Broccoli Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

Crunchy, refreshing mayo-free broccoli salad with lemon poppy seed dressing, dried cranberries, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and feta cheese. A perfect side dish for any meal!

For me, the ultimate wins-every-time broccoli salad formula is blanched broccoli with raw or candied nuts, dried fruit, and a homemade mayo-free dressing.

This easy broccoli salad with lemon poppy seed dressing fits the bill!

The sweet and tangy apples add a refreshing essence, and the creamy feta cheese, sour dried cranberries, nutty sunflower seeds and walnuts bring big bursts of flavor in every bite!

I love that the light and zingy lemon poppy seed dressing brings the whole thing together with refreshing flavor without making the salad heavy the way a mayo-based dressing can.

For the best texture, I like blanching my broccoli before turning it into salad, because it’s much easier to chew. It is also easier to digest!

Ingredient Notes:

Here are the main ingredients for this easy broccoli salad recipe.

Fresh Broccoli: The main ingredient. We need two crowns of broccoli or one bunch of broccoli with stems attached. I stick with broccoli crowns for the best texture, as broccoli stems can be tough.

Apples: Add sweetness and tanginess. Choose your favorite apple. I like honey crisp or envy apples.

Sunflower Seeds and Walnuts: We need some form of nut or seed for a little crunch. I like pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds the most.

Dried Cranberries: Brings sweetness and a little sour flavor. Swap it out for raisins if need be.

Green Onions: I love onions in broccoli salads, but red onions can be a little strong. For this reason, I go with green onion.

Feta Cheese: A little creamy flair, crumbled feta cheese is great in this healthy broccoli salad.

Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing Ingredients

Olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, poppy seeds, apple cider vinegar, pure maple syrup. The combination of these ingredients yields a tangy, right, zippy dressing. Use it in other salad recipes too!

How to Make This Broccoli Salad Recipe:

1. Step 1: Blanch the broccoli for 30 seconds in hot water. Immediately drain and transfer to an ice bath. Drain the broccoli into a colander to dry.
2. Step 2: Mix together the ingredients for the lemon poppy seed dressing in a small bowl or a measuring cup.
3. Step 3: Toss all of the broccoli salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Add salt to your personal taste.

Recipe Customizations:

• If you have any stray nuts, seeds, and dried fruit, toss them in the salad.
• Add excess produce that needs to be used up.
• Toss in some gorgonzola or blue cheese, goat milk feta, grated cheddar, parmesan, etc. When pressed to divulge my favorite, I’d have to say feta.
• Nut or seed-wise, I typically use raw. If you remember the Broccoli Salad with Honey Toasted Walnuts I posted a few years ago, I also love a good candied nut.
• Bacon? When in doubt, add it!

More Healthy Brunch Ideas

• Paleo Carrot Cake
• Sweet Potato, Sausage, and Kale Breakfast Casserole
• Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal
• Zucchini, Arugula, and Feta Frittata
• Paleo Morning Glory Muffins
• Paleo Blueberry Muffins
• Strawberry Orange Mango Kombucha Mocktails

Also try my Broccoli Slaw recipe for a different approach to broccoli salads.

Broccoli Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

5 from 1 vote

A fresh, vibrant broccoli salad recipe that is mayo-free and loaded with flavor for all your gatherings!

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Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 Servings

Ingredients

Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt to taste
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Broccoli Salad:

• 1 pound broccoli crowns 2 medium-sized crowns, chopped into florets
• 2 stalks green onion chopped
• 1/2 apple cored and chopped I used Cameo apple
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries see note*
• 1/3 cup raw walnuts chopped
• 1/3 cup feta cheese crumbles
• 2 tablespoons roasted sunflower seeds

Instructions

Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

• Add all the ingredients for the lemon poppy seed dressing except for the poppy seeds to a small blender. Blend until completely smooth. Stir in the poppy seeds until well combined. Set aside until ready to use.

Broccoli Salad

• Heat a pot of water on the stove top to boiling and add the broccoli florets to quickly blanch. Leave the florets in the boiling water just for 30 seconds or so. Strain, and immediately rinse with cold water. Allow broccoli to dry to pat it dry with a paper towel
• Transfer the broccoli to a large mixing bowl, along with the remaining ingredients for the salad. Pour in the lemon poppy seed dressing and toss everything together until well combined. Taste the broccoli salad for flavor and add more sea salt, and/or lemon juice to taste.

Notes

*I recommend using juice-sweetened dried cranberries rather than dried cranberries with added sugar

Make this a low-FODMAP recipe by omitting the apple

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Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving (of 10) · Calories: 151kcal · Carbohydrates: 15g · Protein: 3g · Fat: 10g · Fiber: 2g · Sugar: 3g

Author: Julia

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baked gluten free apple fritter, dairy free, dairy free recipes, easy healthy recipes, gluten free recipes, gut healthy recipes

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