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Made with fresh broccoli, crisp apples, juicy oranges, and a light and bright citrus dressing, this Broccoli Apple Salad is sweet, tangy, and absolutely delicious!
Looking for more ways to prepare broccoli? Don't miss my recipes for Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole, Broccoli Cheddar Soup, and Parmesan Roasted Broccoli.
Broccoli Apple Salad at a Glance
A broccoli salad made with fresh apples and oranges may sound like an odd combination. But there are so many reasons to give this recipe a try!
- Light and Refreshing Alternative. Ditch the heavy, mayo-laden broccoli salad! This salad features a bright citrus vinaigrette that lets the fresh ingredients shine.
- Packed with Flavor and Texture. With crisp apples, crunchy broccoli, sweet cranberries, and nutty sunflower seeds, every bite is sweet, tangy, and satisfyingly crunchy.
- Wholesome and Versatile: Naturally gluten-free and easy to make vegan-friendly, it's perfect for potlucks, picnics, or a healthy lunch prep staple.
Trust me, after one bite you will be making this Broccoli Apple Salad on repeat!
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
- Broccoli: Fresh broccoli florets, not broccoli slaw or frozen. cooked broccoli.
- Apples: Select sweet, firm apples like Gala, Honey Crisp, or Fuji.
- Oranges: Seedless navel oranges are best.
- Onion: For the best flavor, use a red onion, shallot, or sweet onion, rather than a yellow onion.
- Sunflower Seeds: Toasted and salted for crunch and flavor.
- Broccoli Salad Dressing: This dressing is made with fresh orange juice, olive oil, honey, apple cider vinegar, and garlic for a sweet, tangy dressing that compliments all the flavors in the salad itself.
How to Make Broccoli Apple Salad
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Prepare Citrus Dressing. In a small mixing bowl whisk together orange juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, garlic, and olive oil.
- Chop Broccoli. Cut the broccoli florets off the stem and then cut into bite-sized pieces.
Don't toss the Stem
While the stem won't become tender in the salad, don't throw it away. You can grate or shred the broccoli stem and use it to make the filling for Baked Egg Rolls or Vegetable Potstickers.
- Combine Salad. Toss the broccoli florets, diced apples, orange segments, diced onions, dried cranberries, and edamame together in a large bowl. Add the prepared dressing and toss everything together until evenly combined.
- Chill Before Serving. In order for the broccoli florets to become tender and the flavors to meld together, it is best to chill the salad for 2 hours prior to serving. I don't recommend longer than 24 hours, as the apples will begin to brown by that point.
- Add Sunflower Seeds and Serve. Before serving the salad add the sunflower seeds to the salad and toss to distribute evenly. This keeps the sunflower seeds nice and crunchy.
Recipe Modifications
- Make it Vegan-Friendly: Swap the honey out for maple syrup in the dressing.
- Add Nuts: Instead of adding sunflower seeds which add a nice texture to the dish, add chopped walnuts, pecans, cashews, or almonds.
- No Fresh Oranges? Swap the fresh oranges out for one 14-ounce can of mandarin oranges that have been drained.
- Use Prepared Orange Juice in Dressing: While freshly squeezed orange juice is best, you can certainly replace with refrigerated. prepared orange juice.
- No Dried Cranberries? Omit them or add golden raisins in their place.
More Potluck-Worthy Side Dishes
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Broccoli Apple Salad
Video
Ingredients
Broccoli Apple Salad Dressing
- ⅓ cup orange juice
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey, or maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Broccoli Apple Salad
- 2 medium seedless navel oranges, segmented and cut into chunks
- 4 cups broccoli florets, chopped into bite size pieces
- 2 large apples, chopped into bite size pieces
- ¼ cup red onion, minced
- 1 cup defrosted edamame
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds, optional
Instructions
- Whisk together ⅓ cup orange juice, 2 cloves garlic (minced), 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon honey, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt together in a small bowl until well incorporated. Set aside.
- Segment the oranges by using a sharp knife to carefully slice the skin away from the flesh of the orange. Trim off any white pith that remains and then cut between the membranes to segment the orange. Cut the orange segments in half.
- In a large mixing or serving bowl, combine the fresh broccoli, prepared oranges, diced apples, minced red onions, edamame, and dried cranberries together. Add the prepared dressing to the vegetables and toss well.
- Cover and chill the salad for at least 2 hours prior to serving. Before serving, toss again and then top with sunflower seeds.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe originally shared in 2020 and updated in 2025.
This was soooooooooooooo good <3
I made this yesterday and ate it (2 portions) between then and today.
I cut the florets a bit big though, so will do it smaller next time round - which will be tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My vegan daughter will be visiting from tomorrow for two nights and I'm planning to do the salad again (but with maple syrup this time - I took honey) and having had it "marinading" in the dressing overnight was incredible so I'll make it tomorrow and we'll eat it the following day 🙂
Thank you sooooooooooooo much for this recipe - I'll be making it regularly for me and it'll be my go-to for bbqs etc from now on
Love hearing you enjoyed so much, Amanda!
Great salad . Any idea of how many WW points?
Hi Tracy! I don't calculate WW points, but I did use a WW Calculator which calculates this salad at 5 points.