Is it ok to eat raw broccoli?
Yes, broccoli is perfectly safe to eat raw, and it’s one of the healthiest vegetables you can add to salads. It’s low in calories and carbs and packed with fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Just be sure to wash it well and cut the florets into bite-sized pieces, so they’re easier to eat.
Broccoli Grape Salad Recipe
The flavor and texture combination of this broccoli grape salad is very exciting with sweet grapes, salty bacon, toasted pine nuts, and tangy dressing. It’s hard to stop eating it!
I originally shared this salad in 2015. It is a recipe from my Mother-in-law and we still love it. It’s a great side salad for dinner, paired with Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Pork Tenderloin, but it’s also a perfect potluck salad.
Up close broccoli salad with dressing stirred in
Ingredients for Broccoli Grape Salad
The ingredients are simple, and several can be swapped depending on what you have on hand:
Fresh Broccoli (or broccolini) – thoroughly washed and chopped into bite-size pieces. If you prefer a softer texture, see my notes below on blanching.
Cucumber – use ½ English cucumber or 2 garden cucumbers. I leave the skins on unless I’m using wax-coated grocery store cucumbers.
Seedless Grapes – red or green, both work well, or substitute raisins if you prefer.
Red Onion – or sweet yellow onion. Shallots also work well for a milder onion flavor.
Toasted Pine Nuts – or substitute sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or chopped nuts like almonds or pecans.
Crispy Bacon – cooked and chopped.I like to make air fryer bacon and chop it up
Ingredients for broccoli grape salad with broccoli, cucumber, grapes, bacon, red onion and dressing
Is it ok to eat raw broccoli?
Yes, broccoli is perfectly safe to eat raw, and it’s one of the healthiest vegetables you can add to salads. It’s low in calories and carbs and packed with fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Just be sure to wash it well and cut the florets into bite-sized pieces, so they’re easier to eat.
If you prefer a slightly more tender texture, you can quickly blanch the broccoli before adding it to the broccoli grape salad. Simply boil the florets for 30–60 seconds, then transfer them immediately to ice water to stop the cooking. This keeps the broccoli bright green while softening the bite.
The Best Dressing for Broccoli Grape Salad
The dressing is really simple and good, real mayo lightly sweetened and balanced with freshly squeezed lemon juice and simple salt and pepper seasoning.
If you want to substitute mayonnaise, you can use equal parts of sour cream and mayo, or just use all sour cream. If using sour cream, you might add a teensy bit more sugar to taste since sour cream is tangier than mayonnaise.
