Broccoli Salad Recipe with Creamy Lemon Dressing (VIDEO)
This Broccoli Salad Recipe with creamy lemon dressing is one of the first and most loved recipes on my blog; an oldie but a goodie! It is loaded with crunchy broccoli, crisp apples, chewy craisins and toasted pecans. The creamy lemon dressing brings everything together and it just works.
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This salad is perfect for potlucks, BBQ’s, picnics, you name it! This broccoli salad has been well loved by our family and readers for years.
*Pin this Broccoli Salad to your Salad Board HERE*
Can You Eat Raw Broccoli?
- It isn’t necessary at all to cook the broccoli in this salad. Broccoli eaten raw is more nutritious. We also love the crunchiness and vibrant color it adds to the salad. When the florets are cut small, they are easy to chew and so satisfying!
- How to Cook Broccoli: Some readers have shared good results with blanch the broccoli to soften it a bit. If you blanch the broccoli, just be sure it is chilled and patted dry before adding to the salad.
Broccoli Salad Recipes to Explore:
- Creamy Broccoli Almond Salad with cranberries
- Broccoli Grape Salad is always a hit at parties
- Cabbage Salad with Broccoli is easy and has a crazy good dressing
Watch How to Make Broccoli Salad:
Watch Natasha make this easy Broccoli Salad. I hope you’re inspired to make and experience it for yourself! If you haven’t already, please click to subscribe to our Youtube Cooking Channel and click on the bell icon so you’ll know every time we post a new video.
*Bonus: This broccoli salad also refrigerates well so if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, it will still be delicious the next day. The lemon dressing preserves the apples and prevents browning. So yummy!
⬇ Print the Broccoli Salad Recipe:
Broccoli Salad Recipe with Creamy Lemon Dressing (VIDEO)
Ingredients
Ingredients for Broccoli Salad Recipe:
- 2 broccoli heads (medium) stems included
- 1 large carrot grated
- 1 apple cored and chopped
- 1/2 small red onion (1/4 cup thinly sliced)
- 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts toasted
- 1/2 cup craisins or raisins
Ingredients for Creamy Lemon Dressing:
- ½ cup mayo
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- ½ Tbsp sugar or add to taste
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
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Peel the stems and chop full heads of broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Grate carrot, chop apple and thinly slice onion and transfer into a salad bowl. Add toasted pecans and dried cranberries.
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In a small bowl, whisk together all salad dressing ingredients then add dressing into the salad to taste and toss to combine.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Thank you for all of your fantastic reviews, and for sharing this recipe with the people you love! If you have a moment, please share this quick video on Facebook (or PIN it Here) and help me get the word out about this truly amazing recipe!
natashaskitchen
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Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I made this and at first felt the fresh squeezed lemon juice a little overpowering, but I added more than 1TB. of light brown sugar, plus a little milk, and then we loved it. The idea for brown sugar and milk was from another similar recipe. Will make this again, thanks!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
wow this is gonna be super easy to make !!!! and delicious too !! and thanks a lot for sharing such a good recipe and not just that it’s super healthy to eat !
You’re welcome!
Très contente d’avoir vos recettes de salades aux brocolis demain je vais faire celle avec pommes et pacanes MERCI ! je suis sure que mes amis vont l’aimer
Thank you and I hope this salad becomes a new favorite for you.
It’s timely for our weekend gathering at the backyard. It only shows and confirms its being a well-loved recipe by the readers and family. It is just overwhelming how it came to every table outdoors. I’m excited for the gathering now.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing that with us!
Just made this salad and it was so easy and is delicious! Thank you!!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Would this be good if you added poached chicken to it?
I haven’t tried that but I think it could work Sharlene, If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Hello, I would like to subscribe for this blog to obtain newest updates, thus where can i do it please help.
Hi, click here to subscribe to our email list and thanks for subscribing!
What can you substitute for mayo in recipes?
Hi Sandy, you can make this broccoli salad with Greek yogurt. I recall several readers subbed sour cream for plain Greek yogurt or just regular plain yogurt and one said she used Greek yogurt instead of both sour cream and mayo and still enjoyed the recipe.
