This Broccoli Slaw may just become your new favorite summer side dish. Crispy veggies, sweet apple, and crunchy nuts are tossed in a sweet and tangy cream sauce.
It’s just as delicious and refreshing as our classic creamy Coleslaw. Be sure to expect everyone to ask for seconds!
Why We Love This Recipe
Refreshing. This is such a crunchy refreshing salad.
Easy To Make. This is a great side dish that only takes minutes to put together.
Cookouts - This Broccoli Slaw recipe is perfect for taking to summer cookouts or eating as a side with your family dinner.
Variation - This is such a great variation to making regular coleslaw because the broccoli florets are crunchy and offer a slightly different flavor than the coleslaw mix made only with cabbage.
Convenience - This recipe calls for a bag of mixed broccoli and cabbage from the grocery store, but you can also make it yourself at home if you'd rather. All you'd need is a head of cabbage and broccoli (be sure to use the broccoli stems too!)
Taste - The broccoli slaw dressing ingredients are mayonnaise and sour cream. They taste great together because they are tangy and combine to make a delicious creamy dressing. When the salad is tossed with garlic, red onions, apples, and crunchy almonds, it all comes together to make a mouth-wateringly amazing salad.
Ingredients
Broccoli Slaw - You can find a 12-ounce bag of pre-sliced broccoli slaw in the produce section of the grocery store. It usually contains broccoli, white cabbage, and red cabbage.
Apples: Fuji or Honeycrisp are the best brands to use for this salad. They are very crispy and have a wonderful texture.
Red onions: Be sure to finely dice or use thinly sliced red onions so you don't accidentally get a big bite of onion.
Garlic: This is a secret ingredient and adds a little bite to the salad that you won't usually find in a broccoli slaw. Be sure to include it, you'll be glad you did!
Mayonnaise and Sour Cream: This is the creamy base for the dressing. Adding some sour cream gives it a tangy flavor and adds to the creaminess.
Lemon juice: A squeeze of lemon juice gives the creamy broccoli slaw an added boost of acid and really balances the flavor of the broccoli.
Sugar: A little sugar helps to make sure this broccoli salad isn't too tart.
Variations and Additions
Our family loves sliced almonds in our slaw. But you can get creative and add other toppings such as sunflower seeds, raisins, or even dried cranberries.
You can also use red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar in place of the lemon juice for a slightly different flavor.
If you want to add a bit of protein, try adding some diced bacon! I don't often do this in my slaws, but it's definitely worth experimenting with.
If you like bacon and broccoli. We have a salad for that, too. This deliciously, creamy Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad will fit the bill.
How To Make Broccoli Slaw
- Add broccoli slaw, apples, and onions to a large bowl.
- Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, sugar, and minced garlic in a small bowl. Whisk until well blended. Pour creamy dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat well. Chill for 30 minutes
Optional: Garnish with sliced almonds.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
We use a store-bought package of shredded broccoli. It’s super convenient and it often also has some shredded carrots. My favorite is Trader Joe's Broccoli Slaw. It's one of the best pre-made slaws and perfect for this recipe.
If you'd like to make the slaw mix at home, you can use broccoli, carrots, white, and red cabbage.
Shred them using a food processor with the slicer attachment or a hand grater.
To use the hand grater, just stand it up on a cutting board and carefully slide the ingredients over the larger grater holes until you have enough mix for the salad.
Feel free to cut the very ends off the broccoli and grate the broccoli stalks as well.
Once you're done preparing the ingredients for the slaw, combine the shredded broccoli and cabbage mixture with the onion, garlic, and dressing.
Mix it all together in a large bowl and then sprinkle the sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, cranberries, walnuts, or any other topping you'd like on top.
How To Serve and Store The Slaw
If you have leftover slaw, transfer it to an air-tight container or a plastic zip-top bag and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
It's best not to freeze it since the mayo and veggies won't hold up to that very well.
When you're ready to eat, just put the slaw in your bowl and eat it cold right from the fridge.
More Easy Side Dishes
- Classic Creamy Cole Slaw - classic cabbage-based slaw in the most delicious creamy dressing
- Creamy Cucumber Salad - classic German side dish
- Amish Macaroni Salad - perfect if you like quick and easy cold pasta salads
- Dill Pickle Pasta Salad - this salad is not just a great side dish but also a buffet table superstar
- Italian Pasta Salad - this classic side salad is a real crowd-pleaser
Broccoli Slaw
Ingredients
- 12 ounces broccoli slaw
- 1 medium apple Fuji or Honeycrisp, sliced
- ½ medium red onion sliced
Dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 clove garlic minced, optional
- 12 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Topping
- ½ cup almonds sliced or slivered
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine broccoli slaw with the sliced apples and the red onion.
Dressing
- Use a small bowl to combine mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, sugar, and minced garlic. Whisk until well blended. Pour the dressing into the bowl with the prepared vegetables. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Toss until well coated. Chill for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi There, I’m Maike!
A German girl turned American sharing hundreds of easy, homemade comfort food recipes perfect for everyday cooking.