on Sep 28, 2018, Updated Jul 03, 2024
Meet my new favorite salad everybody. And I know that’s saying a lot because I just shared a mediterranean quinoa salad which I also love love love. But you know these two are different and have different reasons to eat them in my life. The quinoa salad is a lighter, hearty, carby but super nutritious kind of salad vs. this apple broccoli walnut salad that is incredibly satisfying because it has a delicious creamy dressing. And you will feel like you are consuming something that is borderline unhealthy but its so not because unlike all the other creamy salads of the world – this one has half the mayonnaise which is subbed with greek yogurt. Purrfeeeeect. We actually taste tested it with a bunch of friends when we shot the video for this recipe (see below) and there were fights about who is going to take leftovers home! That in my books, is a win my friends.
Raw vs. Blanched Broccoli
A lot of broccoli salads use raw broccoli, but I prefer broccoli that’s lightly blanched, say for about 30 seconds. This takes away the raw flavor, gives broccoli a bright green color, makes it safer too because vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower can sometimes have worms that can go unnoticed, and still keeps it crunchy. However, if you prefer to eat broccoli raw in salads, feel free to leave it raw. The salad is refrigerated for an hour before serving which will make the broccoli slightly tender naturally.
Which Apples are best for this apple broccoli walnut salad
We’ve used ‘washington apples’ in this recipe which are bright red, firm and really crunchy. But we’ve also tried this with a mix of tart green and sweet red apples and that tastes fantastic as well. Look for apples which don’t have bruises on the skin, are firm and don’t have any mushy pockets when you press them.
I love all the different colors and textures of this apple broccoli walnut salad. I know I’m going to make it for annual christmas lunch this year because it just feels like a winter salad.
More Make-Ahead Salad Recipes:
Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad Antipasto Tortellini Salad Thai Mango Quinoa Salad Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Mediterranean Chickpea Salad Healthy Lemon Dill Potato Salad Watermelon Salad with Basil and Cucumber
Watch Apple Broccoli Walnut Salad Recipe Video
