Sweet Broccoli Apple Salad With Pasta
This creamy broccoli apple salad with pasta is a great party recipe for a summer potluck or barbeque. Use honey crisp apples to balance the tangy apple cider vinegar and creamy yogurt dressing. Kids and adults will love this fresh and light summer side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 head broccoli Chopped
- 16 ounce fettuccine pasta Broken into 2 inch pieces
- 1 apple We prefer honey crisp but any sweet apple
- 2 large carrots Shredded in the food processor
- 4 stalks celery Shredded in the food processor
- 1 small red onion Shredded in the food processor. Use half of a sweet onion for pickier eaters
- 1 cup golden raisins
- 1/2 cup green onions Diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
Dressing
- 1 cup plain yogurt mayonnaise can also be used
- 6 tablespoons honey
- 5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar rice wine vinegar also works well in this recipe
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic fresh minced or garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Prepping The Salad
- Thoroughly rinse your broccoli, apple, carrots, and green onion. Pat dry. Chop or grate all vegetables. Do not chop or add the apples until the end or they will turn brown.
Cooking The Pasta and Broccoli
- Slice the stem from the broccoli, then slice the broccoli crown into bite-sized pieces. Slice both ends from the stem, peel and slice the rest of the stem into bite-sized pieces.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, adding a pinch of salt. Once boiling turn pot to medium heat. Break fettuccini pasta with your hands into pieces that are about two inches long. Add to the water and cook 6 minutes or until al dente (still firm but cooked through).
- Remove pasta to a colander with a slotted spoon, leaving the pasta water in the pot. Rinse pasta with cold water so it stops cooking. If you find the pasta is starting to stick together, mix with a tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add broccoli florets (green fluffy tops) and stem bites to the pasta water, cooking for two minutes. Drain broccoli into the colander that your pasta is in. Rinse briefly with cold water and let cool.
Mixing the Salad
- In a large mixing bowl combine grated carrots, grated celery, grated red onion, raisins, and green onions, Mix all ingredients until combined.
- Add cooled pasta and broccoli and continue mixing until combined.
Making The Dressing And Mixing
- In a small bowl with a whisk mix the mayonnaise, honey, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper until blended.
- Chop apple into small roughly half inch pieces. Add apple to the bowl and mix. Now immediately add dressing and mix until well combined.
Chill and Serve
- Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of fifteen minutes. Can be prepped ahead and left for a few hours before serving. When left overnight the apples may begin to brown, though the lemon juice in the dressing helps them to keep a brighter color.
Notes
You can add bacon to this creamy broccoli apple salad with pasta recipe and it's pretty delicious. Cook a full or even a half pack of bacon in a pan, patting off any excess grease. Dice bacon once cooked. Add to the salad at any time, can be before or after adding the dressing and will still taste delicious. Sometimes I'll even add it later after being in the fridge, it's still delicious.
Apples will naturally brown once chopped, but the lemon juice in this dressing will help keep them from browning for a short amount of time. Add apples in as the very last ingredient before adding the dressing to help them maintain their color.
Nutrition
Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 99mg | Potassium: 493mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 2451IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 1mg