Broccoli Honeycrisp Slaw ~ tender shredded broccoli stalks, impossibly crisp apples, sweet currants, and toasted almonds all combine with a creamy cider dressing to make one heck of a deliciously unexpected (and healthy!) summer salad.
There’s so much to love about this unique salad it’s hard to know where to start ~ first and foremost there’s the whole idea of shredding the tender (yes tender!) stalks of broccoli to make a crunchy slaw. It’s genius. Then there’s the thing about paring that with finely julienned Honeycrisp apple, (the hot new variety that literally explodes its juice when you take a bite.) This is a must make salad that got raves from my taste testers. It’s a personal favorite of mine, and I know I’ve been claiming that a lot lately, but, what can I say? I’m on a roll these days ;)
You can ‘slaw’ all kinds of things, from kale, to Brussels sprouts, to Vidalia onions, with great results!
Some food bloggers I know have knack for getting recipes made well in advance, some even do multiple recipes in a day. I must be a part of the slow food movement because I cannot do more than one recipe a day. It takes everything out of me to conceive of the recipe, gather/shop for the ingredients (they have to be the freshest of the fresh for the camera) cook the food, style and photograph the food, then edit the photos, and write up the post. Oh, and and of course I forgot to mention cleaning up after myself. Freudian slip.
One of the benefits to taking my time and focusing on one recipe a day is that I can really appreciate the finer points of the dish. I like to take a bowl/slice/taste of whatever I’ve made right over to my computer and nibble on it as I write up my posts. That immediacy is important to me, and to the way I share the food I make.
Right now the Honeycrisp is bursting sweet juice, followed by the deep flavor of the toasty nuts, which prompts me to say, please don’t leave either of them out, take the time to find the Honeycrisp in the produce section (they’re there) and please be sure to toast your almonds. The effect is so perfect.
The ingredient list for this salad is short, but impactful, so I recommend having the whole short list on hand when you try it for the first time. You’ll end up with an unusual salad that’s not only delicious, but super healthy. If you’ve got any salad haters in the family, try this out on them!
Grocery list for this broccoli Honeycrisp slaw ~
- about 4 stalks of broccoli (heads and stalks) look for nice long, fresh, stalks
- 2 Honeycrisp apples
- dried currants
- slivered almonds
- Pantry staples: mayonnaise, cider vinegar, celery seed, onion salt, lemon juice.
You can buy pre-made broccoli slaw in the supermarket, but I recommend making it yourself; bagged veggies, especially when shredded, are sub-par. All those exposed surfaces dry out and lose nutrients. But if you’re pressed for time, by all means go for it :)
A great surprise ~ This broccoli slaw kept especially well in the fridge overnight, no sogginess, and the leftovers the next night were just as good.
There was no excess moisture in the bowl, which was a great surprise. Many slaws ‘weep’ and get boggy at the bottom of the bowl as they sit, but this one didn’t have that issue. The broccoli stems stayed nice and crisp, and so did the apples.
Are broccoli stalks healthy?
You probably already know that broccoli is good for you, but what about those stems that you usually toss in the trash, are they even edible? They’re not only edible, they’re surprisingly tender, delicious, and full of good stuff.
- Broccoli stems are healthy, and, ounce for ounce, the florets and stalks contain equal amounts of broccoli’s famously healthy nutrients.
- Broccoli stalks have the edge over florets in the fiber department, too.
How to shred broccoli stalks
- Remove the florets, or green flower buds, from the top of the broccoli.
- Use a vegetable peeler to remove any rough parts on the stalks.
- Grate the stalks using a box grater, mandoline, or food processor fitted with the shredding attachment. I prefer the food processor method, this is the one I recommend. The processor does a quick, even job.
Broccoli Honeycrisp Slaw
Ingredients
- 4-5 cups shredded broccoli stalks about 4 stalks
- 1 cup broccoli floret tips (just slice the green buds off the ends of the florets
- 1 to 1 and 1/2 Honeycrisp apples
- lemon juice
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds toasted in a pan with a little olive oil, over moderate heat until they turn golden.
