A delicious and healthy broccoli salad that is perfect for summer cookouts. It’s light and crunchy and made with NO mayo! (gluten-free)
Want to know something funny? My hubby HATES cooked broccoli. When we started dating, I would cook him dinner (including lots of veggies, I wanted him to be healthy!), and for the most part he ate almost anything I cooked. The first few times I made broccoli, he ate it willingly, most likely afraid of hurting my feelings, but since then he has made his true feelings about broccoli known. He thinks it’s mushy and soggy and gross no matter how hard you try to NOT overcook it. Lesson learned. No cooking broccoli.
But the good thing? He LOVES this broccoli salad. I was afraid the first time my mom made it at a summer cookout he attended with my family, and to my surprise, he happily ate plenty of it! I was shocked! Must be the bacon.
Come to find out, hubby loves raw broccoli, he just hates it cooked. Fair enough. Broccoli Salad it is! I actually adore this healthy broccoli salad, too. It’s packed with broccoli, grapes, raisins, pecans, and yes – bacon! Though I’m not huge on bacon so I sometimes leave it out. But hubby must have the bacon.
This healthy broccoli salad is great for summer cookouts. It goes with almost anything, and is so easy to prep ahead of time. I think the flavors get even better after sitting for a bit. It’s always a huge hit! And with my homemade Greek yogurt-based dressing that includes no mayo, it’s a healthy side dish too. But nobody will know, they’ll just know it’s delicious!
We will be making this yummy and healthy broccoli salad all summer long while I try to find a way to make my hubby like cooked broccoli, like this Healthy Hot Broccoli Dip! What’s your favorite summer salad?
A delicious and healthy broccoli salad that is perfect for summer cookouts. It's light and crunchy and made with NO mayo! (gluten-free)
Ingredients
- 1 small head broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1/3 cup red onion, diced
- 1 cup red grapes, halved
- 1/4 cup raisins, dried cranberries or both
- 1/4 cup toasted pecan pieces
- 2 pieces of cooked bacon, fat trimmed and crumbled
- 1/2 cup plain nonfat greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp cold water
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- Pinch sea salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine broccoli, onion, grapes, raisins, pecans, and bacon.
- In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour over broccoli mixture. Stir to coat.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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I’ve actually never made a broccoli salad before- I’m going to have to try this! I love the combination of textures and savory and sweet flavors in this dish. I also like that you used Greek yogurt in the dressing instead of mayonnaise.