My easy Whole30 Broccoli Salad is one of my most popular sides. I used to bring this to all my Whole30 Introduction potlucks at the gym and it was devoured every time. Perfect for potlucks, BBQs, picnics, or just an every day veggie boost!
Why We Love It
This Whole30 Broccoli Salad is also Gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo, Keto, with nut-free and egg-free options. It’s more interesting than just raw veggies but more portable than hot ones. Plus, the amounts of the stir-ins (fruit, nuts, seeds) easily adjusted to your personal preference.
No cooking required for this side! Just chop up some fresh broccoli into small florets, then add all the delicious add-ins. I like to use my Homemade Mayo to make this budget-friendly.
It’s delicious still the next day, so it can be a great make ahead. This one is always a hit among Whole30 and non-Whole30 alike. Similar to broccoli salad sold in most deli’s, it’s flavorful and nutrient dense. I don’t like raw broccoli, but I love this!
VEGAN OPTION – Need a vegan option? Leave off the bacon and use a vegan mayo like the Primal Kitchen one shared below (ingredients).
A Budget-Friendly Dish
This dish, like most of my recipes, is budget-friendly. I can find all the ingredients at my local Walmart or at most grocery stores. I can’t tell you how much this dish will cost YOU to make, but, here is the price breakdown in my area of local California to give you an idea.
Ingredients
- Fresh Broccoli – I like mine broken down into small, bite-sized florets around 1″ or less.
- Broccoli Slaw – I find this in the bagged fresh produce section by the coleslaw. Or, if you can’t find it, use an addition 2 cups of broccoli florets instead.
- Bacon – Cooked and crumbled, it takes this salad to the next level. Vegan or can’t find a compatible option? The bacon is optional!
- Red Seedless Grapes – Grapes add a delicious touch of sweetness and great texture. You can also swap with an equal amount of finely chopped apples.
- Sliced Almonds or Chopped Cashews – These give the salad a great crunch and texture variety. Need nut free? Leave these out altogether or swap with an equal amount of pumpkin seeds.
- Sunflower Seeds – These add texture and healthy fat. You can swap pumpkin seeds instead.
- Mayo – I prefer to use my homemade Whole30 Mayo, but a store-bought mayo works too! If you are on a Whole30, just make sure it’s Whole30 compatible, like this Whole30 Approved Primal Kitchen Mayo or Vegan Mayo. Or, if you are doing a Plant-Based Whole30 or need a vegan mayo option, I recommend this recipe here.
- Date Paste – This is just dates softened and then blended into hot water. A great natural way to add a touch of sweetness to this sauce. And yes, it’s Whole30 compatible!
- Red wine vinegar – Yes, red wine vinegar is compatible on Whole30. All vinegars are except malt vinegar. You can read more about that rule here.
Whole30 Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
- 6 cups fresh broccoli broken down into small florets
- 2 cups store-bought broccoli slaw or another 2 cups broccoli florets
- 8 slices compliant bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup red seedless grapes halved
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds or chopped cashews
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 cup mayo compatible, if on Whole30. See note.
- 1/4 cup date paste see link in notes
- 2 T red wine vinegar
Instructions
- SOAK dates in hot water in small bowl or cup.
- TRIM broccoli florets. Optional, but I like the florets to be small and without a lot of stem. I cut the stems off large florets and then cut them into halves or fourths with kitchen shears.
- COMBINE dry ingredients (broccoli through raisins) in a large bowl.
- BLEND together mayo, date paste, and vinegar in a blender or small food processor.
- STIR mayo mixture into dry ingredients.
- SERVE cold and store in the fridge.
Notes
Date Paste
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted dates, packed
- 1/2 cup very hot water
Instructions
- Combine dates and hot water in a bowl and let sit for 1 minute. I usually press them down into the water a bit to ensure they are all soaking.
- Place dates and all the liquid in a blender or food processor and process for 30 seconds, or until smooth
- Store in a closed container in the fridge for up to 3-4 weeks.
