The nice thing about salads is that there are so many ways to make them you never have to have the same one twice. And the same goes for broccoli salad! You know what the usual one is like – broccoli, raisins, bacon, and a mayo-based dressing – but this No-Mayo Broccoli Salad is anything but usual. It has some of those expected components, sure, but it ties them all together with a delicious dressing that leans sweet and tangy instead of creamy (and that lack of mayo makes it ideal for sunny picnics and outdoor potlucks – no chilling needed).

Like I was saying, most of these ingredients will seem familiar – we’ve got broccoli florets, bacon, red onion, cheddar cheese, sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries. You’ve likely seen most (or all) of those in a broccoli salad before, but what sets this one apart is the dressing. There’s not a drop of mayo in it… instead, it relies on honey, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and a little thyme and it’s slightly sweet, just tangy enough, and so delicious that you’ll end up licking it off the spoon.

It keeps things a little lighter, but it keeps things fresher too. Since you don’t have the mayo weighing anything down, it can hang out a bit longer whether that’s in the fridge for meal prep or whether it’s out on the picnic table for serving. It gives you a broccoli salad that’s not quite as finicky but is still every bit as delicious as you could want it to be.