Broccoli Salad Recipe with Blueberries, Red Onion, Dried Cranberries and Honey-Toasted Walnuts is a beautiful side dish for any of your gatherings.
This is not your momma’s broccoli salad recipe. I don’t even know what that means, I just wanted to say it.
Loaded with fresh blueberries, zippy red onion, tangy dried cranberries and toasted candied walnuts, it is the perfect side dish to just about any main dish. The candied walnuts really bring it up a notch!
Ideal for those who love broccoli salads but also love a little adventure, this easy recipe is here to support your desire for novelty.
Ingredient Notes:
Here are the ingredients needed to make this simple recipe.
Fresh Broccoli: The main ingredient! We need one large crown of broccoli, or a bunch of broccoli with the stems attached. You can blanch broccoli for 30 seconds in boiling water to soften it up a bit if you’d prefer.
Fresh Blueberries: Berries level up this unique broccoli salad recipe and turn it into a never-before-seen sort of situation.
Honey Toasted Walnuts: You’ll go wild over them! They add pizzaz, crunchy flavor and some sweetness to make the salad sing.
Dried Cranberries: Mandatory in all salads in my opinion! They add sweet and tangy flavor.
Dressing Ingredients: Plain Greek yogurt, avocado oil, pure maple syrup, and fresh lemon juice. This combination of ingredients yields a light creamy dressing.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Replace the fresh blueberries with dried blueberries and omit the dried cranberries.
- Use raisins instead of dried cranberries.
- Make my Rosemary Candied Walnuts for added flair.
- Swap the walnuts for pecans or almonds.
- Play with the portions of mayonnaise and Greek yogurt depending on your preference.
- Use pure maple syrup instead of honey.
- Add 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- Just add cooked bacon!
How to Make Broccoli Salad with Toasted Walnuts:
Cook all of the ingredients for the toasted walnuts in a small skillet until the walnuts are coated in honey and sticky. Once cool enough to handle, chop the nuts.
Mix the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl.
Toss all of the broccoli salad ingredients together in a mixing bowl with the creamy dressing.
Serve with your main dish, and enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
If you’re a lover of broccoli recipes, also try my Broccoli Slaw and my Broccoli Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing!
Here’s the recipe:
Broccoli Salad with Honey-Toasted Walnuts
Ingredients
- 2 large crowns broccoli chopped into florets
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
- 4.5 ounces fresh blueberries
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil mayonnaise
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
To Prepare the Honey Toasted Walnuts:
- Add all ingredients for the walnuts to a small skillet and heat over medium. Cook 5 to 8 minutes until mixture is very bubbly and walnuts have caramelized and turned golden-brown. Set aside and allow to cool. Chop the walnuts when cool enough to handle.
To Prepare the Broccoli Salad:
- Soak the broccoli in a large water bath for 10 minutes. Remove from the water and pat dry.
- Chop the broccoli crowns into small florets, and chop the broccoli stems. Add stems and florets to a large serving bowl.
- In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, honey, and salt.
- Pour this mixture over the broccoli and stir well to coat all of the broccoli with dressing.
- Add the red onion, blueberries, dried cranberries, and toasted walnuts. Toss everything together and serve with your favorite entree.
Nutrition
More Delicious Recipes To Bring to Any Gathering:
- Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes from Sarcastic Cooking
- Strawberry Cinnamon Twist Knots from A Kitchen Addiction
- Lemon Shortbread with Salted Chocolate Drizzle from The Lemon Bowl
- Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream from A Zesty Bite
- Blackberry and Mango Curd Pie from Joanne Eats Well With Others
- Super Simple Sugar Cookies from Espresso and Cream
- Raspberry Acai Frozen Margarita from Nutmeg Nanny
- Berry Coconut Frozen Yogurt from Well Plated
- Pretty in Pink Buttercream Cups from Keep it Sweet Desserts
- Neapolitan Baked Doughnuts from The Curious Plate
- No-Bake Rhubarb Cheesecake Parfait Cups from Hungry Girl Por Vida
- Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp from A Cedar Spoon
- Freckled Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade from Take a Megabite
- Vanilla Anise Cupcakes from A Classic Twist
- Mini Blackberry Hazelnut Meringue Cakes from Stephie Cooks
Bring the greens to the shower!!! this is right up my alley! love it!! happy baby shower to Steph too! XO
Can you imagine you and I attending the same baby shower? By the end of the shower, everyone’s vitamin levels would be completely maxed out 😉
What a gorgeous and fresh looking salad- I would adore this!
Thanks, Audra! <3
Girl, we need these greens to balance out our current sugar intake at this virtual par-tay! I love everything we have going on here – perfect! Thanks a million billion for playing with us today 🙂
You got it, sister! So happy to be a part of the celebration! xoxo
I’m glad SOMEONE brought some greens, because we were all going to be in hyperglycemic shock otherwise! And I so love a good salad at a baby shower, or just in life.
Haha! You ladies all came up with the most creative and tasty treats! I wouldn’t mind going into a sugar coma while making the rounds through your recipes!
I love all of the textures and flavors you threw into this broccoli salad. Someone has to bring something healthy and this is the perfect way to do it!
Woah, that’s a cool flavor combo! Never thought of pairing fruit with broccoli. Then again, don’t knock it til you try it, right? 🙂
Down with mayo too girl! Also, somebody has to bring the salad!!! It will help balance out everybody’s blood sugar.
I love you for bringing the greens, and I feel the exact same way about mayo. Soulmates? I think yes.
Oh my word this looks incredible.
Wow your Broccoli Salad looks amazing! Love the addition of blueberries and cranberries instead of the traditional raisins.
I love broccoli salad and I LOVE that this one doesn’t include raisins. The addition of blueberries is genius!
This looks so good! I love the addition of the blueberries. I can’t wait to make this – broccoli salad is one of my all time favorite summer salads!
This is my kind of broccoli salad! Love the blueberries and toast walnuts!
Mmm such a yummy salad!! Love it!
Loving the greens! And the blueberries and honey toasted walnuts? Yum!
I SO love that you brought the greens to the shower to balance everything out — this is so you and I love it. And I love YOU — thank you so much, friend, for this wonderful surprise! T-Rex hugs right back atcha.