety, diced
- ⅓ cup carrots shredded or julienned
- ¼ cup red onion diced
- ¼ cup bacon bits divided
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- 3 tablespoons sunflower seeds
DRESSING
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
Instructions
- Combine mayonnaise, plain yogurt, sugar, and vinegar in a small bowl and chill. Set aside 1 tablespoon bacon bits for garnish.
- Toss broccoli, grapes, apple, carrots, onion, raisins, sunflower seeds, and remaining bacon in a large bowl.
- Add dressing to salad ingredients and toss to combine.
- Garnish with reserved bacon bits and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Great recipe, thank you!
This salad is fabulous. So good I am making it for Sunday dinner.
Absolutely awesome! Made it a bit smaller…just so you won’t think I overdid it but I ate the whole thing
So happy you enjoyed this recipe, Peggy!
All your links for “Rainbow Broccoli Salad” take me to “Apple Broccoli Salad.” (including within your search field). Now I see this “old” recipe below for “apple broccoli,” which has no apples and looks more like what a “rainbow broccoli” might.
Is it just the links that are wrong?
Below are the original ingredients and instructions:
INGREDIENTS:
1 head broccoli
1 red pepper , diced
1 yellow pepper , diced
3/4 cup cheddar cheese , diced
3/4 cup shredded or julienned carrot
1 cup chopped purple cabbage
1/4 cup sliced red onion
1/4 cup bacon bits
DRESSING
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup yogurt
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
DIRECTIONS:
Set aside 1 tablespoon bacon bits for garnish.
Toss all vegetables, cheese and bacon in a large bowl.
Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl, add to vegetables and toss to combine.
Garnish with reserved bacon bits and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
NOTES:
Optional: Add 1/4 cup sunflower seeds or chopped nuts.
Shocked and sad that you changed this recipe- we loved it the way it was. I wish I would’ve printed it. Any chance you can please give me the original ingredients?
Below are the original ingredients and instructions:
INGREDIENTS:
1 head broccoli
1 red pepper , diced
1 yellow pepper , diced
3/4 cup cheddar cheese , diced
3/4 cup shredded or julienned carrot
1 cup chopped purple cabbage
1/4 cup sliced red onion
1/4 cup bacon bits
DRESSING
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup yogurt
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
DIRECTIONS:
Set aside 1 tablespoon bacon bits for garnish.
Toss all vegetables, cheese and bacon in a large bowl.
Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl, add to vegetables and toss to combine.
Garnish with reserved bacon bits and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
NOTES:
Optional: Add 1/4 cup sunflower seeds or chopped nuts.
Thank you sooo much Holly Nillson! You made my day!
The ingredients don’t seem to match with the photos. The ingredients mention grapes and seeds, but the photos look like squash or cheese cubes and red peppers. Is there an error?
Hi Sher, the photos have been updated to match the recipe! Hope you enjoy :)
Very good, nice change
Thanks very good husband loved it
Yay! That’s awesome Brenda!
Can this be made the day before you will be serving the salad?
Yes it can.
Is there a substitute that can be used for the mayo…I can’t stomach it. Perhaps just a straight yogurt dressing?
I have only tried this recipe as written. I think you could try it with just yogurt. Let us know if you do try it Debbie!
I already commented but this turned out not only pretty but even the kids loved all the veggies and cheese. It will be made again soon!
I’m so glad your family loved it Sally! :)
Today is 2017 turkey day – made this early – homemade sauce – added craisins. After it sets up I am confident it will be delicious. Next time tho I will have individual bowls for ingredients and put together at same time with dressing. I put it all together last night but didn’t do dressing till this morning.
Thanks for sharing this delicious broccoli salad! I made this tonight & used 3 slices bacon crumbled, instead of the bacon bits.
So glad you enjoyed it Christine! Everything is better with bacon! :)
I have added Reduced Calorie Craisins…very good!
What a beauty as I’m loving all of the colors in this nutritious salad?!?!? Thanks for sharing!!
So bright and fresh! Looks delish!
I’ve always loved broccoli prepared every which way!
It is a staple in my kitchen because it can be used in so many delicious ways!
This looks delicious… and it’s healthy! Broccoli is usually a love it or hate it veggie… personally I think it tastes really good in a salad!
Aleeha xXx
Thank you for the nice recipes. Have a wonderful week.
You too Liz!! <3
Broccoli salad is one of my favorite things ever!! I adore broccoli and then that tangy-sweet dressing…so good! Love the rainbow version!
Thank you Averie!! We love broccoli salads too… the possibilities are totally endless!
This is such a beautiful salad! You eat with your eyes first, right? :) It’s so delicious and good for you, too! I think an addition of chopped mango would be awesome, too.
Mango would be delicious in this too, it’s such a nice fresh sweet flavor!