Food Recipes This Broccoli Salad Is the Perfect Summer Side Be the first to rate & review! This crispy, sweet, punchy salad is ready in 15 minutes. By Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner is a writer and recipe developer. She's a regular contributor to The New York Times, Time Out New York, Forbes, and many more publications. She also writes the food newsletter, Specialty. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on May 30, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Olga Miltsova/Getty Images Prep Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Total Time: 15 mins Servings: 4 servings Yield: 4 servings Jump to Nutrition Facts Potato and egg salad step aside, this is the summer of broccoli salad. It’s green, it’s intriguing, crisp, delicious, and hyper-versatile. Tasty cold, at room temperature, and even leftover, broccoli salad is the super easy-to-make side that you’ll be enjoying all season. Broccoli salad is quick to assemble, and can pair with a wide range of picnic, barbecue, and potluck dishes. Broccoli is crisp and refreshing to enjoy raw, but if you prefer a softer texture, quickly blanch your broccoli florets and pat the veggies completely dry before dressing them. Frozen broccoli won’t work here – it’s too mushy. But pre-cut broccoli florets make prep even faster, and any leftover steamed or roasted broccoli can also work in a pinch. The best part of this broccoli salad is that it’s super versatile. The format can be endlessly changed and adapted to various meals or cuisines. Have fun with vinegar—swap in a fancy balsamic or a fun-flavored vinegar for the vinaigrette. Add citrus zest for a zingy twist, or toss in a dollop of Greek yogurt or mayonnaise for a slightly creamy addition. For crispness, any salad toppings you love work well here—bite-size croutons, sesame seeds, puffed rice or quinoa, wonton strips, uncooked ramen noodles—the crunch is all up to you! Some people like an element of sweetness in their broccoli salad, like craisins, golden raisins, or dried cherries. You can also add some shredded carrots or purple cabbage for extra vegetables, or to stretch your leftovers into a new, fresh salad. It’s a choose-your-own adventure salad, guaranteed to be delicious. Here’s how to make it. Ingredients 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup vinegar (such as white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or a combination) 1 tablespoon dijon mustard 1 clove garlic, peeled 1 teaspoon honey 1 tablespoon italian seasoning 1/4 tsp salt and pepper, to taste 1 broccoli crown, washed and chopped into florets 1/4 cup parsley, chopped (or other herbs) ¼ cup chopped nuts (such as walnuts, almonds, or pecans) 1/4 cup feta cheese Directions To a food processor, blender, or medium-sized bowl, add the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, honey, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to make the vinaigrette. Blend or whisk until combined. Add dry broccoli to a medium size bowl. Toss with parsley, nuts and cheese. Add the vinaigrette and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Allow the salad to marinate for at least 10 minutes in the refrigerator before serving. Toss the salad again to distribute the dressing. Serve with extra cheese, crunchy elements, and fresh pepper and herbs on top. Rate It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 310 Calories 32g Fat 5g Carbs 3g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 4 Calories 310 % Daily Value * Total Fat 32g 41% Saturated Fat 5g 23% Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 206mg 9% Total Carbohydrate 5g 2% Dietary Fiber 2g 6% Total Sugars 2g Protein 3g 5% Vitamin C 22mg 25% Calcium 41mg 3% Iron 1mg 7% Potassium 154mg 3% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.