The broccoli salad with lemon dressing was delicious. I found the onion a bit strong so googled & found I could soak the onion for 10 minutes in chilled water to tone down the sting.
I’m so happy that worked for you! Thank you for that great review, Annette!
Amazing!!!!! Love it!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review 🙂
I love this recipe very much as is for myself, but my daughter has food intolerance to product such as eggs, cow and goat milk, so I’m wondering what to use to replace mayo and sour cream since there is egg in mayo and I think there must be milk in yogurt and sour cream.
Hi Diane! That is a bit tricky with this dressing. I different dressing may work better than omitting the base. Here is what one of our readers posted ” Left out the sugar and dairy, just used the homemade mayo and lemon juice, it was bright and crunchy and excellent for this hot day.” I hope this helps!
Hi Natasha!
Will it work to replace an apple with a pear in the salad? I have pears in my hands and I want to use it up.
Thanks!
Hi Natalya, you can absolutely make this a broccoli pear salad. 🙂
It hit off really well with pears! Thank you so much!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy to hear that!
About how many cups of broccoli do you use?
Hi Lisa, I would guess it is about 7 cups of broccoli.
blanching the broccoli will kill parasites
Great point! I suppose that is the case with any veggie but broccoli does have a ton of surface area so it couldn’t hurt to blanch.
Is this broccoli not cooked at all?
Some people choose to blanch it. We left it fresh for the crunch!
Just made this Broccoli salad. Had a bowl and it is so yummy.Sure Hubby will enjoy later.,, Thanks
You’re so welcome, Wendy! I hope you both love it!
Hi Natasha! Can I make this salad ahead of time….maybe 5 hours……will it keep well? Thank you.
Hi Cathy! This broccoli salad refrigerates well so it will still be delicious in 5 hours and even the next day. The lemon dressing preserves the apples and prevents browning. So yummy!
Hello Natasha, this salad looks so delicious. However, my son has an egg allergy. Any alternatives with using mayonaise?
Hi Theresa! I recall several readers subbed sour cream for plain Greek yogurt or just regular plain yogurt and one said she used Greek yogurt instead of both sour cream and mayo and still enjoyed the recipe.
What a good way to use the small potatoes! I will try this yummy recipe, thanks!
You’re so welcome!
This salad looks delicious. I am on a strict diet, so I need to reduce the fat in the dressing. I think I will try replacing the sour cream and half of the mayo with Greek yogurt.
I’m so glad you found a way to make that work for you.
I always use greek plain yogurt, its great as a substitute with tacos instead of sour cream and you wont know the difference I use it all the time and my family has no clue its actually plain yogurt 😉
Wow, apple, raisins and broccoli! Love your recipe so much! It adds a new twist to kickstart my day
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I would like to make this recipe soon, however, I wonder if I could use Yogurt instead of Sour Cream in the dressing?
Hi Alice, I recall several readers subbed sour cream for plain Greek yogurt or just regular plain yogurt and one said she used Greek yogurt instead of both sour cream and mayo and still enjoyed the recipe. I have personally not experimented with subbing both.
I love yours reciptes, I’ve made few and they all are delicious!!!!!
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me :). I’m all smiles!
I really love the way you slice every ingredient into small pieces, it looks so yummy!!
– Natalie Ellis
Thank you Natalie!! Sometimes when we are in a hurry, we will also use the Vidalia Chop Wizard (Amazon affiliate link) to dice up the broccoli but I do like small bites of broccoli in this salad 🙂
I wonder if skipping nuts and Cranston’s altogether would be ok, trying to save calories ?
Hi Lisa, even though we love the tang and crunch from those ingredients, the salad would still work without them.
Can you make the dressing the day before and keep in the fridge and pour over the salad the next day? I can’t wait to make this.
Hi Mary, that would be fine, just keep it refrigerated!
Just made it , delicious!
I’m glad you like it Wanda! Thanks for sharing!
can I make this today without the dressing and serve tomorrow evening
Hi Doris, that would be fine, just keep it refrigerated 😀
is it ok to boil the brocolli first or just eat it raw as you have done? ive nvr eaten raw brocolli.
