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Broccoli Slaw
This crunchy, tangy-sweet broccoli slaw makes broccoli stems into the side dish everyone fights over! It’s easy to make with…
This crunchy, tangy-sweet broccoli slaw makes broccoli stems into the side dish everyone fights over! It’s easy to make with fresh broccoli or with store-bought mix.
Who knew raw broccoli could be so irresistibly tasty? When Alex and I created this broccoli slaw recipe, we nearly polished off the entire bowl in one sitting. Now it’s become a family favorite that everyone requests for summer cookouts.
The combination of crunchy broccoli, creamy-tangy dressing, and optional sweet-savory add-ins creates something that’s both healthy and indulgent. Best part? You can make it with fresh broccoli (using those stems!) or grab a bag of pre-shredded mix for convenience. Either way, this is the slaw that converts coleslaw haters and makes broccoli the star of your meal.
Ingredients in broccoli slaw
Broccoli slaw is a spin on the traditional coleslaw using thinly sliced broccoli stems instead of cabbage. Often you’ll find carrots in the mix, and it’s coated in a mayo-based coleslaw dressing. Broccoli slaw has become so popular that the mix is sold pre-packaged in grocery stores in the US. But you can also make it with fresh veggies!
Other things you’ll find in broccoli slaw recipes: a sweet element like sliced apple, dried cranberries or raisins, and a crunchy element like sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, or even dried ramen noodles. Here’s what we use in our broccoli slaw (or go to the recipe):
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Mayonnaise (or vegan mayo)
- Apple cider vinegar
- Sugar or maple syrup
- Dried dill
- Celery seed
- Sunflower seeds
- Dried cranberries
Use packaged mix or fresh broccoli
A nice feature of this broccoli slaw recipe is that it’s customizable based on your preferences and the ingredients you have access to! You can use either store-bought mix, or use fresh broccoli and carrots. Here are the pros and cons:
- Fresh broccoli and carrots: We highly recommend using fresh veggies here! The flavor is out-of-this-world fresh. It’s fastest and easiest with a food processor: you’d need a slicing blade and a grating blade. Or, you can use a knife to thinly slice the florets and then a box grater to grate the broccoli stems and carrots. It’s worth it for the flavor: we promise!
- Bagged broccoli slaw mix: It’s usually easy to find broccoli slaw mix at the grocery store, sold in 12 ounce bags. You’ll just need 24 ounces of slaw, which makes this method very quick and easy. The tradeoff? You lose some of that fresh, beautiful veggie flavor; store-bought mix can be a little dry.
Broccoli slaw add-ins
This broccoli slaw is incredibly good with just veggies and dressing. But you can also add sweet or crunchy elements to make it even better. Here are some options:
- Sunflower seeds: we added these for a crunchy topping
- Sliced almonds: this would also add a crunch
- Dried cranberries or currants: for savory + sweet fans! Alex is not, so we left them out in our version
- Julienned green apple: for another sweet element
Storage instructions
Day of: Eat the slaw immediately (it tastes great right away!), or make 1-2 hours and refrigerate before serving for flavors to meld .
Day before: Prep vegetables and make the dressing separately, then combine them the day of serving.
Leftovers: Store leftovers covered for up to 2 to 3 days.
Dietary notes
This broccoli slaw recipe is vegetarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free. For vegan and plant-based, use vegan mayo (should be relatively easy to find at your grocery or online).
Broccoli Slaw (Everyone’s Favorite!)
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Print RecipeThis crunchy, tangy-sweet broccoli slaw makes broccoli stems into the side dish everyone fights over! It’s easy to make with fresh broccoli or with store-bought mix.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 modest servings
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds broccoli on the stem* (or 24 ounces packaged broccoli slaw and skip carrots)
- 2 medium carrots
- ½ cup mayonnaise (or vegan mayo)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar or maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- ½ teaspoon celery seed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh black ground pepper
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds (optional)
- ¼ cup dried cranberries (optional)
Instructions
- For fresh broccoli & carrots: Fit a food processor with the slicing blade. Cut the florets off of the broccoli, then feed them into the food processor to thinly slice them. Peel the stems of the broccoli and the carrots, then cut them into pieces to fit into the food processor. Change the blade to the grating blade and feed them through the food processor. Alternate method: Thinly slice the florets with a knife. Then use a box grater to large grate the peeled broccoli stems and carrots.
- Place the sliced vegetables (or bags of broccoli slaw) into a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar, dill, celery seed, kosher salt, and several grinds fresh ground pepper.
- Add the dressing to the vegetables and stir until coated. If desired, stir in sunflower seeds or dried cranberries. Eat immediately or refrigerate up to 2 days.
Notes
*For a potluck or cookout, we’d recommend multiplying this recipe by 1.5 to make 12 servings.
Other slaw recipes you might enjoy
Alex and I have realized we’re huge fans of any type of slaw! Here are a few more slaw recipes to try:
- This creamy coleslaw is the absolute best, covered in a zingy coleslaw dressing.
- Try vinegar coleslaw, a spin with a vinaigrette dressing: no mayo.
- This red cabbage slaw requires just red cabbage and red onion, plus a zingy dressing.
- This Mexican coleslaw or cilantro lime slaw go well with tacos and enchiladas.
