Crunchy, refreshing, and uncomplicated, this Broccoli Grape Salad combines crisp broccoli, sweet grapes, shredded carrots, and quickly pickled red onions with a tangy rice vinegar-and-mayonnaise dressing. It works well as a light lunch or as a bright side for grilled pork chops, chicken, fish, or beef. Stored in a sealed container, the salad keeps for up to a week in the refrigerator—if it lasts that long!
I’m fortunate to be married to someone who delights in creativity and curiosity. He’s handy, loyal, adventurous with food, and has a fondness for vegetables. His usual request for sandwiches, salads, and sides is to “run it through the garden,” and that inspired this lighter version of a marinated broccoli salad I’d seen circulating online.
The versions I first encountered leaned on bacon, cheese, nuts, and a hefty amount of mayonnaise. I love those ingredients, but for this occasion I wanted something bright, fresh, and lively rather than rich and heavy. So I lightened the dressing and added quick-pickled red onions to bring balance and tang.
How to tame raw onions:
Red onions can be sharp and linger on the palate, so I thinly slice them and let them sit in rice vinegar while I prepare the other ingredients. The brief pickling softens the harsh sulfur notes and turns the onions sweet and tangy—perfect if you enjoy the flavor of raw onions but not the aftereffects.
This recipe yields a substantial batch. Full disclosure: my husband and I once polished off a whole batch ourselves in two days. Even if you don’t eat salad obsessively, make the full quantity—this salad improves as it sits and develops flavor. If you can make it a day ahead, you’ll be rewarded with even better flavor.
Broccoli Grape Salad
What transforms simple bite-sized broccoli florets into an irresistible salad is the combination of ingredients and the dressing: sweet seedless grapes, thinly pickled red onions, grated carrots, and a light, tangy dressing made from rice vinegar, a modest amount of mayonnaise, a touch of sugar, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
If you haven’t tried broccoli and grape together, it may sound unusual, but the contrast of crunchy broccoli and juicy grapes is delightful. On a warm day, this salad is especially refreshing; a bowl and a slice of hearty bread can easily be a satisfying meal. It also pairs well with grilled meats and fish, and I’ve even enjoyed it as a topping for a hot dog.
Broccoli Grape Salad
Rebecca Lindamood
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium red onion
- 3/4 cup rice vinegar not seasoned
- 2 cups red or black seedless grapes, halved
- 8 crowns broccoli, florets cut to bite size
- 2 small to medium carrots, grated
- 3/4 to 1 cup mayonnaise start with the smaller amount and add to taste
- 1 tablespoon sugar raw sugar or granulated
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt divided, or to taste
- black pepper to taste freshly ground preferred
Instructions
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Halve the red onion and peel it. Cut slices from near the root to the blossom end at roughly 3/4-inch intervals, keeping the root intact so the slices hold together. Turn the onion 90° and slice across the cuts to create thin 3/4-inch-long slices. Place the slices in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and pour the rice vinegar over them. Stir and let the onions sit while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
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Halve the grapes (quarter if very large) and add them to the bowl on top of the onions. Do not stir yet.
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Cut the broccoli florets from the stems and reserve the stems for another use if you like. Chop florets into bite-sized pieces roughly the same size as the grapes and add them to the bowl, still without stirring.
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Grate the carrots on the large holes of a box grater and add them to the bowl. Add the mayonnaise, sugar, the remaining kosher salt, and black pepper. Toss until everything is evenly combined and a light dressing forms from the rice vinegar and mayonnaise. Add extra mayonnaise by spoonfuls if you prefer a creamier texture. Note that as the salad sits, the vegetables and grapes will release liquid and the dressing may thin slightly.
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Transfer the salad to a tightly lidded container and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving, preferably overnight. Toss before serving to redistribute the dressing.
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Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to seven days.
Notes
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the specific ingredients you choose and your preferred nutrition calculator.
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