Hi Lotte, I would advice just using fresh broccoli. You will be pleasantly surprised 😀
what type of apple is best to use in this salad?
Hi Esme, I usually just use what I have on hand but it is best to use a crisp, sweet-tart apple like golden delicious, gala, honey crisp, there are so many good ones!
Thank you.
I made this tonight to go with Ham. It was such a nice fresh alternative to a boring hot vegi. Makes me feel better about eating scalloped potatoes. Will definitely make this again.
I’m glad to hear how much you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your great review with other readers!
I made this a couple of months ago it was a hit everyone enjoyed it. Now we’re having a Christmas party and I was asked to make it again. I love ❤️ it. Thanks for sharing.
Merry Christmas
You’re welcome Janet! I’m glad to hear the recipe is a HIT! Thanks for sharing your great review and have a blessed holiday!
I made it couples weeks ago,every one enjoyed Really good!
Awesome, I’m glad to hear that! Thanks for sharing your review!
Made this for Thanksgiving. It was a hit!!! So yummy!!! Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome Barb! I’m glad to hear the recipe was such a success! Thanks for sharing your great review!
Anyone ever add cheese to this awesome recipe?
Hi Andrea, I haven’t tried but one of my readers reported good results adding cheddar so I think it would be fun to experiment with cheese 🙂
I used sliced seedless green grapes instead of raisins or cranberries.
That sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing Anita!
Hi
Do you think small pieces of crispy bacon would work well? I would like to try this recipe for New Year’s eve. 🙂 Thank you
Lynda, I haven’t tried using bacon but that should work. Happy New Year!
this sounds yummy but i would like to know serving size calories and carbs in it, because i am diabetic. would really like to try this
This recipe serves 6 as a side salad. Due to time constraints, I don’t typically include nutritional info, but check out this nutrition analyzer – you can plug in the ingredients from any recipe, select the serving size and it will give you nutritional info, calories, etc. I hope that is helpful to you Shelia!
hi I will make this it looks yummy..just a question can I boil the brocilli a little.
Hi Shaz, I prefer the crunch in this salad from the raw broccoli but you can blanch it in hot water if you prefer it that way, just be sure it is well-drained so you aren’t adding water to the salad.
Hi Natasha, I just made this salad for dinner tonight to go with a roasted chicken, roasted carrots & potatoes. The dressing is just great, with the right amount of tang. I used toasted walnuts too. I hope it makes it to the dinner table! 🙂 I look forward to taking it for lunch tomorrow too. Well done! Thank you, Janet from Toronto, Canada
Hello Janet! I’m glad to hear how much you enjoy the recipe! Thank YOU for sharing your great review with other readers!
Haven’t made yet, although I certainly want too. Looks delicious. My question is, will the dressing go runny, if salad is made ahead, and refrigerated? I.e overnight.
Hi Brenda, it does not go runny when made ahead, just make sure your broccoli isn’t wet when adding to the salad – shake out the extra moisture before chopping.
Very good 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻Thank you!!!
You are welcome Grace and thank you for the nice review!
Do you have a nutrition count for this? Sounds really good though.
Due to time constraints, I don’t typically include nutritional info, but check out this nutrition analyzer – you can plug in the ingredients from any recipe, select the serving size and it will give you nutritional info, calories, etc. I hope that is helpful to you!
This is an excellent salad. I can’t wait to share it!
I’m glad you love the recipe Denise! Thanks for sharing 🙂
👍, looks fabulous, can’t wait to make it.
It’s delicious! I hope you love it Sharlene!
I am looking forward to trying this recipe!
It looks like a great variation to another salad (“Sunshine Salad”) that I’ve made before!
This is one of my most popular salad recipes, I hope you enjoy it! Please let me know what you think! 🙂
I am always able to adapt your wonderful recipes to our family’s needs. Left out the sugar and dairy, just used the homemade mayo and lemon juice, it was bright and crunchy and excellent for this hot day.
I’m glad to hear that Linda! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Made it – delicious! I went heavier on the onion, so more oniony than sweet. Tastes like it’d be good either way. Also, did kale instead of broccoli. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome Missy! Thank YOU for sharing your great review with other readers!
