Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette

My Crunchy Broccoli Salad is fresh and bright with a balance of earthy, savory, sweet and tangy flavors. It’s loaded with palate-pleasing textures. Plus, my spin on broccoli crunch salad is craveably delicious and easy to make.

Most of you have probably tasted or at least seen the broccoli crunch salad with dried cranberries, bacon and cashews. That version has a creamy dressing that uses mayonnaise. And it’s definitely delicious.

But, I wanted to make something a little more Spring and Summer feeling to boost me out of these winter doldrums. I was hoping for something perfect for Easter brunch or dinner.

My crunchy broccoli salad with mandarin oranges is bright and vibrant with a zingy grapefruit vinaigrette. You’ll be hooked from the very first crunchy, delicious bite.

Broccoli Salad Origins

Broccoli salads pop up at most potlucks, family reunions and picnics throughout the Spring and Summer. But they ‘re often seen as a balance to heavier Fall and Winter meals, too.

There’s a reason for that. They’re delicious and usually well-liked by all ages. Broccoli salad is also super easy to make and transport.

In the United States, we have taken every possible liberty when it comes to creating broccoli salad. There are as many varieties and versions as there are families who enjoy them. Everyone seems to have their own personal spin on this beloved side dish.

As a matter of fact, I have two other versions on this blog. Be sure to check out my Broccoli Salad with Grapes and my year-round popular Broccoli Cauliflower Salad, too.

The first broccoli salads are believed to have been served in the U.S. since the late 17th and 18th centuries. European immigrants brought their personal recipes (which were likely a spinoff of broccoli slaw, which utilized the stalks and stems from the broccoli plant instead of cabbage.)

American potlucks propelled broccoli salad into popularity from as early as the 1930s when neighbors often gathered to share meals and food during the Depression. Different varieties evolved to accommodate the available ingredients and cater to regional traditions and personal tastes.

I promise you won’t go wrong with this scrumptious version. My Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Mandarin Oranges will be a hit on any potluck salad table or for your Easter dinner!

The Ingredients

This salad requires only four ingredients plus the dressing. Technically, you could use whatever dressing you love. But I hope you’ll give my grapefruit vinaigrette a try. It is a revelation! So bright and vibrant. It makes broccoli salad (or any salad) come alive. Happily, it requires only four ingredients, too.

For the Salad

• Broccoli Florets, cut into small bite-sized pieces
• Mandarin Orange Segments, canned ones that have been drained
• Sliced Almonds
• Slivered Red Onions

For the Dressing

• Grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed
• Avocado Oil
• Red Wine Vinegar
• Honey
• salt & black pepper, to taste

FAQs

How to Make Crunchy Broccoli Salad

with Mandarin Oranges

1. Cut the raw broccoli florets from the crown of the broccoli. Be careful to get just the florets, leaving the stalks, leaves and stems. (Those stems should be added to a ziptop bag in the freezer to make a scrumptious broccoli cheddar soup later.) Cut up two to three broccoli crowns until you get four cups of broccoli florets that are small bite-sized pieces.
2. Toss the broccoli florets, onions, almonds and mandarin oranges into a large mixing bowl.
3. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the grapefruit juice, avocado oil, red wine vinegar and honey. Once the dressing is emulsified, taste it and add salt and black pepper, if needed.
4. Pour about 2/3 of the dressing over your crunchy broccoli salad and set aside the remainder to serve at the table if anyone wants extra.
5. Gently toss the broccoli mixture in the dressing so you don’t break up the mandarin segments. Be sure everything is coated in the grapefruit vinaigrette.
6. You can serve this lightened-up version of broccoli crunch salad immediately or allow it to marinate in the fridge for a time. We think it’s best after about two hours of marinating.

Possible Recipe Variations and Tips

There are certainly other tasty variations, options or substitutions you might enjoy in a crunchy broccoli salad recipe. The recipe has been kept light and simple, intentionally, but there are definitely ways to make it your own.

