Creamy broccoli salad makes the perfect potluck side dish

I have a heart for feeding people. I love sharing my favorite food with as many people as possible. I also like to show off the fun side of healthy eating.

This time of year people are booked solid with food-filled social events from graduations and family reunions to barbecues and patio parties, and it all kicks off this weekend with Memorial Day picnics.

Each event is different but they all come with the same question: “What are we going to eat?” Everyone is trying to find the perfect portable side dish and I’m constantly asked for party food ideas and potluck recipes.

When I’m deciding what to make for a party I scan a short mental checklist. To begin, I usually lean toward vegetarian recipes. When possible I consider if it can be made gluten free. I also opt for ingredients that are full of fiber with a modest amount of protein. These later choices are part of my weight loss survival guide. I want to know there will be at least one dish that will fill my tummy if the healthy options are slim to non-existent.

Over the last few years, I have developed a few additional criteria for choosing party recipes:

Get excited. If you are looking forward to eating what you bring, it is easier to pass on the less healthy offerings.

Wow factor. Choose ingredients that add a pop of color or a burst of flavor without adding calories.

Make ahead. Select a dish that will be great if made a day in advance so you aren’t scrambling at the last minute.

Plays well with others. Imagine your dish fitting easily with a variety of entrees (grilled meat, fish, casseroles, etc).

I’ll give an honorable mention to “keep it simple.” A dish that is quick and easy is certainly a bonus, but when time allows a party can be a great reason to make a little extra effort and step out of your usual routine. In the case of this broccoli salad, however, we are going to achieve all of the above and keep it delightfully simple.

The vibrant green broccoli jumps out from the usual sea of chips and bean dips. It has a unexpectedly enticing citrus scent. And, really, it’s hard to go wrong with a creamy salad dressing. The dressing’s sweet citrus tang cuts through the usual bitter notes of fresh broccoli and cools any spicy barbecue sauce or salsa that may also be on the menu. The light cider vinegar acidity creates harmony when cuddled up to a scoop of sticky brown sugar baked beans.

Is this dish vegetarian? Yes. Is it gluten free? Check. It is even free of nuts, if that is a concern. But, it is not what you leave out that makes this salad a star. This party-ready salad is all about the goodies you have mixed in. Goodies that will probably result in whispers of, “Who made this salad?” and leave only an empty bowl to take home.

Creamy broccoli salad, you may be the perfect potluck food.

Creamy broccoli salad with honey mustard dressing

Honey Mustard Dressing

1/2 cup (4 ounce) non-fat Greek yogurt

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons coarse ground mustard

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon orange zest

Broccoli Salad

8 cups chopped broccoli florets, yield from 11/2 lbs

1/2 cup minced green onion, approximately 3 to 4 whole green onions

1/2 cup raisins, lightly packed

1/4 cup sunflower seed kernels, toasted without salt

Make this versatile salad a day in advance to let the flavors mix and mingle overnight or throw it together right before the meal begins. The dressing makes just enough to give the salad an indulgent creaminess but stops short of becoming heavy or gloppy.

This creamy honey mustard dressing has a lightness you won’t find in a bottle. It is quick to prepare and can be used to top a salad or in place of the usual condiments on a burger, wrap, or sandwich.

In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients then set aside.

In large salad bowl, toss together the broccoli salad ingredients. Pour over the prepared dressing and stir until the salad is fully coated with the dressing.

The finished broccoli salad may be served immediately but the flavors will be at their best when allowed to chill 4 hours up to overnight.

Notes: Use this recipe as a blueprint and adjust the flavors to fit your mood or the season. Substitute dried currants, cranberries or cherries for the raisins. For a bolder onion flavor try minced red onion or shallots in place of the green onion.

Prep time: 20 min. Chill time: 4 hours overnight; Serves: 8 servings.

Serving size: 1 cup Calories: 95 Fat: 2g Carbohydrates: 16g Sugar: 8g Sodium: 26mg Fiber: 4g Protein: 5g Weight Watchers Points Plus: 2

Rose McAvoy blogs at Light for Life at www.heraldnet.com/lightforlife and also at halfhersize.com.

Email her at rose@halfhersize.com or find her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/halfhersize.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

A stroll on Rome's ancient Appian Way is a kind of time travel. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves on the Appian Way, Rome’s ancient superhighway

Twenty-nine highways fanned out from Rome, but this one was the first and remains the most legendary.

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Inside Elle Marie Hair Studio in Smokey Point. (Provided by Acacia Delzer)
The best hair salon in Snohomish County

You voted, we tallied. Here are the results.

The 2024 Kia EV9 electric SUV has room for up to six or seven passengers, depending on seat configuration. (Photo provided by Kia)
Kia’s all-new EV9 electric SUV occupies rarified air

Roomy three-row electric SUVs priced below 60 grand are scarce.

2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD (Photo provided by Toyota)
2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD

The compact SUV electric vehicle offers customers the ultimate flexibility for getting around town in zero emission EV mode or road-tripping in hybrid mode with a range of 440 miles and 42 mile per gallon fuel economy.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.