Sub yoghurt for sour cream and mayo? How?
I recall several readers subbed sour cream for plain Greek yogurt or just regular plain yogurt and one said she used Greek yogurt instead of both sour cream and mayo and still enjoyed the recipe. I have personally not experimented with subbing both.
I simply substituted equal parts of plain nonfat Greek yogurt instead. If you’ve ever had plain nonfat Greek yogurt, you’d think it was sour cream…nearly identical in consistency and flavor.
Thank you for this salad!! I made it today. It’s so easy but so delicious and healthy!!! It would be my favorite salad! Thank you:))
I am so glad to hear that! Thank you for the amazing review 🙂
Looks good. What are the nutrition facts of this recipe?
It is easy and delicious! Due to time constraints, I don’t typically include nutritional info, but check out this nutrition analyzer – you can plug in the ingredients from any recipe, select the serving size and it will give you nutritional info, calories, etc. I hope that is helpful to you Kim!
What a refreshing side dish! I had no sour cream on hand and substituted Greek yogurt. I absolutely love the lemon! I made this for a company cookout I was so very disappointed when there were NO leftovers for me to take home. This is a keeper, thanks for sharing it (again!).
You’re welcome! I’m so happy to hear how much everyone loves the recipe! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!
La amé. Super fácil y deliciosa
¡Me alegra que disfrutes de la receta! ¡Gracias por compartir!
If you blanch your brocelli abt 60 seconds plung in ice bath. You will find it a lot better to chew. Promise just try it
Hi Linda, do you lose the nice crunch when you blanch though? I do love the crunch of fresh broccoli.
The salad looks great !! I will be trying it !!
It is so easy and popular! Please let me know what you think!
Made your Salad last week, and the Family’s asking for it again this week. 117 degree temp predicted for tomorrow, so this should help without turning the stove on!
Oh man that’s hot! I’m glad to hear everyone enjoys the recipe Jackie! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Super ! Salade vedette cette semaine. Le brocoli blanchi 1-2 minutes est parfait, moins dur à croquer. Merci.
Can you reduce this receipe down for one?
Hi Betty, I think it’s do-able but probably difficult since you would have most of the ingredients left over after making 1 portion. It would probably be much easier to reduce it down by half.
Do you use a tart or sweet apple?
Hi Pamela, I use a sweeter crisp apple to add some sweetness to the salad 🙂
This was an amazing salad and is now our family’s regular. I did leave off the nuts since we have nut allergies in the family and it is outstanding without the nuts. I love it chopped fine vs large pieces.
I’m happy to hear your family enjoys the recipe as much as mine does! Thanks for sharing Lilya 😀
Creamy Broccoli Apple Salad was a hit.
Thank you
Kandy
You’re welcome Kandy! Thanks for sharing your great review!
So delicious salad! It can be eaten as by itself, without a main course. Carrots and an apple are a good combination for vision, and pecans-for increased energy level. Thank you 😍
Thank you for another wonderful review Natalya 😬
Hi Natasha! I was a little unsure of this salad combination but I decided to try it. Delicious!! Even my husband, who is not a fan of mayo-based dressing, loved it!! He finished the leftovers when he was working from home.
YES! I’m so happy to hear you both enjoy the salad Eva! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I made this salad recently and it is a keeper! Made a couple tweaks to it, added the lemon zest and no sugar to the dressing thinking the apple, cranberries, and carrot will give their natural sweetness and they did.
Great recipe!👍
Sounds great! Thanks for sharing your review Raymond! 🙂
I’m not sure of the amount of broccoli to use. Can you give me an estimate of how many cups of pieces to use?
Hi Cindy, I would guess it is about 7 cups of broccoli.
This looks delicious! Do you think it would be a good idea to blanch the broccoli?
Hi Linda, I would not recommend blanching since you will lose that crisp texture that we love so much and the flavor profile wouldn’t be quite the same if it is blanched.
I blanched for no more than 1 min and it was still crunchy
Can I make this the night before?
Hi Kathy, yes that will work fine 🙂
How about a little lemon zest in the dressing
Hi Raymond, one of my readers mentioned adding zest to the salad with great results. I haven’t tried it myself but it does sound nice!