Nuts and Seeds

Try different nuts or seeds.  Check the pantry to see what you already have, but here are some delicious possibilities to help make this simply scrumptious and healthy broccoli salad recipe your very own.  Nuts and seeds add fiber, a little protein and some healthy fats to help keep you feeling full longer.

• walnuts
• pistachio nuts
• pecans
• sunflower seeds
• pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Vinegars and Citrus Juice

• Choose flavored vinegars with herbs or spices in them. 
• You could use any wine vinegar.  Although, I personally think that plain white vinegar, and possibly apple cider vinegar, might be too astringent and overpower the grapefruit juice in this dressing.
• You could substitute fresh orange juice for the grapefruit juice.  I would cut back on the honey if you do.  In most cases, the orange will already be sweeter than the grapefruit. 
• Also, keep in mind that you will lose some of the complexity of flavors by using the same flavor of fruit and juice in your broccoli crunch salad.  Grapefruit is light, refreshing and bright with a subtle bitterness that balances the sweet and the tartness. If you choose different fruit juice for your dressing, think about how it will balance and complement other flavors in the salad.  Personally, I might go with lemon and a little extra honey or even lime juice with extra honey as an alternative.

Sweeteners

You can substitute other sweeteners in your salad dressing. I was opting for natural and least processed when I chose raw, unfiltered honey.

However, you can definitely use white or brown sugar in its place. Keep in mind that honey is much sweeter than granulated sugars. Start with the amount suggested in the recipe, but you may need to add up to double to achieve the same sweetness.

Coconut sugar is another option, as well as sugar substitutes. You will need to judge on your own how much of those to add, as that’s not something I have personally tried, and I’m not familiar enough with them to venture a guess.

Maple syrup is always an option as a substitute for honey; however, in this recipe that is supposed to be light and refreshing, the maple flavor doesn’t quite fit the flavor profile.

Use your best judgment and personal preferences when selecting sweeteners to substitute in this broccoli salad.

Think about combinations of savory, sweet, sour and bitter to balance one another as you add and subtract ingredients from any recipe. What is the flavor profile you are hoping to create?

Add Extra Vegetables or Different Fruit

• Grated cabbage will be an excellent addition to this salad, and red cabbage will bring in even more color. The cabbage will bring additional texture and still have a similar flavor profile to the broccoli so it won’t fight with the other ingredients.
• Thinly sliced celery continues the broccoli salad’s crunchy, light and refreshing theme and brings an herbaceous quality that complements rather than fights with other ingredients.
• Grated or julienned carrots are another deliciously crunchy and colorful option. Again, keep sweetness in mind and think about how much honey you will use in the dressing if your carrots are in season and extra sweet.
• Grated apple is a good choice to add more color, crunch and sweetness to crunchy broccoli salad. Consider whether you can cut back on the sweetner if your apples are very sweet.

What to Serve with Crunchy Broccoli Salad

This craveable, crunchy broccoli salad has shown up on our dinner table several times over the past few weeks. It’s just that good. And it pairs with baked spaghetti as easily as a tuna melt open-face sandwich. That’s right. It goes with EVERYTHING. But, here are a few of our favorite main dishes to serve broccoli salad with.

I hope you love Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Mandarin Oranges as much as we do. It’s a delicious bite of sunshine and embraces the promise of warmer weather.

It will be a favorite dish at Easter dinner and all your summertime gatherings. And Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Mandarin Oranges will be just as welcome next to soups and hearty, wintertime comfort foods.

Lightened-up Broccoli Crunch Salad is so easy to make and complements just about any main dish you can imagine. Enjoy!

The Recipe

More Scrumptious Salad Recipes

• Loaded Baked Potato Salad Recipe
• Strawberry Cottage Cheese Salad
• Coleslaw with Homemade Coleslaw Dressing
• Mandarin Orange Salad | Easy 5-Ingredient Orange Jello Salad
• House Salad Recipe, a Quick and Easy Favorite
• Easy Delicious Broccoli Cauliflower Salad Recipe
• Potato Salad | My Secret Ingredient to Make it Perfect