Easiest Party Crowd-Pleasing Broccoli Slaw Salad Recipe (no mayo!)

This broccoli slaw salad recipe is my go-to for any family get together where I need a 5-minute salad that everyone loves! And bonus: it has no mayo – rather, it has a light vinegar dressing! When you’re done, check out this mango and blueberry salad recipe for another crowd-pleasing hit. This post contains affiliate links.

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This incredibly simple broccoli slaw salad recipe was born from personal need. I needed a salad that can be stored in the fridge, one that’s easy and quick to toss together and that’s yummy.

When I first discovered broccoli slaw, it was an instant win. It has all the crunch of a slaw but not the bitter that cabbage has! But I needed an easy no-mayo dressing and more ways to dress it up. No recipes quite did the trick. So I pulled together what I had and came up with this fail-proof salad that I’ve served at so many parties and it’s always a hit!

I figured it’s about time to share my super easy crowd-pleasing broccoli slaw salad recipe.

And yes, it can be made Gluten Free, it’s Kosher, and it’s even Parve.

Toppings for this Broccoli Slaw Salad

One of the biggies for this one was what else to put into the salad. I decided to keep it simple – just broccoli slaw – plus some toppings. These are really easy to swap out, but they will very much serve as a “seasoning” and heavily influence the final flavor of your broccoli slaw.

Nut Toppings

Years ago, I tasted this incredible complex broccoli slaw at a relative’s house. I don’t remember the recipe other than it had (a million ingredients and) candied nuts and pistachios. With a child who is highly allergic to traces of pistachio, I decided to go for other nuts.

I use sliced or slivered toasted almonds to give it that nutty crunch. I also slightly crumble some candied pecans to add a sweet touch.

You can definitely go back to using pistachios. Cashews would also be fabulous here (Y is also seriously allergic to that). Really anything goes, but if you want to get a similar flavor balance, my best tip is to choose one option that is sweet and one that is a salty toasted option.

Nut Free Variations

Before Y outgrew his almond and pecan allergies, I may have used honey roasted peanuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and anything similar to get that earthy flavor.

If these don’t work for you, a popular option in broccoli slaw is toasted ramen noodles. For a sweet topping, you can use something like granola. Both of these would get soggier faster and less enjoyable leftover. You can also serve them on the side as a separate topper.

The craisins and variations

This broccoli slaw salad recipe is also very loosely inspired by a raw broccoli salad I used to make sometimes, that had in it cashews (before Y’s diagnosis) and craisins. I really wanted that sweet/tart bite and so I added some juiced up craisins.

What I usually do is take a good handful of dried cranberries and “juice” them up in advance by soaking them in hot water for about 15 minutes. This adds a bit more of a refreshing bite to the salad.

Alternatives to craisins can include other dried fruit (I’d imagine chopped dried apricot would be delicious), small bits of mango or berries, or anyththing else that’ll add those small bits of sweet/tart flavor throughout.

The Dressing for Broccoli Slaw Salad

While you may think of slaws as very full of sugary dressing, this one goes easier on it. In fact, it’s extremely lightly dressed. That’s part of the magic of it.

The no-mayo dressing I made

My husband (and much of his family) won’t touch mayo. So while the default dressing for a slaw like this might be creamy and full of mayo, mine isn’t!

In fact, it’s literally just a drizzle of this and a drizzle of that. I usually do a very light drizzle (a couple of tablespoons) of extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, a drizzle of honey, and some seasoning. My go to salad seasoning is Trader Joe’s onion salt, but even just some salt, pepper, onion, and garlic powder will do the trick.

I don’t even bother to mix up a real dressing. I just lightly season the salad directly.

More options

Because of the different flavors – the slaw base, with the sweet crunchy nuts, the bursts of sweet-tart cranberries, and the earthy nuts, this salad really works best with a light dressing. You want the main ingredients to really shine in every bite. The best dressing is one that lightly seasons these flavors.

If you do go for a creamy dressing, go for one that’s lightly sweet, and pretty loose and wet. Don’t make it too thick.

Any vinaigrette with a lightly sweet touch can work. Trader Joe’s mango one would be fabulous. Just don’t overdo it! You don’t want those candied pecans swimming in the dressing.

More tips for making and serving Broccoli Slaw Salad

We’ve served this broccoli slaw recipe so many times – here are our favorite contexts and ways to serve it, along with some advance prep tips.

What can you serve broccoli slaw with?

I find that the broccoli slaw works well with meals with a solid protein. We’ve served it right next to a large salmon side platter. It’s also great for barbecues where you want a bit of a lighter salad.

It’s delicious alongside rice, and I do choose it less when doing a pasta-heavy get-together.

How long will broccoli slaw last in the fridge?

Since it doesn’t have leafy greens, it can last well in the fridge. The only downside is that your nuts will lose their crunch. The broccoli will soften a bit and lose some of the crispiness. It can still be enjoyed for 3 days, but it’ll be “leftovers” – not at the ideal texture.

Since it takes literally 5 minutes to make this salad (no real measuring or chopping needed) I DO usually choose to just make it fresh. However, I love that it’s also a salad that allows me to use up the leftovers the next day.

If you really want to advance prep, you can juice up the craisins a day or two in advance, prepare the dressing separately in advance, and have everything ready to toss together fresh. You CAN mix the slaw with the dressing a day ahead but it’ll lose some of its crispiness.

Broccoli Slaw Salad Recipe

Here’s a written recipe – the recipe card printable follows right after.

Ingredients

• 1 bag (about 12 oz) broccoli slaw
• 1/2 cup toasted sliced or slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup candied pecans, lightly crushed into large chunks. I usually use Trader Joe’s.
• 1/2 cup craisins
• 1 T honey (I usually just drizzle it on without measuring – the measurement is for those of you who need it!)
• 2 T olive oil (same as above)
• 2 T red wine vinegar (same…)
• Salt to taste
• 1 t Trader Joe’s onion salt (or your favorite mild spice mix)

Process

1. In a heat-safe dish, cover your craisins with hot water and allow them to sit for 15 ish minutes. Drain them. This step is optional but adds some yummy juiciness to the craisins.

2. Dump your broccoli slaw into a large bowl.

3. Top with nuts and craisins.

4. Drizzle on olive oil, vinegar, honey, and seasoning.

5. Toss to combine. Enjoy!

If you loved this, you’ll definitely want to check out this incredible healthy vegetable kugel recipe too!