This Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing is perfect for a holiday side dish that doesn’t require any cooking. It’s also great for an easy and healthy everyday side salad.
This Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing was inspired by a slightly gross-looking raw broccoli salad a friend got from a grocery store a few days ago. I never actually tasted it, so I can’t quite attest to its grossness, but he only ate a spoonful, so I can’t imagine it was great. 🙂
But for some reason, it had me craving a raw crunchy broccoli salad! Broccoli is one of the vegetables that I’ve never loved raw. I absolutely love it cooked (mostly roasted), but for some reason, it’s never appealed to me much in its raw state.
That is, until I made this delicious crunchy broccoli salad with maple mustard dressing! As much as I love roasted vegetable salads this time of year, I love that this raw salad is light and fresh.
Broccoli Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing Recipe Ingredients
- Veggies – I used 4 cups of chopped broccoli. The broccoli is chopped into small pieces, so it’s easy to eat. I also added 1/3 cup diced red onion, but if you don’t like onion in your salads as much as I do, feel free to leave it out.
- Beans – I went with one (1-ounce) can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups).
- Fruit – This recipe calls for a heaping 1/2 cup of dried cranberries, or more if you like!
- Seeds – I used roasted sunflower seeds, but if you prefer pumpkin, or another nut or seed, you can go with that.
- Salt – To taste
- Maple Mustard Dressing – The dressing is essentially a honey mustard dressing made with maple syrup instead of honey. Thanks to the mustard and apple cider vinegar, it’s a little bit sweet and a little bit tangy. I was originally going to top it with a lemon tahini dressing, but this light vinaigrette seemed to go with the flavors much better. I used olive oil, pure maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
Why Your Body Will Love This Healthy Broccoli Salad
- Heart Health – The fiber in broccoli helps us maintain healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels. (It’s also great for the digestive system.)
- Immune Support – Broccoli contains a good amount of Vitamin A, which helps the body fight infections and keeps the immune system healthy. It also contains many antioxidants that further support the immune system.
- Chickpeas are super(food!) – Chickpeas contain saponins, which help fight cancer, and calcium, iron, and other nutrients that contribute to bone health. Chickpeas help the brain and nervous system function properly and contain vitamins A, C, E, folate, and magnesium.
A Great No-Cook Holiday Dish
My husband and I have been eating this as a lunch side salad (Eli has been eating all the chickpeas out of it), but I was thinking it would be great for a Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish that doesn’t require any cooking. On some holidays, it seems like it’s impossible to get everything finished on time because so many components need the oven. So, if you’re looking for a healthy, seasonal side dish that you can throw together in about 10-15 minutes, this Crunchy Broccoli Salad is it!
How To Make This Easy Broccoli Salad
- Add all salad ingredients to a large bowl and mix until combined.
- Add all dressing ingredients to a small jar and whisk until combined. Pour over salad and mix again until combined. Season with salt to taste, if desired. This salad can be served immediately or refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing Recipe Tips
- This recipe’s amount of dressing perfectly coats everything without leaving a pool of excess dressing at the bottom of the bowl. If you like lots of dressing, I recommend making 1 1/2 or 2 times the recipe amount.
- This salad is great for making ahead of time; it tastes even better the next day. However, I don’t recommend making it more than two days in advance.
- Feel free to add more or less of each ingredient listed!
- This recipe is both gluten- and dairy-free.
Have a question about this recipe? Ask me in the comments, and I’ll get back to you ASAP.
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Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
This Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing is perfect for a quick and easy side salad that’s healthy too!
Ingredients
- 4 cups chopped broccoli, I like to chop mine up really well
- 1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups)
- Heaping 1/2 cup dried cranberries, or more if you like
- 1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds
- 1/3 cup diced red onion
- Salt, to taste
Maple Mustard Dressing:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add all salad ingredients to a large bowl and mix until combined.
- Add all dressing ingredients to a small jar and whisk until combined. Pour over salad and mix again until combined. Season with salt, to taste, if desired. Salad can be served immediately or refrigerated for up to 4 days.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Category: Salad
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of Salad
- Calories: 313
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 499 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This turned out soo yummy! Love the mustard dressing
I’m so glad to hear that!!
We catered our own daughter’s wedding and made this salad for our vegan, gluten free family members. The only thing we did differently was to add dried cherries (we live in Michigan) and made a batch and a half of dressing per batch. It was a huge hit, and we gave out the website more times than I can remember! I still have friends ask me for the link to this recipe. Thank you!
Hi Nancy, that is so nice to hear!! I’m glad everyone enjoyed it and congratulations to your daughter! <3
My favorite broccoli salad recipe! It is so fresh and delicious and it’s always a hit when I make it. I forget to save it every year so whenever I try to find it it takes me so long sifting through all the other salad recipes with bacon and mayo but it’s always worth it!
That’s so nice to hear, Alex!! Thank you!
Fabulous. I double the dressing. Could eat this every wee and it is so easy.
That is so nice to hear! Thank you, Nancy!
Absolutely delicious, so fresh, love texture of the broccoli and chickpeas. Everyone I have every made this for asks me for the recipe. So easy to make and looks really pretty on the table too.
Iv dressed it the night before and also just before serving and both ways are great.
That is so nice to hear!! Thank you!!
Wonderfully crunchy and sweet
So glad you enjoyed it!
I just made this and its so good. I added cauliflower, used cherry infused cranberries, and used a honey mustard dressing. So crunchy and light.
I’m so glad you liked it!!
I am a bariatric patient and had the sleeve . How can I cut BOTH THE Sugar and Fats way way down ? Im only suppose to have 4grams of sugar or less and closer to zero fats if possible , which is hard to do . As SOME fat is required for the body . But I get mine frome the naural high protein and fruit & veggie diet .
Thanks In Advance . ?
Hi! I would just use less of each. The dressing won’t be the same but it should still be flavorful!
I rarely bother to comment, but this recipe deserves it.
This is such a cheap, easy, tasty, make-ahead, take-anywhere type of dish! I take it to potlucks, to work, on hikes, on picnics – I’ve given copies of this recipe to dozens of people who have tried it and asked for it.
Bonus points that as a vegan, I can bring the tastiest dish to any gathering. 😉
Bottom line: It’s delicious, it’s filling, and it never disappoints.
Thank you so much!! Your comment means a lot to me! <3
Love this recipe! So easy and delicious. It’s very difficult to find a good non- mayo based broccoli salad recipe. Thank you!
Yah! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I have made this recipe so many times. Substituted raisins for the craisins and pepitas for sunflower seeds depending on what I have on hand. I usually cut the oil down just a bit too. Regardless of the modifications, this recipe is just the best. Thank you!
Thank you so much!!
I make this often for my lunches! The chickpeas provide enough for me to get actually full. And it’s definitely better as it sits!
Awesome!!
What can i replace with instead of the onions? Thanks
You can omit them or really add any other fresh veggie you like! Green onion would be great!
This was ridiculously good. I added cut up grapes and apple to the salad and it’s so delicious. I made it a couple days ago and making another big batch of it today. Yummy!
I love those additions!!
This came out delicious. I make broccoli salad pretty often, but never with a mustard dressing, and never with garbanzos. I don’t use oil, so instead I measured the 1/3 cup of water and added a heaping tablespoon of flax meal, and it worked great. Thank you!
So glad you liked it!!
This is sooooo good! Such an easy and simple recipe but tastes fantastic, and absolutely healthy too! I am looking forward to trying your broccoli salad with the creamy tahini dressing now!
So glad you enjoyed it!!