Apple Broccoli Salad with Walnuts | Wholesome Residing Heaven

Apple Broccoli Salad with Walnuts, dried cranberries, bacon, pink onion and a creamy dressing is the proper broccoli salad recipe for fall! Serve it up at vacation gatherings or make it for meal prep so as to add veggies to your weekday meals.

In the course of the summer season months, The Best Broccoli Salad recipe and my Chickpea Broccoli Salad with Sunflower Seeds are my go-to recipes for heat climate meals gatherings.

I really like that broccoli salads are all issues creamy, tangy, crunchy, with loads of recent taste and that luscious dressing to make greens appear far more attractive.

Benefiting from apple harvest to whip up this apple broccoli salad recipe is a good way of benefiting from apple season. Plus, this easy aspect salad pairs magically with most most important dishes.

Whereas I really like the idea of having fun with this wholesome broccoli apple salad recipe throughout the fall harvest months, you possibly can simply as simply get pleasure from it irrespective of the time of 12 months.

Hold this easy recipe stashed away for the upcoming vacation season to make use of as a wholesome vegetable aspect dish!

Let’s talk about the nutritious elements for apple broccoli salad. 

Components for Apple Broccoli Salad:

Recent Broccoli Crowns: Choose up two massive crowns of broccoli. There isn’t a want for stems until you just like the broccoli stems, so if doable, purchase simply the heads with out the stems connected.

If you happen to’d like, you should utilize one head of broccoli and a part of a head of cauliflower. You’ll need 6 cups of chopped broccoli or a mixture of broccoli and cauliflower.

Bacon: Whereas the bacon is optionally available, including crispy cooked bacon brings a meaty essence that provides scrumptious taste to the salad. I like utilizing thick-cut bacon. Choose a model you understand you’re keen on!

Recent Apples: Candy apples deliver a crisp texture and beautiful candy taste to this wholesome broccoli salad recipe.

I like utilizing sweeter apples like fuji apples, honeycrisp apples, or gala apples however you should utilize tart apples like Granny Smith apples too if you happen to desire.

The sweetness of the apples brings the proper steadiness to the savory salad.

Uncooked Walnuts: Chopped walnuts pair marvelously with apples 

Dried Cranberries: Bringing a pop of candy, tangy taste, dried cranberries are marvelous in broccoli salad recipes.

If you happen to desire a special dried fruit like dried blueberries, raisins, or golden raisins, be happy to make the swap.

Purple Onion: A bit pink onion brings a burst of recent, zingy taste. If the chew of uncooked pink onion tastes too sturdy for you, you possibly can change it with chopped inexperienced onions.

You too can soak pink onions in chilly water for quarter-hour to melt the flavour.

Soaking pink onions in apple cider vinegar additionally softens them up for a softer texture.

Creamy Dressing Components: The creamy salad dressing is a mixture of mayonnaise and Greek yogurt to decrease the fats content material.

Rice vinegar, pure maple syrup and sea salt are mixed with the creamy mayo and yogurt to create a creamy, candy, tangy dressing that’s good for traditional broccoli salad.

You need to use apple cider vinegar as a substitute of rice vinegar if you happen to desire it. 

Non-compulsory Additions:

• Combine in ⅓ cup of uncooked or roasted sunflower seeds. 
• Add 1 can of drained garbanzo beans for added texture and a few plant-based protein.
• Swap the apples out for recent pears or any fall fruits.
• If you happen to’re a cheese lover, add in 6 ounces of feta cheese, gorgonzola cheese, or grated or chopped cheddar cheese. Cheese is a good addition if you happen to do dairy!
• For a richer, creamier dressing, use all mayonnaise as a substitute of half mayonnaise and half Greek yogurt. 
• If you happen to aren’t into crunchy broccoli, you possibly can soften it up by blanching it for 30 seconds in boiling water.
• Combine in some pre-shredded carrots if you happen to like carrots in your broccoli salad.
• Add a bit recent lemon zest to the dressing for some citrus taste.
• As an alternative of pure maple syrup within the dressing, you should utilize common cane sugar or a bit honey.

Now that we’re aware of the wholesome ingredient checklist for broccoli apple salad, let’s make this good fall salad!

Find out how to Make Apple Broccoli Salad with Walnuts:

Warmth a big nonstick skillet over medium-high warmth and place the bacon slices on the recent floor.

Prepare dinner, flipping each couple of minutes, till the bacon reaches your required stage of crisp.

Switch bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel to chill. As soon as cool sufficient to deal with, chop the bacon and put aside.

Wash the heads of broccoli nicely beneath heat water and chop them into small florets (small items). If you happen to aren’t into consuming uncooked broccoli, you possibly can blanch the broccoli florets in boiling water prior to creating the recipe.

To take action, deliver a full pot of water to a boil, then add the chopped broccoli. Permit the broccoli to take a seat within the sizzling water for less than 30-60 seconds, or simply till the florets flip vibrant inexperienced.

Instantly drain the broccoli right into a colander then switch to a bowl of ice water (an ice bathtub) to cease the cooking course of and to chill broccoli instantly.

If you happen to like a pleasant crunch of broccoli, skip the blanching step and stick to uncooked broccoli. 

No matter whether or not or not you blanch the broccoli first, switch it to a big bowl. Add within the chopped bacon, pink onion, walnuts, dried cranberries, and chopped apples to the massive mixing bowl. 

In a small bowl, stir collectively all of the elements for the broccoli salad dressing (mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, pure maple syrup, rice vinegar, and sea salt). 

Pour the dressing into the bowl with the broccoli salad elements and blend nicely till the whole lot is coated. Style the broccoli salad for taste and add sea salt and/or lemon juice to your private style.

Serve broccoli salad instantly or retailer in an hermetic container for as much as 3-5 days. I discover broccoli salad tastes finest a few hours after preparation and the following day, because it provides the salad time to develop flavors.

Broccoli salad saves nicely for just a few days following preparation, so don’t be afraid to make it forward of time if you happen to’re getting ready it for a vacation, household operate, or particular occasion. 

The very best a part of this nice aspect dish is it includes easy elements that every one your loved ones members love.

Add it to your vacation desk or any weeknight dinner the following time you’re craving a straightforward broccoli salad. 

If you happen to’re on the lookout for extra wholesome aspect dishes, additionally check out these reader favorites!

Extra Wholesome Aspect Dish Recipes:

Take pleasure in this scrumptious broccoli apple salad all through apple season and past!

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