I love broccoli. Like, really love broccoli. But traditional broccoli salad can get heavy fast, especially when the dressing is loaded with mayonnaise and sugar.
Since I’ve been paying more attention to saturated fat and making food choices that support healthier LDL cholesterol, I wanted a broccoli salad that still tasted creamy, tangy, a little sweet, and actually satisfying.
And this one? It passed the raw-broccoli-dipped-straight-into-the-dressing test. 👌🏼👌🏼
Creamy Greek Yogurt Broccoli Salad
For the salad
- 1.39 pounds fresh broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
- Sunflower seeds, to taste
- Dried cranberries, optional
- Chopped cashews, optional
For the creamy dressing
- ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1–2 teaspoons honey
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Make the dressing
Whisk the Greek yogurt, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic powder, salt, and pepper together until completely smooth and creamy.
Let the dressing sit for about 10 minutes so all those flavors can come together.
Then do what I did: grab a little piece of broccoli and dip it in.
Quality control. Obviously.
Meal-Prep Tip: Don’t Dress the Whole Salad!
Because I want this broccoli to last throughout the week, I’m not mixing all of the dressing into the broccoli at once.
Instead, I’m storing three things separately:
- The chopped broccoli
- The creamy dressing
- The sunflower seeds and any other toppings
When I’m ready to eat, I’ll portion out some broccoli, spoon on enough dressing to coat it, and add my sunflower seeds.
That keeps the broccoli crisp and the sunflower seeds crunchy instead of having a sad, soggy broccoli salad sitting in the refrigerator by Friday.
I’ll make another small batch of dressing around Wednesday if I need it.
Why I Like This Version
I’m learning that eating with my health goals in mind doesn’t mean giving up foods I enjoy.
For this salad, Greek yogurt gives me that creamy dressing I wanted without relying on a traditional mayonnaise-heavy base. Olive oil adds richness, Dijon and apple cider vinegar give it plenty of tang, and just a little honey balances everything.
Then the sunflower seeds add the perfect salty crunch.
It’s simple. It’s fresh. And, most importantly, it’s something I’m actually excited to eat.
Because that’s becoming one of my biggest rules with meal prep:
I’m not prepping food just because it’s “healthy.” I’m prepping food I genuinely want to open the refrigerator and eat.
And this broccoli salad officially made the rotation.