Superfood Broccolini Salad

Why a Creamy Broccolini Salad Belongs On Your Table

• Easy, seasoning ingredients. You’ll barely believe that the salad and dressing combined use less than 10 ingredients!
• No mayo. I replace mayonnaise in the dressing with creamy Greek yogurt for a lighter, tangier option.
• Use up your vegetables. Whipping up a salad is a great way to get the most out of your broccolini. It’s chock-full of the mellow, earthy, sweet flavor of this fresh cruciferous veggie.
• Quick to prepare. Using the food processor is a quick way to chop the broccolini stems into small, bite-sized pieces. You can have this salad on the table in minutes, and it’s a great make-ahead side dish to keep in the fridge.

Recipe Ingredients

These are the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this easy broccolini salad recipe. See the recipe card below for the full recipe with exact measurements.

• Broccolini – Stems included. Broccolini may have been difficult to find a decade ago, but it’s become a supermarket staple in recent years. Look for bright green broccolini with sturdy stems and tight-looking florets. Avoid veggies with soft spots or dry bases, and definitely steer clear of anything that appears to be flowering.
• Blueberries – You can easily swap fresh blueberries with another berry, such as blackberries or raspberries.
• Red Onion – Diced. If needed, use another mild salad onion, like Vidalia.
• Sunflower Seeds – I like to use unsalted seeds. Pumpkin seeds, pepitas, or nuts, like chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds, are all great alternative ways to give your salad a bit of crunch.
• Dried Cherries – You could also use craisins or raisins if you’d prefer. Dried blueberries are also a good option here if you can’t find fresh ones for the salad.

For the Yogurt Dressing

• Greek Yogurt – Be sure to use plain yogurt.
• Dijon Mustard – For the lightly spicy tanginess that makes this dressing shine. Yellow mustard or stone-ground will also work in a pinch.
• Honey – This adds a nice hint of sweetness. Feel free to swap it for another liquid sweetener, like maple syrup or agave, if needed.
• Apple Cider Vinegar – Red or white wine vinegar works nicely, too.

What is Broccolini?

Broccolini is actually a hybrid vegetable (non-GMO) combining common broccoli and Chinese broccoli. It has the long, lean stalks you’ll find in Chinese broccoli with the classic florets of common broccoli, only smaller.

Shop this Recipe

How to Make Broccolini Salad

Let’s walk through the steps of making the dressing, preparing the salad, and putting it all together. It takes just 10 minutes, and this is the perfect salad to make ahead for a gathering, BBQ, or otherwise. It has to be one of the easiest side dishes ever!

• Make the dressing. Add the Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, honey, and apple cider vinegar to a small bowl. Stir until everything is well combined. Set the dressing aside while you prepare the salad.
• Prepare the broccolini. Cut the florets off the top of the broccolini and add them to a large bowl. You should have roughly 2-3 cups of florets. Meanwhile, add the broccolini stems to a small food processor. Pulse 4-5 times, or until the stems are roughly chopped and almost look like a slaw.

• Assemble the salad ingredients. Add the stems to the bowl with the broccolini florets along with the blueberries, red onion, sunflower seeds, and dried cherries.
• Add dressing and serve. Pour your dressing over the salad and toss everything together until well combined. Serve immediately.

Recipe Tips and Variations

• Fresh is best. As is the case with any salad, you’re going to get the best flavors and results when you use the freshest ingredients. I don’t recommend making this salad with frozen and thawed blueberries or sunflower seeds that have been sitting in your pantry for 6 months.
• Swap broccolini for broccoli. If you can’t find broccolini where you live, simply swap it with broccoli instead and prepare the salad as directed.
• Mellow out the onions. Raw red onions can taste rather pungent, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea. To mellow the flavor of your diced onion, simply soak it in cold water for 5-10 minutes before adding it to the salad. And don’t forget to dry it off well.
• Chill the salad. Unless you’re serving your salad as soon as it’s done, refrigerate it in an airtight container until you’re ready to dig in. This helps it stay nice and fresh.
• Add-in ideas. You can really adapt this salad however you’d like. Add extras like crumbled bacon and crispy chickpeas, or more vegetables, like green beans, asparagus, or kale.
• Different dressing. Swap the creamy yogurt dressing with your favorite vinaigrette or any of these easy homemade salad dressings.

What to Serve With Broccolini Salad

Like potato salad, cucumber salad, and other creamy salad recipes, this fresh and crunchy broccolini salad makes a refreshing side dish for so many of my favorite summer dinners. These are some ideas.

• Proteins: For a simple and light meal, try this grilled chicken with spice rub or my honey mustard salmon.
• Chicken wings: A cool and creamy side salad balances out these spicy baked Buffalo chicken wings perfectly.
• Veggie mains: Filled with ground beef, red chili sauce, and melty cheddar cheese, these flavor-packed zucchini boats go wonderfully with a broccolini salad.
• Pulled pork: The sweet-savory flavors and creamy crunch of this salad make it a delicious stand-in for coleslaw next to pulled pork sandwiches or these fun-sized pulled pork sliders.

How to Store

This salad is best fresh, but leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I suggest storing the dressing separately from the salad if you’d like to make it in advance.

More Favorite Salad Recipes to Try

• Refreshing Watermelon Feta Salad
• Tabbouleh Quinoa Salad
• Mediterranean Orzo Salad
• Strawberry Spinach Salad
• Marinated Tomato Salad
• Creamy Cucumber Salad Recipe