We live in a busy world. Work, gym routines, driving kids to and from activities, helping kids with homework, its difficult to fit all the to-dos in a day and still put a healthy meal on the table. So any time I can take a shortcut but still maintain quality and make a healthy meal, I'm game! That said, both Trader Joe's and Whole Foods offer a selection of pre-sliced and prepackaged produce for just these kinds of situations. These small conveniences are much appreciated.
For this broccoli apple slaw recipe, I like to use the pre-sliced and prepackaged bag of broccoli slaw, which includes julienned, or thinly sliced, broccoli and carrots. However, if you're not near one of these stores, and your local grocery store doesn't carry it, no worries! It is still super easy to make. Simply slice the broccoli and carrots with a knife or use a mandoline slicer. A mandoline slicer is great for cutting things fast and consistent in size and shape.
Traditionally, any kind of slaw is made with mayo. Besides not being a fan of mayo I also wanted the slaw to be crunchy, light and refreshing in taste. As a result, I pair it up with a light honey lemon dressing. Additionally, as a parent of a kid with food allergies, I like to have some peanut-free and nut-free options. The toasted sunflower seeds add a nice touch to the slaw and a crunch factor.
Broccoli Apple Slaw Ingredients
For the salad
- Bag of pre-sliced broccoli slaw
- Granny Smith or Honey Crisp apples
- Cranberries or raisins
- Pomegranates
- Sunflower seeds
For the honey lemon dressing
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Honey
- Juice of a lemon
How to make Broccoli Apple Slaw
Start out by toasting ⅓ to ½ cups of sunflower seeds on a pan, over medium to low heat. Keep an eye on the pan and mix the seeds often so they don't burn. They are toasted when they turn golden brown. Transfer to a plate, and allow to cool down. This extra step takes about 5 minutes, but worth the trouble in my opinion. The toasted flavor of the seeds gives an additional layer of flavor and crunch.
In a medium or large bowl combine half of the bag of broccoli slaw, one julienned apple, and about ⅓ to ½ cup of cranberries and pomegranates. These are just estimates and depend on your preferences. I enjoy a chunky slaw with a good balance of all the ingredients.
In a separate small bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients, including extra virgin olive oil, honey, and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth and combined. Try to stick with a light, mild-flavored honey like the clover, orange blossom or wildflower varieties. A stronger, bold honey can overpower the taste of the dressing.
Slowly add the dressing to the bowl with the salad. Mix the salad with the dressing so it is nicely coated, but not drenched. Add more dressing if needed. If extra dressing is leftover, its a great staple and goes well with many other salads.
And lastly, add the toasted sunflower seeds, mix and enjoy!
Recipes that pair well with Broccoli Apple Slaw:
Broccoli Apple Slaw ( No-Mayo, Nut Free)
Ingredients
Salad
- ½ bag broccoli slaw (pre-sliced 12 oz bag)
- 1 Granny Smith or Honey Crisp apple, julienned
- ½ cup dried cranberries or raisins
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
Dressing
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey (mild-flavored like clover)
- ½ large lemon, juiced
Instructions
- Over medium/low heat toast sunflower seeds in a pan until lightly toasted (golden brown, about 5 minutes). Mix often, to avoid burning the seeds. Transfer to a plate to cool down.
- In a large bowl, mix half of the broccoli slaw bag, julienned apple, cranberries, and pomegranate seeds.
- In a small bowl, whisk all the dressing ingredients (extra virgin olive oil, honey, and lemon juice) until well combined.
- Pour just enough dressing into the large salad bowl to coat all the ingredients. It should be lightly coated but not swimming in dressing.
- Once the toasted sunflower seeds have cooled down, add them to the large bowl of salad, mix and enjoy!
Margarita says
In LOVE with this salad!! This is exactly what I needed to make my salad game not boring. Healthy and tasty!!!
Thank you for the recipe!