This was so amazingly good! The date paste added the right amount of sweetness without having to add sugar. I loved it as did my family!
Excellent recipe! I made this as a side with smoked meat and it was yummy! Don’t skip the red wine vinegar for sure- it makes it! Thank you, Autumn!
This was simple to make and tastes delicious!
Sooo good!!! This will be a staple for sure, my husband and daughter loved it as well. I added some red onion as well. Thank you so much. I think the dates in the mayo with the red wine vinegar would make a great base for some dips as well.
This was so amazing! I just have to share that I did not have broccoli but I had brussel sprouts! I warmed them up in the microwave to soften them. This salad is so yummy! I brought it to a cook out and people loved it!
Delicious. The whole family LOVED it. It’s like the traditional broccoli salad that everyone is used to… but SO MUCH BETTER!
So delicious! Better than any other broccoli salad I’ve had!
Woot woot! Happy this is a new favorite, thank you!
Easy to make and tasted great. I blanched my broccoli before hand.
This salad is delicious. Made it for our Easter dinner 2021.
Just made this for Easter Sunday. Found date syrup at grocery outlet! Great salad!!
This salad was so delicious!! The one I usually eat has 1/2 cup sugar but this was was even better!!! The only person in the house who wasn’t impressed was the kid who lives on roasted broccoli. Everyone wants this again and again!
I’m so happy this was a sugar-free swap your family enjoyed, thank you!
Hands down THE BEAT broccoli salad, whole30 or not. We make it almost weekly, especially in the summer. Perfect dish to take to a potluck or bbq.
We love it all year round too! Thank you, so happy it’s a favorite!
This is the best broccoli salad I’ve ever had!! Paired it with your blackened chicken and it was a major success!!
Mmmm, that’s an awesome combo. So happy you love this veggie dish like we do, thank you!
Thanks for taking an old favorite and making it better! I can’t tell at all that the traditional white sugar has been replaced with nutritious dates! Yum!
I’m so happy this option was a delicious win, thank you!
What if you dont have dates? Any substitutions for that?
If you aren’t on a Whole30, you can sweeten with 1 tablespoon of another sweetener like coconut sugar or honey. Enjoy!
I just made this and it is so, so good! I had trouble getting the dates to blend smoothly, though. Is there a certain type that works better? Or maybe I didn’t soak them long enough? I’ve never used them before.
Great question! I have since switched to making the dates into a date paste before adding it to the mayo for this very reason! See the recipe for updates. So glad you enjoyed this one, thank you!
This was good and a nice change from cooked broccoli. I left out the bacon to make it fit my budget better and it still takes great. I just made such to use salted nuts.
This is one of the best broccoli salads I’ve ever tasted! I love how easy it is to change up the ingredients to accommodate what you have on hand. My husband doesn’t really like broccoli, but he loves this salad and requests it often. We like to make a big batch on the weekend and eat it all week long, it is that good.
YAY that this converted your husband! I love it, thank you!
One of my favorite side dishes. We eliminate the nuts due to an allergy and it’s still great.
I’m so happy this is a favorite! And great tip on leaving out the nuts if needed. Thank you!
This is a go to on whole30! My family all loved this broccoli salad! They literally were skipping the main dish to just eat more of this stuff. And I’ve made it using non whole30 ingredients as well and it’s always yummy. Even loved by my 6 and 10 year olds who are typically more picky.
This family win makes me so happy! Thrilled this is a go-to for your family : )
This was a delicious salad. I had all the ingredients except the raisins and sunflower seeds and almonds and red wine vinegar. But I toasted sliced hazelnuts instead and subbed rice vinegar for the red wine vinegar! So very good!
Awesome, I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe! And YES, it’s definitely flexible and I love that you rocked those substitutions. I also sometimes haven’t had grapes on hand and used chopped apple instead. Thank you!