This gluten-free and paleo broccoli slaw salad is crunchy, creamy and delicious. Featuring dried cranberries and celery, this salad is rich in antioxidants and fibre. It’s quite festive, too and looks great on a Thanksgiving or Christmas table. As a side dish, it pairs well with almost any protein, especially steak and crispy roasted or grilled chicken.
Do you ever use broccoli in a salad? Sure, serving it boiled or steamed with a drizzle of olive oil or a dollop of butter is simple and delicious, but I tell you what, broccoli in a cold salad is absolutely fabulous.
Today’s broccoli slaw salad was part of a bigger meal, which I shared in a separate blog post, but it was so delicious that it deserved its own recipe page.
It’s a chopped broccoli slaw with crunchy celery, dried cranberries and creamy, ranch-like dressing. It’s great on its own as a light salad or you can top it with grilled chicken, crispy bacon, prawns or poached egg.
Tips For Making Broccoli Slaw Salad
- Broccoli is partially cooked (only slightly), so it’s not completely raw and therefore a little easier to digest. You could also use cauliflower instead.
- Cranberries are dried cranberries, and yes they have a little added sugar but I am only using a very small amount for the whole salad (mostly for some sweetness) and I personally don’t sweat it. You are welcome to use unsweetened dried cranberries or another type of dried fruit such as raisins or sultanas, chopped dried apricots or dried apples – they would all work nicely in this salad.
- Finally, the dressing contains a little Greek yoghurt, but it can absolutely be made without it. Simply add more mayonnaise or coconut cream/yoghurt.
- Whole30: Use fresh fruit like diced grapes, apples or blueberries instead of dried fruit, and omit the Greek yoghurt.
- AIP: Use olive oil and coconut cream/yoghurt-based dressing instead of mayonnaise.
More Salad Recipes & Ideas To Try
- Rainbow Salad Power Bowl With Salmon & Sesame Dressing
- Moroccan Carrot & Beetroot Salad
- Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salad
- Beetroot, Avocado & Edamame Salad
- 10 Tasty Paleo Salad Dressings
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Ingredients
- 1 head broccoli large, broken into florets
- 2 sticks celery diced into small cubes
- 3 tablespoons dried cranberries chopped
- 2 spring onions/scallions chopped (green and/or pale green parts)
Dressing (with yoghurt)
- 2 tablespoons Greek yoghurt full-fat
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard or yellow
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt and pinch of pepper
Dressing (without yoghurt)
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 2 minutes, then strain and rinse under cold water. Let it cool off slightly, then chop up into smaller pieces.
- Combined the dressing in a mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and the chopped broccoli. Combine well and serve.
- This salad keeps well overnight in the fridge. If making ahead of time, keep the salad separated from the dressing until serving.
Can you make the dressing without mayonnaise?
Yes, you can make a simple dressing with lemon juice, olive oil, mustard and sea salt and it would work well with the slaw. Alternatively, you can try my avocado dressing, which is like a mayo but with no eggs http://eatdrinkpaleo.com.au/creamy-avocado-dressing-paleo-dairy-free-vegan/
This always gets compliments everywhere I have taken it! It’s delicious!
Thanks, Nicole! It’s definitely a crowd-pleaser 🙂 Irena
I’d try it with raw broccoli next time, the dressing was great and worked really well as a chicken marinade too.