I recently made this for an elderly couple who have health problems and needed some meals to help them out. They both were so excited about this salad! The wife said she typically doesn’t care for broccoli salads (I didn’t know!), but she loved this one! The husband since then has asked for the recipe, and they have both not forgotten it! Thanks so much for sharing. This will be a regular for us 😊
Mercede, I’m so happy to hear that 😬. Thank you for taking the time to share that with us and you are very welcome!
I tried this with a honest person and they enjoyed it and so did I. VERY DERICIOUS!
Thank you for your video, it helped.
You’re welcome! I’m happy to hear that everyone enjoyed the recipe!
Is this recipe real mayo or miracle whip
Renee, I used real mayo.
I plan to make this for Easter dinner.
Please let me know what you think of the recipe!
I used Vegan Mayo and Vegan Sour Cream and left out the sugar. It is delicious. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
You’re welcome Sheryl! I’m happy you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Sounds and looks great. One question though, is the broccoli blanched or raw? Thanks
Lance, broccoli is raw 😬
I sure could use the amount of carbs per serving information
Due to time constraints, I don’t typically include nutritional info, but check out this nutrition analyzer – you can plug in the ingredients from any recipe, select the serving size and it will give you nutritional info, calories, etc. I hope that is helpful to you Jerry!
This is a hit with my co-workers. Thank you for this recipe. 😊
You’re welcome Kathleen! I’m glad to hear everyone enjoyed the recipe!
This was delicious, and very simple to make. I have made a similar salad with some tiny bits of cheddar cheese added and it was really good too. Thanks for a great recipe!
You’re welcome Vivian! I’m happy to hear you enjoy the recipe!
Hi,natasha. I made for lunch the turkey recipe u posted, this salad,& turkey gravy it turned out so good. Thanks,so much for all the good recipes. Made a spong cake yesterday evening w/peaches inside &on go,it sure was good. God bless u & ur beautiful family. For ur dream house yet? Its always nice to come back to ur parents home & chill for a little it brings memory back.
Hi Olga! I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes :). We’re still house hunting and are exciting for spring to roll in and seeing more homes listed :). I agree though – being at my parents house is the best place we could be between homes 🙂
I made this salad today and it was so delicious we couldn’t stop eating!!!
Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!
You’re welcome Beatriz! I’m glad you love it! It’s one of my favorites! 😀
This salad is delicious, thank you for sharing it, my family truly enjoyed it also.
You’re welcome Patricia! I am so glad to hear your family enjoys the recipe as much as mine does! 🙂
Soooo good! Definitely my new favorite salad! I didn’t even like eating raw broccoli. Thanks Natasha for this recipe.
Awesome! I’m so glad to hear you enjoy the recipe Peggy! Thank for sharing 🙂
Natasha, I tried this the other day and it is excellent – I have been eating it everyday. Thank you – Jeri
You’re welcome Jeri! I love hearing reviews like this! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Made this salad today and it’s delicious. I love the apples in the salad! We had company over and now I’m finishing up the salad after the guests left 🙈
LOL! That’s awesome Tonya! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
What a pretty salad! I love the lemon dressing on top! That makes the whole thing more light and vibrant. Yum!
It IS so delicious! I am glad to hear you enjoy it Shelby!
I am eating a bowl of this as I type, it is SO delicious. I didn’t have any sour cream on hand so I substituted plain yogurt. I’ve been trying to find a way to make myself like broccoli again while I’m expecting and this totally did the trick. Will be making this again soon! Thank you so much Natasha!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!! Thank you for sharing that you enjoyed it with plain yogurt! 🙂
1. You need to be on TV!
2. I love broccoli salad, and your version looks delicious – it will be perfect for the office Mardi Gras potluck in 2 weeks.
That is an amazing compliment! Thank you so much 🙂 Your comment made my day!
I love love love broccoli salad! This version sounds delicious.
It is so GOOD and super POPULAR! Let me know what you think Sara 🙂
ah, see you correct the raisins 🙂
Hi Nancy, this recipe works equally well with raisins or craisins. I use whatever I have on hand 🙂