Healthy Broccoli Salad Recipe – with Video
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A deli classic, made easier on the waistline! You’ll love this healthy broccoli salad, it’s an absolute crowd pleaser at any barbecue. And don’t worry, it still has bacon!
I don’t know who first decided to combine raw broccoli, bacon, onions, and raisins in a creamy mayonnaise dressing, but I’m not mad about it. It’s been done a million different ways since its creation, but I wanted to create a healthy broccoli salad since the original version is on the heavy side (especially for a salad!).
But don’t worry, since my philosophy is everything in moderation (except popcorn), I didn’t ditch the bacon. I didn’t even use turkey bacon because I’ll be honest, I don’t really like the stuff. I like turkey sausage, ground turkey, turkey breasts, turkey tenders, turkey tenderloin, whole turkey, but I just can’t force myself to like turkey bacon. I just can’t! It’s not the same. Bacon to me is a treat, not an everyday thing, so I go ahead and splurge on the real thing. There’s truly nothing like it.
PS: I know this would have been a really super duper great recipe to publish before the 4th of July, but you know how it goes… Thankfully there is plenty of summertime left for barbeques and picnics.
I kept this pretty true to the classic salad you find in grocery stores. Red onions (even though we’re not huge raw onion fans — read on for my tips on that), crispy bacon, chewy raisins. They all bring their own unique quality to the salad and the combination is a home run every time.
Tips for this Healthy Broccoli Salad Recipe:
- If you soak the chopped onions in ice water for about 30 minutes before adding them to the salad, it takes the bite out of them and makes their flavor less strong. They are a great addition to this salad even if you think you don’t love raw onions! Or you could try pickled red onions for a different onion flavor.
- I loooove these jumbo raisins. You can use any old raisins but these add a special something and are extra chewy and juicy.
- I love the flavor that the celery seeds add. It’s a little drift from the classic deli-style broccoli salad, but try it, and I bet you’ll love it too.
- If you want to leave out the bacon, add roasted sunflower seeds for a nice crunch. Or do both!
Want more picnic-perfect salads? Try these:
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Ingredients
- 6 heaping cups coarsely chopped fresh broccoli - about 3 crowns or one large head
- 1/4 cup diced red onion (about 1/2 large red onion) - see note
- 1/2 cup crumbled or chopped cooked bacon
- 1 cup raisins (I like jumbo raisins)
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon celery seed (not celery salt!)
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine broccoli, onion, bacon, and raisins.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together dressing ingredients: yogurt, honey, vinegar, pepper, salt, and celery seed. Taste and add salt and pepper to season as you like.
- Pour dressing over broccoli and stir to combine until all broccoli is coated with dressing.
- For best flavor, refrigerate for at least one hour and stir again before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Husband’s take: Ben loved this! He still picked around the red onions, but he said, “I ate one by accident and they weren’t too bad.”
Changes I would make: None!
Difficulty: Easy!
Olivia says
I made this and it came out so good. Made it three times now! I leave out the bacon and add grapes.
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so glad to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment.
Kristine says
This is a keeper! I used what I had in the house: plain regular yogurt, celery salt (needed to double the amount), dried cranberries and toasted sunflower seeds instead of bacon. It was so easy and turned out great! Even my teenage son liked it!
Rachel Gurk says
Yum! Great swaps! So glad you liked it, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Charlotte H says
This was a really good recipe that was easy to make! I’m vegan, so I left out the bacon, and added chopped pecans instead. I also used Silk Cultured Coconut in place of the yogurt. It was fabulous!
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so glad to hear it! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment with your adaptations!
Melissa says
I’m making this for Easter. Super excited. I know you got a little push-back about the bacon, but I’m with you. Thanks for the recipe!!
Rachel Gurk says
Bacon for life! ;) I joked the other day that a certain cookie flavor changed my life and my son (he’s six) said: “A food can’t change your life! Except that one time when I tried bacon.” I agree with him. I hope you love this salad!
Barbara Koblinsky says
Actually pork is an unclean meat because of the way the pig digests its food. Read…The Makers Diet. He explains why we shouldn’t eat pork. Plus pohs are actually very intelligent animals.
Jenny Brown says
I don’t know how this salad can be described as “healthy” when it includes bacon, a known carcinogenic. It is also a product that causes horrible animal suffering. This salad is perfectly nice without it !
Rachel Gurk says
You are welcome to leave the bacon out of this recipe if eating it doesn’t fit in well with your beliefs.
Kristen Brown says
Uncured, pasture raised and humanely butchered bacon is actually a healthy source of protein/fat.
Rachel Gurk says
Very true! Everything in moderation, right? :)
Barbara KoblinskyB says
I totally agree with you. It is also not a clean meat because of the way a pig digests their food. They are intelligent animals also and scream when being butchered.
Melissa Griffiths says
Broccoli salad is my love language!!! This looks so good!
Rachel Gurk says
Thank you!!!
cakespy says
“Don’t worry, it still has bacon!” LOL! This looks incredible!
Rachel Gurk says
Life without bacon is not a life I want to live. ;)