Need a side dish in a hurry? This Broccoli, Apple & Cheddar Salad with Dill Ranch Dressing comes together quickly and with so few ingredients, making it the ideal side dish for your next backyard barbeque or for busy weeknight dinners!
The grocery list.
- Raw broccoli – So crunchy and delicious! Make sure to dice it up into smallish pieces so it distributes well throughout the salad.
- Honeycrisp apples – Apples add a delicious juicy crunch to this salad!
- Sharp cheddar cheese – Broccoli and cheddar is a classic combo; crunchy fresh broccoli with its neutral flavor paired with salty sharp cheddar cheese never gets old!
- Nonfat plain greek yogurt – Acts as the base of the dressing for this salad, so creamy!
- Garlic powder – Garlic and onion powder in the dressing elevate the flavor of the dill for this dressing.
- Onion powder
- Fresh lemon juice – I like using fresh lemon juice, fresh is always better! As for most dressings, you need an acidic ingredient and this is so tangy and flavorful.
- Fresh dill – This is where the ranch flavor comes from!
- Salt – Kosher salt is the best, or use flaky salt to add a bit of texture to your salad.
- Honey – Adds a touch of sweetness.
- Water – To thin the dressing so it evenly distributes throughout the salad.
The preparation.
In a large bowl, add the broccoli, apples and sharp cheddar cheese. I like using sharp cheddar because the tanginess goes well with the creamy dressing and the broccoli, which is a relatively bland vegetable.
In a separate bowl, make the dressing. Whisk together the yogurt, garlic powder, onion powder and lemon juice. Add the dill, salt and honey. Add water as needed to thin to your desires consistency. The thicker the dressing is, the more you’ll have to mix your salad because it’ll be a little more difficult to distribute it evenly over your broccoli and apples.
Pour the dressing over the broccoli mix and toss until fully coated. Chill until ready to serve.
Make ahead option.
This salad is so quick and easy, you probably don’t even need to make it ahead. I recommend serving it the same day you prepare it so it is as fresh as possible and the broccoli and apples are nice and crunchy.
If you do want to make it ahead, slice up your broccoli, apples, and cheese the night before, as well as prepare the dressing, and store it all in the fridge. Squeeze some lemon juice on the diced apples so they don’t turn brown. Also, don’t combine the dressing with the salad ingredients until you’re close to being ready to serve your salad. Enjoy!
Looking for more side salad recipes?
Here are a few to try:
Simple Side Salad with Lemon-Maple Vinaigrette
Cherry & Cherry Tomato Caprese
Lastly, if you make this Broccoli, Apple, Cheddar and Dill Ranch Salad recipe, be sure to leave a comment! Above all, I love to hear from ya’ll and do my best to respond to every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of your dayyyummm good recreations is my favorite!
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Ingredients
- 2 cups raw broccoli, diced
- 2 large honeycrisp apple, diced
- 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, diced
- 1/2 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon honey
- 2 tablespoons water to thin dressing
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the broccoli, apples and sharp cheddar cheese.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt, garlic powder, onion powder and lemon juice. Add the dill, salt and honey. Add the water as needed to thin to the desired consistency.
- Pour the dressing over the broccoli mix and toss until fully coated. Chill until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information: Serves 6 / 149 cals / 10g F / 9g C / 9g P