Creamy Broccoli Slaw
A cool, creamy, crunchy side that doesn't let anything go to waste.
I love broccoli salad and I always have but I usually feel a little guilty about all those leftover and unused stems. What do you do with all the broccoli stalks?! You make Creamy Broccoli Slaw, that’s what. This slaw hits all the same wonderful notes for me as broccoli salad — creamy, sweet dressing, tart cranberries, sunflower seeds, tiny broccoli florets — but it uses the whole broccoli, plus some other delicious stuff too. It’s a lunch-prep and party favorite for me and I hope it’ll become one of yours too.
There are two ways to go about this. You can do a lot of chopping or you can use a storebought bag of broccoli slaw. There is a third option where you save your knife skills for another day and use your food processor, I guess.) It’s up to you which route you want to go, but if you’re doing it on your own, you’ll want to julienne some carrots, some granny smith apple, and slice some red cabbage and red onion. For the broccoli, go ahead and cut off the florets and chop them into itty-bitty bite-sized pieces. (Large chunks of broccoli in salad is kind of a pet peeve of mine — I want an easy cruciferous bite!) Peel the stalk with a vegetable peeler and then julienne that too.
I love using the broccoli stalk because it’s a more mellow, muted broccoli experience. It’s good filler for a slaw but doesn’t scream broccoli — that’s what the florets are there for. Toss those into a bowl with some dried cranberries and sunflower seeds and then whisk together the dressing.
This is a classic slaw dressing, a little tart and a little sweet. It’s just mayo, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, and some salt and pepper. Toss the whole thing together and let it chill so things are crisp and cohesive and cool.
Creamy Broccoli Slaw
Allergens: Eggs
Diet: Vegetarian Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- 1 Granny Smith apple
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- 1 large head broccoli, stem peeled and julienned, florets chopped
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and julienned
- 1 cup red cabbage, shredded
- 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
For the dressing:
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Note: You can substitute broccoli stems, carrots, and cabbage with 1 (18 oz) bag broccoli slaw mixture, plus 2 cups chopped broccoli florets
Preparation
- Cut apple in half and scoop out core and seeds. Finely julienne, then toss with lemon juice. Add to a large bowl.
- To the same bowl, add the julienned broccoli stems, florets, carrots, cabbage, red onion, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds and toss to combine.
- In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the dressing ingredients: mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, and salt and pepper. Taste and add more lemon juice, if needed.
- Drizzle over slaw ingredients and toss to combine.
- Chill at least 1 hour before serving. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Love and Lemons.