Broccoli Salad With Creamy Avocado Dressing

There are a ton of versions of broccoli salad, but my go-to recipe is this version by America’s Test Kitchen. This broccoli salad with creamy avocado dressing is so good, you’ll make it every week at home. It is one of our favorite side dishes at home.

Avocado tastes great when cut into chunks and added to a salad, but even better when made into a dressing. I highly recommend you try this salad recipe.

RELATED: Top 5 Most Popular Salad Dressing Recipes

The dressing is definitely the main star of this dish. It is creamy, lemony, and delicious – perfect with all the salad ingredients. You can also use it for different salad recipes, as it’s flavorful and creamy. It does not contain mayonnaise, yogurt, or sour cream cream, unlike most of the salad dressings that you are familiar with. It is super easy to prepare and ready in less than 5 minutes.

For more salad recipes, check these out: Creamy Broccoli Salad with Apples Recipe, Easy Broccoli & Cauliflower Summer Salad, and Paula Deen’s Broccoli And Berry Salad Recipe. 

Easy Broccoli Salad Ingredients

• 3 small broccoli heads (cut into bite-sized pieces, stalks included)
• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 avocado
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 3/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1/2 cup of dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup of toasted sliced almonds
• 1 shallot (sliced thinly)
• 1 tablespoon of minced tarragon

How to Make Broccoli Salad

Step 1:

Boil 1 cup of water in a pot, then add the bite-sized stalks first, then the florets. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Once done, drain and add to an ice water bath. Set aside for 2 minutes.

Step 2:

Scrape the avocado and add to a food processor, followed by the extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, garlic clove, salt, and black pepper. Blend for 30 seconds until nice and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Step 3:

Drain the broccoli and place on a plate lined with several paper towels.

Step 4:

In a large bowl, add the broccoli, dressing, dried cranberries, almonds, shallot, and  tarragon. Toss everything until well combined.

Step 5:

Serve and enjoy!

Broccoli Salad With Creamy Avocado Dressing