This Healthy Broccoli Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing is made without mayo, but it’s still oh so creamy! It comes together in just minutes thanks to the food processor. And it’s the perfect fresh veggies side dish for simple dinners and bbq’s. It’s gluten free, dairy free, paleo, and vegan so it works for almost everyone as well. It’s a long time favorite of ours and I hope it turns into a new favorite in your household too!
This is my interpretation of the classic broccoli salad – but there’s no mayonnaise in this version! Not that I have anything against mayo, (I love homemade mayo) but I’ve never cared for it as a salad dressing. However, I do like things creamy as a general rule, so I used avocado to make this deliciously creamy dressing.
I’ve been looking for a new way to eat broccoli, (I’m afraid I’ve been in a boring habit, eating plain steamed broccoli) and so this salad came about. With summer temperatures approaching, (we hope…) I’m craving salads of all kinds. The creamy dressing for this salad is so simple and delicious that it makes a great partner for other salads as well.
Let’s jump in and make this Healthy Broccoli Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing!
To begin, peel the stem of the broccoli heads. Break up the broccoli into 3-4 inch pieces and place them in the food processor, or roughly chop the broccoli into bite sized pieces.
Budget Tip: When grapes are really expensive, try using diced up apples instead. They don’t keep as well as grapes, so be sure to add them right before serving.
Fit the food processor with the grater attachment and grate the carrots or you can use a box grater. I love using a food processor for this salad because it makes really quick work of the veggies.
Quarter or halve your grapes into bite sized pieces, and add them to the salad mix. You can toast the pumpkin seeds in a pan over medium heat on the stove top. Or place them in the oven at 300ºF for around 10 minutes or until lightly golden.
Note: to keep this salad 100% raw, leave the pumpkin seeds un-toasted.
Tip: keep back a little of the grapes and pumpkin seeds to scatter over the salad after you toss it with the dressing for a pretty garnish.
For the dressing, give the food processor bowl a quick rinse. Then place it back on the base fitted with the chopping blade. Then place all the ingredients for the dressing into the food processor and process until mostly smooth.
Toss the salad and dressing together until thoroughly combined. Scatter your reserved grapes and pumpkin seeds over the top and serve to appreciating guests.
On that note, I was curious to see how this salad would do with the ‘husband test’! I delivered a big bowlful, and when I came back a bit later he requested another bowl – definite success!
I find broccoli can be an overwhelming flavor at times, but not in this case. The carrots add body while the toasty pumpkin seeds add dimension. It’s all brought together with a creamy yet zesty dressing and the sweet crunchy grapes. The flavors are bright and refreshing, yet comfortingly creamy at the same time.
Note: This post was published a few years back. But it’s been so popular I gave it an update with new photos and tips!
PrintHealthy Broccoli Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Healthy Broccoli Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing is made without mayo, but it’s still oh so creamy! It comes together in just minutes thanks to the food processor. And it’s the perfect fresh veggies side dish for simple dinners and bbq’s. It’s gluten free, dairy free, paleo, and vegan so it works for almost everyone as well. It’s a long time favorite of ours and I hope it turns into a new favorite in your household too!
Ingredients
1 pound broccoli (2 small heads)
1/2 pound carrots, peeled
1 pound red grapes, quartered
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
Dressing:
2 avocados
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt, more or less to taste
Instructions
Cut the broccoli crowns away from the stems, then peel the stems of the broccoli and cut them into small pieces. Place the broccoli crowns and peeled stems in a food processor fitted with a chopping blade and pulse in 2 batches until small bite sized pieces remain. Set aside in a big bowl.
Fit the food processor with the grater attachment and grate the carrots. Set aside with the broccoli. Add the grapes and toasted pumpkin seeds and toss together.
Rinse the bowl and place it back on the base with the chopping blade for the dressing. Peel the avocados and remove the pit. Place all ingredients in the food processor and process until mostly smooth.
Toss dressing with the salad and serve. Salad can be refrigerated for a few hours.
Notes
To make this recipe completely raw, leave the pumpkin seeds un-toasted.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Category: Salad
- Method: Food Processor
- Cuisine: American
Hi: This sounds great, but I’m wondering what you do with the broccoli crowns. Do you include them anywhere? Thanks!
You also pulse the crowns in the food processor until you have the texture you desire, (small bite sized pieces). Thanks so much for asking because when I went back to read the recipe, I realized how unclear it was and fixed it! I hope you enjoy the salad, and be sure and let me know if you have anymore questions!
They’re pulsed together with the peeled stems in the food processor. I reworded the recipe, so hopefully it’s a little more clear now!
I have made this many times. Love it. I use raisins instead of grapes. Which added iron to the recipe. I also add garlic to the dressing and doubled the dressing. Also replaced the salt with pepper instead. Not necessary to add sodium to the recipe, the lime juice gives you the same satisfaction as salt. Learned that as I am salt sensitive. In addition I added diced purple onion tomthe salad. Never had any issues of the avocado turning brown. There is plenty of lime juice to help with that.
I’m so glad to hear you’ve been enjoying it, and thanks so much for writing out all your variations, I especially can’t wait to try out the red onion! 🙂
Yummy! I used only half of the grapes and next time I will use little less salt.
This recipe is a keeper. ☺
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, and made it your own! 🙂
Can I make this and use it for a baby shower . I would like to make it sat afternoon and have it for the shower at 1:00 on sun think it would hold up ok??
I would keep the salad, pumpkin seeds, and the dressing separate until you’re ready to serve it because it’s never quite as good the second day. It’s always best to make the avocado dressing the same day you’re going to use it because avocados tend to go brown, but if you do make it the day before be sure to place it in an airtight container where the dressing fills up the whole container, (that way there’s no air space that can make the avocado turn brown). Let me know if you have anymore questions and I hope your baby shower goes well! 🙂
Awesome recipe! Thanks a lot for sharing! 🙂
Want to try it once I get a food processor. Do you mind sharing what food processor do you use? I am currently looking for one and really confused about so many choices. Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I use the Cuisinart Elite 12-cup Food Processor, it has a smaller bowl that fits inside as well as discs for grating and slicing that are really nice to have, especially whenever you’re grating carrots. I’ll email you the link, I found mine at Costco but Bed Bath and Beyond has them as well.
Hi; found your blog randomly and just wanted to say I liked this broccoli salad idea and will be using this recipe for my next ‘eating healthy’ cooking demo at work. Great job with the photos and fun combination of vegetables and ingredients.
Thanks so much Alyse, I really hope you enjoy the recipe!