Homemade Broccoli Slaw is vibrantly colored and equally as bright in flavor! Fresh, crisp vegetables are tossed with a perfect balance of sweet and crunchy ingredients like dried berries, apples, and nuts. To make it even better, the slaw features in an easy to make slaw dressing that’s creamy, sweet, and tangy.
When you need some more dishes to take with you to a picnic, make some potato salad, macaroni salad, and a cucumber tomato salad is always a great addition.
Broccoli Slaw
Creamy, sweet, crunchy, and freshly flavored Broccoli Slaw is a great summer side dish for picnics, barbecues, and any other outdoor gatherings! When I think of Broccoli Slaw, images of red and white checkerboard picnic blankets immediately come to mind. Everything about this summery slaw is bright and vibrant, so it only makes sense that it directly correlates with summer in my brain! If you like to enjoy fresh veggies during the warm summer months, this is definitely the recipe for you.
The textures in this creamy Broccoli Slaw make for a pretty perfect bite. For starters, the veggies themselves are uncooked, so they all have a nice crisp consistency to them. Plus, there are apples in the mix that not only add a natural touch of sweetness, but also a juicy, crisp texture to the otherwise veggie dense slaw! As if that wasn’t enough, I also like to toss in some crunchy nuts and chewy dried cranberries to add even more depth to the various textures at play to make every bite seriously satisfying.
All of the ingredients for the slaw, once combined, compliment each other beautifully. However, it’s the homemade dressing that really seals the deal! Mayonnaise keeps things delightfully creamy, while ingredients like Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar supply a slight tang to the sweet flavor palate. Speaking of sweetness, you’ll be getting that from just a few dashes of white granulated sugar.
How to Make Broccoli Slaw
Ingredients You’ll Need:
For the slaw:
- Broccoli – You’ll need two heads of broccoli with the stems. I prefer using heads of broccoli over the bags of chopped broccoli so I can control how big all of the pieces are.
- Cabbage – Slice the cabbage thinly for the best consistency.
- Carrots – The carrots will need to be shredded. If you’d like to save time, you can buy a bag of matchstick carrots.
- Red Onion – Use red onions as opposed to white or yellow ones, because they have the most potent onion-y flavor that helps them stand out in this slaw.
- Apple – You can use Granny Smith for a tangier taste, or Golden Delicious for a sweeter note.
- Dried Fruits – Dried berries give a nice burst of sweetness! You can use dried cranberries, raisins, blueberries or a combination of all of them.
- Nuts – You can use sliced almonds, chopped pecans, or chopped walnuts… Or all three!
- Parsley – Use fresh, not dried parsley for a light herbaceous aroma.
For the slaw dressing:
- Mayonnaise – You can use low or full fat mayo, just note that low fat will be a little less creamy.
- Dijon Mustard – Do not substitute this with plain yellow mustard!
- Apple Cider Vinegar – This ingredient will add an incredible balance of both sweet and tangy flavor.
- Lemon Juice – Use freshly squeezed lemon juice only, not the bottled alternative.
- Sugar – Just three tablespoons of white granulated sugar will enhance the sweetness of this slaw without making it overly sugary.
- Salt – Use coarse salt, not iodized! This will prevent the slaw from tasting salty.
- Black Pepper – Use freshly cracked black pepper for the best flavor.
Directions:
Make the dressing.
To make the slaw dressing, simply whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl, then set aside.
Prepare the slaw ingredients.
Slice the onions and cabbage and thinly shred the carrots. Peel the apple before cutting out the seeds, then julienne it.
Cut the broccoli.
Here’s how to cut broccoli for broccoli slaw! Simply cut the florets off of the broccoli stems before cutting them into smaller pieces. Peel the outer skin of the broccoli stems and slice them julienne as well.
Combine the ingredients.
Toss everything together in a large bowl with the slaw dressing and serve immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make it ahead of time?
Yes! You can easily mix the prepared veggies with nuts and berries and store it in a airtight container in the refrigerator. Mix and store the slaw dressing in a separate airtight food storage container, also in the refrigerator. Don’t mix in the dressing until you’re ready to serve so the veggies don’t soften.
Storing Instructions:
Store your leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container. The slaw will last 3-4 days, but note that the veggies will get softer with every day.
What to Serve with Broccoli Slaw:
This is a great salad to bring with you to a picnic or an outdoor party. This slaw goes great with grilled meats like burgers, salmon, steaks, and more! Just about anything you will pull off the grill, this slaw will compliment perfectly.
Broccoli Slaw
Broccoli Slaw
Ingredients
- 2 heads of broccoli with stems
- 1/4 small head of cabbage sliced thin
- 2 medium carrots shredded
- 1/2 red onion sliced thin
- 1 Granny Smith apple or Golden Delicious apple
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds, chopped pecans, or chopped walnuts
- 2 tbsp fresh minced parsley
Slaw Dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 3 tbsp white granulated sugar
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Whisk all the ingredients for the slaw dressing together and set aside.
- Slice onions and cabbage thinly and shred the carrots. Peel the apple, cut the apples in half and cut out the seeds. Slice the apples julienne (into thin straws.)
- Cut the florets off the broccoli stems and cut them into small pieces. Peel the outer skin of broccoli stems and slice them julienne as well.
- Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss them with prepared slaw dressing.
Nutrition
Audrey says
I like this recipe a lot better then the classic recipe!