- 1/4 cup dried currants
dressing
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 and 1/2 Tbsp cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp onion salt
- 1/4 tsp celery seed
Instructions
- Put the shredded broccoli and floret tips in a large bowl.
- Slice the cheeks off the apples, then slice them into thin slices, and then stack them and slice into fine matchsticks. Toss the apples well with lemon juice to prevent any browning. Add them to the bowl along with the almonds and currants.
- Whisk together the dressing and taste to adjust any of the ingredients. I added a bit more salt and celery seed.
- Toss the slaw with the dressing, making sure to get everything evenly coated. Serve or cover and chill. Slaw can be made up to a day in advance.
Make this Broccoli Honeycrisp Slaw your own ~
- Add some crisp bacon.
- Add some sharp cheddar cheese, Tillamook makes a Farmhouse Shredded cheese that would be perfect, or shred your own.
- How about add both of the above?? Yum.
- Golden raisins can sub for the currants.
- Sunflower seeds can stand in for the almonds, although you won’t get that amazing toasted nut flavor.
- You could use another type of apple, but why? Granny Smith would be too tart. Golden Delicious too bland. Macintosh not firm enough. SweeTango or another sweet crisp apple would work.
Thanks for pinning!

17 Comments
Belinda
June 17, 2019 at 12:09 pmThis salad is delicious and holds up really well. I give this recipe 5 stars. It did take some time to clean and shred the broccoli but I will make this again. Used raisins since I could not find currents and did add the teaspoon of sugar to make the dressing sweeter.
Tricia | Saving Room for Dessert
May 30, 2019 at 7:17 amHoneycrisp apples are my favorites! I know we’re going to love this recipe Sue – and I can’t wait to try it.
PAMELA L CLARK
May 29, 2019 at 7:47 pmCan I sub sour cream for the mayo?
Sue
May 29, 2019 at 8:05 pmYou could, but be aware that sour cream has less flavor than mayo, so you might need to tweak the dressing.
2 sisters recipes
May 29, 2019 at 5:46 pmOur kind of salad Sue!! Anything with broccoli is great! Great job and the photos are beautiful!
Chichi
May 29, 2019 at 2:48 pmThis is a beautiful dish. Thanks for the tip on how to shred broccoli stalks. Super helpful.
Nancy Searcy
May 29, 2019 at 1:33 pmLooking forward to trying the broccoli slaw
JoAnna
May 29, 2019 at 12:17 pmI see that you’ve listed sugar in your blogpost but the written recipe and instructions do not. What amount did you use?
Sue
May 29, 2019 at 12:29 pmThe first time I made this I added a little sugar to the dressing, but I decided to leave it out in the final recipe, because the apples and currants lend some sweetness to the salad. You can add 1 tsp of sugar to the dressing if you like.
Lisa
May 29, 2019 at 10:42 amI love broccoli slaw! It’s my new favorite go-to salad and your recipe looks absolutely divine!!! Can’t wait to pick up the ingredients and give it a try. :)
Sara Welch
May 29, 2019 at 10:08 amThis was a great tasting slaw! Prepared this for a BBQ dinner this evening and it is wonderful!
Laura
May 29, 2019 at 9:56 amMixing the flavors of broccoli, apples and almonds is just a fabulous idea – must have been a great discovery!
Geraldine | Green Valley Kitchen
May 29, 2019 at 9:15 amI’m trying to get more broccoli in my diet, so this salad is perfect, Sue. Definitely worth the effort to make your own broccoli slaw – the bag ones are so dried out. Love the combo of apples and broccoli and nuts. This is one healthy salad! Pinning to share.
Sue
May 29, 2019 at 10:11 amThanks Geraldine…I keep seeing recipes using the bagged stuff and I’m surprised when it’s so easy to use fresh broccoli, and so much better.
Julie Menghini
May 29, 2019 at 9:12 amThis sounds wonderful with the honey crisp apples. A perfect salad for summer time.
John / Kitchen Riffs
May 29, 2019 at 7:28 amLOVE slaw, and we’re always looking for new ideas. I’ve never used broccoli in one! But I will. :-) Thanks!
Sue
May 29, 2019 at 8:34 amI always pass up those bags of broccoli slaw, but this homemade version is awesome :))