Broccoli Apple Salad

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Sweet, crunchy and tangy, this broccoli apple salad hits all the flavour and texture notes! It features raw broccoli with apples, pecans, cranberries and brussels sprouts, all coated in a delicious creamy dressing.

This recipe is super easy to customize. You can make it with homemade oil-free mayo, use walnuts or pecans, cranberries or raisins, with or without squash, or try additional ingredients like carrot or red onion.

Take this salad along to a summer BBQ, picnic or potluck or serve it as part of your next holiday meal. With fall ingredients like brussels sprouts and butternut squash, it’s perfect for Thanksgiving, especially since it’s even better prepared in advance.

Ingredient Notes

This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.

For the Broccoli Apple Salad

• Broccoli: Make sure you use crisp, fresh broccoli for the best result.
• Butternut Squash: The squash is optional but adds a yummy, colourful twist to classic broccoli salad. The squash can be roasted or steamed.
• Brussels Sprouts: Make sure you slice these very thin. You can use a food processor, sharp knife or mandolin.
• Apple: Use a crisp green apple such as Granny Smith.
• Cranberries: Use any dried cranberries you enjoy. Fruit-juice sweetened are great if you can find them. These can be substituted with any variety of raisins.
• Pecans: Use raw or dry-roasted pecans or substitute them with walnuts or chopped almonds. For a nut-free option, you can replace the pecans with sunflower seeds.

For the Dressing

• Mayonnaise: Use your favourite store-bought vegan mayo or try the oil-free tofu mayo recipe.
• Maple Syrup: This can be substituted with sugar or agave syrup.
• Dijon Mustard: Any variety of dijon mustard or wholegrain mustard works well here.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: This can be substituted with fresh lemon juice or regular vinegar.

If you’d like to add the squash, get that started first. Prepare the squash by peeling and removing the seeds. Cut the squash into cubes.

If you’re roasting the squash, preheat the oven to 400 F. Evenly spread the cubes of squash on a baking pan with 1 tsp oil and some salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast the squash until fork tender. This should take 20-25 minutes.

If you want to steam the squash, bring 1-inch of water to a boil in a saucepan with a steamer basket. Add the squash, cover and steam for about 15 minutes. Once the squash is cooked, set aside to cool.

While the squash is cooking, mix up the dressing ingredients until completely smooth and combined.

Mix all of the salad ingredients up in a large mixing or serving bowl then add the dressing and toss until all the ingredients are coated in the dressing.

Once it’s all mixed up, pop it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the broccoli to soften up as it soaks up the dressing and for all the flavours to mix together. After that, it’s ready to enjoy!

Variations & Additions

• Try grated carrot instead of or in addition to the shredded brussels sprouts.
• Add up to 1/2 cup diced red onion for tangy crunch.

Tofu Mayo Recipe

For an oil-free salad dressing, you can make this oil-free tofu mayo recipe to use in the dressing:

• 250 g medium tofu
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1-2 Tbsp water (add enough water to blend easily and achieve a creamy consistency)
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp salt

Place all of the ingredients in a blender. Process it for 1 min, until smooth and creamy. Season it with additional salt to taste. For the best flavor, allow it to rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before using it in the recipe.

Note that you’re using this to replace the mayo and still adding the other dressing ingredients once this is prepared.

Storing Instructions

• Can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• You can wash and chop the broccoli 1-2 days in advance and store it in the fridge.
• The squash can be cooked 1-2 days in advance and stored in the fridge.
• This recipe is not suitable for freezing.