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Brimming with broccoli, juicy apples, turkey, cranberries, and crunchy pecans, my homemade Broccoli Salad with Apples recipe is beyond flavorful and wholesome! Complete with a savory, sweet, and tangy dressing, it's ready to enjoy in just 10 minutes. You will love every bite of this perfectly balanced, wholesome broccoli apple salad!
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Best Broccoli Salad Recipe
I love when a salad focuses on one type of fruit or vegetable as the main ingredient. It’s a fun way to spruce things up in the kitchen and squeeze more of your daily veggies into your meal plan.
Even the pickiest of eaters love my broccoli apple salad recipe! The bright and juicy apples are the perfect sweet complement to broccoli, and with savory red onions, carrots, and crunchy pecans, it could not get more delicious.
Creamy homemade broccoli apple salad is super yummy year-round, but I especially love to make it during the summer and autumn months, when the veggies are in their prime. It is a fantastic side dish for the dinner table for everyday meals, at gatherings, holidays, and even packed for picnics!
FAQs
Typically, broccoli salad with apples consists of broccoli plus seasonal ingredients, like cranberries and turkey, tossed in a creamy, mayo-based dressing. My version includes broccoli, carrots, red onions, apples, pecans, cranberries, turkey, and a lemony mayo-based dressing.
Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, broccoli apple salad lasts for up to five days. This broccoli apple salad actually tastes better over time, as the flavors have time to meld together!
Broccoli salad is best enjoyed fresh, so freezing is not recommended. However, you can make the dressing ahead and freeze it for up to 6 months. This way, all you need to do is thaw the dressing and assemble the salad for an easy and convenient side dish! Assemble the dressing, store it in an airtight container, and freeze after labeling with the date.
My recipe for homemade broccoli apple salad is naturally gluten-free, enjoy!
Simply omit the turkey in this recipe for a perfect vegetarian side dish.
Broccoli Salad with Apples Ingredients
- Broccoli florets
- Shredded carrot
- Red onion
- Apples
- Pecan pieces
- Dried cranberries
- Deli turkey or leftover turkey from the holidays
- For the dressing: mayonnaise, nonfat Greek yogurt, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper to taste
The dressing on my broccoli apple salad is creamy yet light, with just enough tang from the lemon juice and sweetness from the sugar. Greek yogurt also adds a rich and velvety texture. The taste is balanced and delightful. As an added bonus, the lemon juice in the dressing will keep the apple from turning brown!
What I love most about this broccoli apple salad is how versatile it is. You can swap out the ingredients however you like, which is so fun to do for seasonal salads! Plus, this is a great leftover turkey recipe. If you want to enjoy turkey in a fun new way after the holidays, make my broccoli salad with apples!
Variations
- Try using broccoli rabe! When properly prepared, broccoli rabe tastes slightly bitter at the stem, while the leaves and buds are nutty and pungent but not as bitter as the stems. The buds taste similar to broccoli heads.
- You can also use broccolini. Broccolini is a hybrid vegetable, crossed between regular broccoli and Chinese broccoli. The flavor of broccolini is more mild, with a sweet, earthy taste.
- Use any apples of your choice. In my opinion, the best apples for broccoli apple salad are whatever is in season, but in general I look for McIntosh, Macoun, Fiji, or Gala apples.
How to Make Broccoli Salad with Apples
- Cut apples into ¼-inch slices, then cut those slices in half. Cut broccoli florets into bite-size pieces. Dice turkey into bite-size pieces, and crush whole pecans into smaller pieces by hand or coarsely chop them with a knife. Finally, thinly slice red onion. Add all prepared ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, nonfat Greek yogurt, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper until smooth to form your dressing. Pour the dressing over your salad ingredients and toss everything together in the bowl. Serve chilled, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- For best results, always use seasonal and fresh produce.
- This salad is great to make ahead, it will last for up to 5 days in the fridge. The longer the ingredients sit together, the more the flavors will marinate!
- If you don't want to make the entire salad ahead, you can assemble the salad separately and make the dressing ahead. Toss just before ready to serve.
- Thinly slice those red onions! The thicker they are, the stronger their flavor will be. It's better if they're very thinly sliced.
More Easy Side Dishes
- Burrata Salad Recipe
- Sauteed Garlic Mushrooms
- Cauliflower Rice Recipe
- Baked Creamed Corn Casserole
- Rocket Salad with Pear
- Spinach Salad Recipe
Try this side dish for the holidays, along with my other Best Side Dishes for Thanksgiving, Easter Vegetable Side Dishes, or my High Protein Side Dishes!
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Broccoli Salad with Apples
Equipment
- 2 mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 1 pound broccoli florets
- ½ cup shredded carrot
- ½ cup red onion thinly sliced
- 3 large apples sliced
- ½ cup pecan pieces
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 1 pound thick-cut deli turkey diced, or leftover turkey shreds
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoon sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut apples into ¼-inch slices, then cut those slices in half. Cut broccoli florets into bite-size pieces. Dice turkey into bite-size pieces, and crush whole pecans into smaller pieces by hand or coarsely chop them with a knife. Finally, thinly slice red onion. Add all prepared ingredients to a large mixing bowl.1 pound broccoli florets, ½ cup shredded carrot, ½ cup red onion, 3 large apples, ½ cup pecan pieces, ½ cup dried cranberries, 1 pound thick-cut deli turkey
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, nonfat Greek yogurt, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper until smooth to form your dressing. Pour the dressing over your salad ingredients and toss everything together in the bowl. Serve chilled, and enjoy!1 cup mayonnaise, 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt, 3 Tablespoons lemon juice, 2 Tablespoon sugar, salt and pepper to taste
Notes
- For best results, always use seasonal and fresh produce.
- This salad is great to make ahead, it will last for up to 5 days in the fridge. The longer the ingredients sit together, the more the flavors will marinate!
- If you don't want to make the entire salad ahead, you can assemble the salad separately and make the dressing ahead. Toss just before ready to serve.
- Thinly slice those red onions! The thicker they are, the stronger their flavor will be. It's better if they're very thinly sliced.
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