This broccoli slaw recipe with creamy apple cider dressing is a cool and crunchy side dish for summer grilling, picnics, and entertaining. Tart dried cranberries and almonds add extra color and flavor against the crisp veggies and tangy dressing. A food processor makes it a snap, or short cut the preparation with bagged broccoli slaw from the store. Make it ahead of time and dress before serving to save time.
This broccoli slaw recipe has been hitting the spot for us lately. It's great with anything off the grill as a side dish and leftovers are welcome for a quick and healthy lunch the next day. Chopping the veggies in a food processor insures freshness but in a pinch, the bags of pre-cut broccoli slaw will do. Do what works best for you!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Like This Recipe
- Recipe Ingredients
- How to Make Broccoli Slaw
- Prep the Veggies
- Food Processor Directions
- Broccoli Slaw Dressing Recipe
- Serving Suggestions
- Ways to Use Leftover Broccoli Slaw
- Special Diet Note
- Recipe FAQs
- More Summer Side Dish Recipe Ideas
- ⭐️Did you Make This Recipe?
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why You'll Like This Recipe
- Use a food processor or pre-cut broccoli slaw from the store.
- Make it ahead of time and dress at serving.
- Delicious way to get your veggies in.
- Cool, crisp, and crunchy!
- Easily made vegan and dairy-free.
For another terrific broccoli salad recipe, try this crunchy broccoli salad with bacon.
Recipe Ingredients
For the broccoli slaw:
- Broccoli: Get full heads of broccoli or broccoli crowns. The nice thing is the stem does not go to waste. For a shortcut, use the bagged broccoli slaw mix from the store but see note below.
- Carrots: For color, crunch, and sweetness.
- Cabbage: Both green and red cabbage for color.
- Fresh herbs: Fresh cilantro or flat leaf parsley (Italian parsley).
- Scallions: Also called green onions.
- Dried cranberries: Sweet-tart and a terrific flavor contrast for the slaw. Raisins work too.
- Almonds: Use either slivered almonds or sliced almonds.
Chef's tip: Using bagged broccoli slaw mix is a shortcut. If you read labels, most bags are just broccoli stems and a little carrot, which is why I created this from-scratch broccoli slaw recipe. It has more interest, texture, color, and flavor. If you want to use the bagged slaw, jazz it up a by adding thinly sliced red and green cabbage, more carrots, fresh herbs...basically the rest of what is in the recipe, and make the simple dressing.
For the apple cider dressing:
- Mayonnaise: Use your favorite brand. This brand is my favorite mayonnaise for it's light clean taste (I use soy-free but the avocado oil version is good too).
- Vinegar: Good old apple cider vinegar.
- Orange zest: Gives the dressing a nice lift of flavor.
Please see the recipe card for quantities, measurements, and seasonings.
For Another terrific dressing options, thin down the Asian Almond Butter sauce and use it as dressing for another flavor profile.
How to Make Broccoli Slaw
When it comes to chopping the veggies, I use my food processor with the grating blade, like you use for hard cheese. You can use bagged pre-cut veggies, but it's fresher if you do it yourself and the food processor makes it easy.
Prep the Veggies
Cut the broccoli stems and florets apart with a knife. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the broccoli stems. For the carrots, peel if you prefer or just scrub well with a vegetable brush. The peel, or skin, is edible and highly nutritious.
Food Processor Directions
It takes no time at all to grate your own broccoli, cabbage and carrots for this broccoli slaw. I've used both a grating blade (large hole) and the julienne blade. Using the grating blade yields a fine, fluffy slaw. Using the julienne blade yields a slaw with more texture and larger pieces like you find in the bagged store brands.
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Cut the cabbage into pieces that will fit into the feed tube of your food processor. Place the blade into your food processor and run your produce through. As the work bowl fills up, dump the slaw into a large bowl and complete the process. It takes just minutes to create fresh, colorful, healthy slaw.
Broccoli Slaw Dressing Recipe
The dressing is creamy, tangy and citrusy all at once and good for more than just this broccoli slaw. Shake it in a jar, whisk it in a bowl or use a blender on low speed.
Serving Suggestions
To serve broccoli slaw, gently toss with dressing and add the cranberries and almonds. If you are reducing sugar or carbs, you can skip the dried cranberries, but just a handful are a nice compliment.
This recipe makes a big batch, about 3 pounds of slaw. That is the equivalent of 4 grocery store bagged broccoli slaw (12 ounces per bag). Dress only what you need for one meal and refrigerate the rest. It will keep for 5-6 days without dressing and can be enjoyed a second time, or use it in tacos and salads.
This recipe halves easily for smaller needs.
Ways to Use Leftover Broccoli Slaw
If you make the whole batch, here are more ideas on how to serve broccoli slaw without the dressing (use the raw veggies).
- Inside tacos as the veggie component.
- For a quick stir-fry.
Special Diet Note
If you have histamine intolerance all of these vegetables are safe. The dried cranberries are questionable based upon your level of sensitivity. For the dressing, I use a refrigerated brand of mayo called Vegenaise. It is egg-free, vegan and comes soy-free as well.
Although the amount is small, citrus is a histamine liberator. If you are highly reactive to citrus you may want to skip the orange in the dressing. If ACV is a problem try organic white vinegar instead.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Add what sounds good, like dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, dates), seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or pepitas), nuts like almonds, chopped walnuts, cashews, or even pine nuts. For other vegetables, raw fennel is a unique addition with a lightly sweet licorice flavor, or try red or purple carrots.
Broccoli slaw is easily made ahead of time which is great for both meal prepping and just getting things done ahead of time for a party or holiday gathering. Don't add the dressing until ready to serve, or for a softer slaw texture, about an hour or so ahead of time. The raw chopped vegetables last for 4-5 days in the refrigerator (no dressing) in an airtight container.
To make broccoli slaw vegan or dairy-free, choose a vegan or egg-free mayonnaise. Some recipes add cheese, so be sure to skip that for dairy-free.
More Summer Side Dish Recipe Ideas
Cool, flavorful, and easy is just the recipe for summer side dishes, family gatherings, and holiday get-togethers.
⭐️Did you Make This Recipe?
If you make this broccoli slaw, please leave a comment. I appreciate your feedback and enjoy hearing from you. If you loved it, please give it a 5-star rating! They really help other readers.
📖 Recipe
Broccoli Slaw
Equipment
Ingredients
Broccoli Slaw
- 2 heads broccoli about 1 ¼ pounds
- 2 carrots
- ¼ large head green cabbage 13 ounces
- ½ small head purple cabbage 10 ounces
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro or flat leaf parsley leaves
- 4-6 scallions green part, chopped crosswise
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries optional
- ⅓ cup slivered almonds optional
Creamy Apple Cider Dressing
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise I use Vegenise or homemade
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar regular or apple balsamic
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
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Instructions
- Wash all of your produce well. Cut broccoli stems from florets. Peel stems with a vegetable peeler. Scrub the carrots or peel. Chop the cilantro and scallions.
- Fit your food processor work bowl with the large hole grating blade or julienne slicing blade. Though the narrowest feed tube, push broccoli stems through to slice, then do the carrots. Through the largest feed tube, slice the broccoli florets. As the work bowl fills, place the veggies into a large bowl and continue slicing the cabbages. Dump all the vegetables into the bowl and toss gently to combine. Add the cilantro, scallions, cranberries and almonds.
- Portion out as much as you need for one meal, approximately 1 cup per person as a side salad or 1 ½ cups per person if using as an entree salad to be topped with leftover chicken.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients or shake in a jar. When dressing, start with a small amount, toss and add more if needed. It is easy to add more but impossible to take too much away.
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