This cold broccoli salad has lots of fresh broccoli, golden raisins, onion and roasted pumpkin seeds. It’s tossed in an amazingly tangy and delicious tarragon dressing that’s even better the next day!
Cold Broccoli Salad
I was first introduced to this salad from my mother-in-law several years ago and have since embellished upon it with a couple ingredients, but the initial salad of cold, uncooked broccoli was what I loved surprisingly. I had never had it before and the tangy dressing was fantastic.
Broccoli is great steamed with grated lemon zest, or with sharp cheddar cheese melted over the top, but there came a time when a cold, uncooked broccoli salad opened my eyes to another way to enjoy broccoli.
Ingredient notes
Super simple ingredients in this salad.
Broccoli florets, quick pickled red onions, pumpkin seeds and golden raisins, The salad dressing is easy to make, too.
Dried tarragon adds a nice herbal note.
I have used dried cranberries in the past, but prefer the golden raisins. For a little extra crunch, I include roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds without the shell), a house favorite in salads.
One of the ingredients is quick pickled red onions. I like to keep this mixture on hand in my refrigerator for different salads and as a garnish on Mexican dishes.
How to Make Tarragon Salad Dressing
In a mixing bowl add the mayonnaise, rice wine vinegar, honey, mustard, tarragon, salt and pepper, whisk thoroughly.
Video: Making Cold Broccoli Salad
You can watch the video in the recipe card to see exactly how this delicious salad is to make.
Instructions
- Chop the broccoli into florets, trim and chop the stalks as well if you like into bite size pieces.
- Place the chopped broccoli in a mixing bowl and add the marinated red onions, pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and golden raisins.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and mix to completely coat the vegetables.
- Chill for 20 minutes prior to serving.
This broccoli salad is perfect as a side dish for outdoor parties, BBQs and potlucks.
Cold broccoli salad is fantastic served with baby back ribs or rib eye steak, and of course, you can’t have a summer picnic without it!
This post, originally published on Kevin Is Cooking Nov 13, 2013, was last updated with new content on Aug 19, 2021.
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Cold Broccoli Salad + Video
Ingredients
- For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp dry tarragon
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the Salad:
- 4 cups crowns and stalks of broccoli
- 1/2 medium red onion , sliced thin
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup pepitas (toasted, salted pumpkin seeds)
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
Instructions
- In a bowl add the sliced red onions and 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar or enough to cover. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes or overnight.
- In a mixing bowl add the mayonnaise, rice wine vinegar, honey, mustard, tarragon, salt and pepper, whisk thoroughly.
- Chop the broccoli into florets and trim and chop the stalks as well if you like into bite size pieces. Place in a mixing bowl and add the marinated red onions, pepitas and golden raisins.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and mix to completely coat the vegetables and chill for 20 minutes prior to serving.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Nutrition
I have all of these ingredients! Love the dressing. Can’t wait to try it.
Good stuff indeed Sally! 🙂
You definitely loaded this broccoli salad with all the yummy goodies, Kevin! And that tarragon dressing sounds heavenly! Perfect for picnics and potlucks!! Pinned!
I love to even dunk French bread in that dressing! 🙂
Love the added pepitas and golden raisins Kevin. And that tarragon dressing is perfect!
One of my favorite, all-time salads Mary Ann. Thanks!
Great recipe thanks Kevin. I used dried cranberries instead of raisins plus added crispy bacon bits. Very delicious
Thanks so much Kevin. It’s a favorite of mine. 🙂
This looks delicious! Thanks Kevin!
You’re the best!
I always enjoy a good broccoli salad Kevin and this sounds so tangy! I love those marinated onions and the golden raisins for a little sweetness!
It has all the goodies and flavors going on Mary Ann!
This looks so full of flavor and so crunchy! I love the salty sweet combo you get by adding the raisins!
Thanks Kelly, I love this one anytime!
Ok…I came on today to get that oven baked..Copy Cat Kentucky Fried Chicken….but then, you recommended that yummy delicious potato salad to go with it…but THEN…I saw this crazy delicious looking Tarragon Broccoli Salad….this is my meal for tomorrow….as hubby is a lover of meat..and that chicken looks kicking good…and me, I’m a veggie gal…and the broccoli salad screamed…”fix me and eat me”….and, I mean, you can’t say no to food that calls you like that..it would just be rude..and hurt their feelings! Thanks for a wonderful new meal plan that I can add to our monthly rotation! Nothing boring… Read more »
Dee you make me smile! Thanks for the kind words and I hope you enjoy more recipes here. Cheers!
Love the combination of ingredients, the only thing I’d make different is the amount of mayo. I like adding a bit more to my salads, so think I’d go maybe 1/2.. ? Gotta try it to know better, but really, thanks for sharing this!
You’re so welcome Kelly, thanks for stopping by!
Broccoli salad is one of my favorites Kevin! I love the entire ingredient list here! Perfect for summer parties!
It is really and so good the next day, too! Happy 4th of July to you and the family Mary Ann.
So fresh and crunchy! this salad looks like something I could eat the whole summer!!loving the pepitas addition!
There’s so much good stuff going on in this one from flavors to textures and it’s healthy, too. Gotta get that in whenever I can. Thanks Gaila!
Hey Kevin. This is right up my food alley. I make a somewhat similar broccoli salad, but I put toasted pine nuts in it. We planted tarragon once in MI and by the third year it had taken over a large section of my herb garden…it spreads like crazy, as do a number of herbs.
I love to toast nuts, it brings out so much more flavor and pine nuts are a favorite. I found that mint and tarragon are notorious for spreading throughout the garden. Need to keep those in pots! Much cooler here these days. How are you guys doing?