Home > Salads > Lemon Poppy Seed Broccoli Salad Lemon Poppy Seed Broccoli Salad May 23, 2024 | 40 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Lemon Poppy Seed Broccoli Salad: A delicious, simple, and quick dish with broccoli, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, feta, almonds, and creamy lemon-poppy seed dressing. Lemon Poppy Seed Broccoli Salad Recipe Every summer, I look forward to BBQs, and if there’s a broccoli salad on the menu, my plate is always piled high with it. I live for summer salads, and broccoli salads have always been a favorite of mine. In fact, I don’t just wait for summer — they’ve become a year-round staple in my kitchen! When I decided to tweak my favorite poppy seed dressing and add it to my traditional broccoli salad, I knew we had a winner! Instead of just adding mayo (like a lot of broccoli salads call for), the lemon poppy seed dressing brings a delicious flavor that really makes the whole salad. It doesn’t get much better than this! Lemon Poppy Seed Broccoli Salad Ingredients Broccoli. Use the freshest broccoli available for this salad. Frozen broccoli won’t work in this recipe! Chop it finely so it softens well with the dressing. Sunflower seeds. Pick roasted and salted shelled sunflower seeds. They add lots of flavor without any extra effort. Dried cranberries. Use the softest available dried cranberries. Grab sweetened for a sweeter pop of flavor. Dried tart cherries are also delicious in this salad! Sliced almonds. If you have an extra minute, toast sliced almonds by placing them in a single layer in a skillet over medium-low heat. Stir constantly for 2-3 minute. Toasting nuts adds extra flavor and keeps the nuts from softening too much. Feta. Totally optional, but adds a delicious creaminess to the salad. Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing. The dressing adds a creamy, tangy, and slightly sweet flavor that goes perfectly with the salad. Throw everything (besides the poppy seeds) into a blender and give it a whirl. Stir through the poppy seeds and you’re done! QUICK TIP Be sure to add salt to taste—it makes all the difference between an underwhelming salad and a delicious one! How To Make Lemon Poppy Seed Broccoli Salad With no baking or cooking needed, this is truly the ultimate summer salad! Prepare Broccoli: Remove stems and chop into small pieces. Smaller pieces mix better and soften quicker with the dressing. Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl, mix broccoli, dried cranberries, sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, and feta. Use fresh ingredients for the best flavor. Make the Dressing: Blend dressing ingredients until smooth. Stir in poppy seeds. For a lighter option, use some Greek yogurt instead of all mayo. Dress the Salad: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour for the best flavor. Adjust Seasoning: After chilling, toss again and add more salt if needed. Serve: Enjoy the salad the same day for the freshest flavor. Does Broccoli Need To Be Cooked First? No, raw broccoli is standard in broccoli salads. The dressing and chilling time soften it. Just make sure to finely chop the broccoli into small pieces. If you don’t like raw broccoli, blanch it first. Here’s how: boil the broccoli in salted water for 30 seconds, then drain and transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. Let it air dry or throw it in a salad spinner to make sure your lemon poppy seed broccoli salad doesn’t become soggy. Lemon-Poppy Seed Broccoli Salad Tips Use good quality mayo. I love Hellman’s/Best Foods® for the best flavor. Its consistency, texture, and sweetness make a big difference in the salad. Use fresh ingredients. Fresh, good broccoli makes all the difference in this lemon poppy seed broccoli salad. Use a small grater to zest just the outer bright yellow part of the lemon. Avoid the bitter white part underneath. Chill before serving. Let the salad chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour for the best flavor and texture. Variation Ideas Add Fruit: Mix in diced apples, grapes, blueberries, or mandarin oranges for extra sweetness and flavor. Include Cheese: Try adding shredded cheddar, blue cheese crumbles, or goat cheese instead of feta in this lemon poppy seed broccoli salad. Add Veggies: Try adding in chopped bell peppers, red onions, or shredded carrots for added crunch and color. Use Different Nuts: Switch out sliced almonds with walnuts, pecans, or cashews for a different nutty flavor. Change the Dressing: Swap the lemon poppy seed dressing for a balsamic dressing or a ranch dressing. STORAGE Refrigerate Immediately: Store the salad in the fridge, covered or in an airtight container, right after making it. It’ll keep for up to 2 days. Separate Dressing: For longer storage, keep the dressing separate from the salad and dress it right before eating. More Potluck Salads EASY Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad with a buffalo ranch dressing Fresh and delicious Corn Salad Macaroni Coleslaw Salad summer BBQ mash-up salad Grape Salad dessert “salad” with creamy grapes and pecans Orzo Pasta Salad with a lemon dressing FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Lemon Poppy Seed Broccoli Salad 5 from 17 votes - Review this recipe Lemon Poppy Seed Broccoli Salad: A delicious, simple, and quick dish with broccoli, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, feta, almonds, and creamy lemon-poppy seed dressing. SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Lemon Poppy Seed Broccoli Salad 5 from 17 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Lemon Poppy Seed Broccoli Salad: A delicious, simple, and quick dish with broccoli, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, feta, almonds, and creamy lemon-poppy seed dressing. Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish Cuisine American, Vegetarian Keyword Lemon Poppyseed Broccoli Salad Prep Time 30 minutes minutes Total Time 30 minutes minutes Servings 6 -8 as a side Chelsea Lords Calories 240kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $10.12 IngredientsSalad▢ 6 cups coarsely chopped broccoli (4 large florets)▢ 3/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries▢ 1/2 cup sliced almonds (Note 1)▢ 1/2 cup shelled, roasted and salted sunflower seeds▢ Optional: feta cheese, add to preferenceDressing▢ 2/3 cup full-fat mayo▢ 1/4 cup EACH: whole milk, heavy cream, & white sugar▢ 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar▢ 2 teaspoons EACH: lemon zest & poppy seeds▢ Salt & pepper, to tasteUS - Metric USMetric InstructionsBROCCOLI: Remove stems from broccoli and finely chop into small pieces.SALAD: In a large bowl, combine salad ingredients. DRESSING: In a small blender bottle/jar add all dressing ingredients EXCEPT poppy seeds. Season to taste. Blend until smooth then stir through poppy seeds.DRESS SALAD: Pour dressing over salad ingredients and toss to combine. Cover and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Toss again and adjust seasoning if needed. If flavors are underwhelming, add more salt.STORAGE: Salad is best eaten the same day it is made. Video Recipe NotesNote 1: Almonds: To toast almonds, place them (no need to add anything else) in a single layer in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Stir constantly for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Watch closely to prevent burning. Nutrition FactsServing: 1serving | Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 28.5g | Protein: 7.9g | Fat: 12.5g | Cholesterol: 7.5mg | Sodium: 36.6mg | Fiber: 4.8g | Sugar: 20.2g | Iron: -3mg We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
Oh goodness, it’s been freezing here too but that never stops me from enjoying a good salad! This one is gorgeous, Chelsea! I love the broccoli and cranberry combo! Reply
My deliciousness…. GET IN MY MOUTH NOW! This looks so good I can’t even contain myself. Love how colorful and full this salad is. Seriously, I love everything that you put in this and I love their flavors put together. Killing in 🙂 Reply
Wow… what a beautiful and flavourful salad, Chelsea. I also love the dressing. It is super simple to make 😉 Reply
I tried this with pignoli’s and jack cheese which I already had in my refrigerator and it worked great. Reply
What a beautiful salad! I love adding dried cranberries to my salad and love the combo going on here! Reply
Wow this broccoli salad looks AMAZING!!! I love the colours and the flavours sound so delicious! I could totally eat that whole bowl right now!! Reply
That salad looks like Spring! And I’m sure ready for Spring…this will be on my menu this week, for sure. Thank you. P.S. I’m giving it 5 stars even though I have tasted it, yet. I just know it will be worthy. Reply
Oh my word, this looks absolutely delicious! I LOVE traditional broccoli salad, but I definitely need to give this a try! Maybe for Easter dinner? 🙂 Reply
Can this be made the night before?? I’m hoping so, maybe I’ll chop everything and add the dressing in the morning. Reply
Absolutely can be prepped ahead! Just make sure to add the dressing before serving and not too early 🙂 Reply
I am definitely going to try this for my kids, very soon, this looks so yummy and so beautiful! Reply
I just made this salad for a Father’s Day BBQ. I have to say, I have made a lot of variations of Broccoli Salad and this was by far the best. The lemon gives it such a refreshing flavor! The only change I made was adding about 10 strips of crumbled crispy bacon… because BACON! 😀 Thanks for such a great recipe! Reply
Oh, this makes my day!! I’m so thrilled to hear this one was the best! 🙂 And YUM on the bacon addition! Thanks Diane! Reply
I absolutely despise mayonnaise, so instead I used plain yogurt for the dressing. Huge hit at my work potluck. I always consider it a successful dish when I don’t get to bring any home! Reply
That’s great!! And so happy that there wasn’t any to bring home 🙂 Thanks for the comment Nicholas! Reply
Made this last night for a small family get together, everyone loved it! My husband had thirds! And two people wanted the recipe. Also I was asked to bring it to our big family bbq next month. This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thanks! Reply
I made this today and it’s totally a pin(terest) win! I made a couple small tweaks…I added 1/2 tsp lemon extract and toasted the almonds. Loved it!! Reply
