Apple Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

Add more veggies to your plate with this Apple Broccoli Cauliflower Salad that’s tossed in a creamy, lemony garlic dressing.

This recipe is sponsored by our friends at Tessemae’s!

Mission: Eat more veggies.

I’ll admit, there are times where I lack on my veggie intake, skip meals and mindlessly eat. This usually corresponds with a heavy travel schedule paired with too many “yes’s” resulting in overwhelm and exhaustion. To be honest, I’m feeling a bit out of sorts at the moment. The past few months have been much busier than I anticipated.

While I’m grateful for the opportunities and am truly blessed, I’m feeling a little weighed down and not myself physically and mentally. I’ve enjoyed a few too many glasses of wine, I haven’t moved my body as much as I’d like to and my meals have been well…all over the place. So what does that mean? Well it means I’m human and that I’m ready to commit to filling my plate with nourishing foods, moving my body more and taking more time for “me.” I’m on a mission to eat more veggies and feel my best again because health should always come first. When you feel good, you perform your best!

Can you relate?

While one would think summer would be the easiest season to eat healthy and move your body, I find that to be the exact opposite. There’s just so much going on in the summer and I’m all about enjoying life, living in the moment and not passing on fun opportunities such as girls’ weekends at the cabin, grill-outs and cocktails with friends, traveling, the Minnesota State Fair and trying new restaurants. While these occasions may force me out of my comfortable routine, I’m not going to let that stop me from spending time with loved ones and having fun. In the past, that would have been a different story.

Right now in this moment, I choose to give myself grace, have self-awareness of how I’m feeling, and take action. Below I share my approach to “getting back on track.”

But first let’s talk about this Apple Broccoli Cauliflower Salad!

It’s Whole30-friendly and a tasty and easy way to increase your veggie intake. In my efforts to take action, I will be hitting the salads hard! It’s a good thing salads are one of my favorite recipe categories  to share on the blog – the combinations of ingredients are endless. People often ask us if we ever run out of recipe ideas to share on the blog and the answer is “no way!” Our list of recipe ideas will take us an eternity to get through!

This Apple Broccoli Cauliflower Salad is hearty enough to meal prep on the weekend and enjoy for 3-4 days after, and it’s an easy and delicious way to add more veggies to your plate. It also makes for a crowd-pleasing salad to serve at a dinner with friends and/or family.

Tossed in a Lemony Vinaigrette and loaded with nutrients.

In this recipe, I used Tessemae’s Lemon Garlic Dressing and mixed it with a little mayonnaise to make it creamy. You’re going to love that Tessemae’s dressings are made with only real food ingredients and are available in many delicious flavors. We also use Lemon Garlic dressing as a marinade in our One-Pan Salmon & Veggie Bake recipe, a recipe that’s perfect for busy weeknight meals.

Not only is this Apple Broccoli Cauliflower Salad incredibly tasty, it’s also incredibly nutritious with the fiber and antioxidant-rich ingredients of broccoli, cauliflower and apple as well as healthy omega-3 fatty acids from the walnuts. For nut-free, use sunflower seeds instead of walnuts. For egg-free, use an egg-free mayo.

Interested in giving Tessemae’s a try? You can place an order of a 4-pack or 6-pack here. Unsure of what to order? Here are my faves: Creamy Ranch, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Lemon Garlic, Creamy Caesar, Buffalo Sauce, BBQ Sauce.

OK, so now my approach to “getting back on track…” No extremes here.

I don’t love the phrase “getting back on track” as it can sound a bit extreme. But to me it defines a time in life when you refocus on your health goals and ready to take action. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing since returning from my Utah travels. I have about 6 weeks before I travel again so during those weeks I plan to really focus on what I’m choosing to nourish my body with, how I’m choosing to move my body and make it a priority and also make sure to fit in “down” time – time to “just be.”

So here’s what I do to “get back on track:”

• Meal plan, meal prep, eat veggie-filled meals, healthy fats, quality protein and say no to sugar, alcohol and mindless snacking. Sometimes I like to kick this off with 7-14 days of Whole30 eating.
• Plan my workouts for the week. I like to mix it up with CrossFit (2-3 days a week) at Fairmont CrossFit, Sarah Beth Yoga and workouts from Nourish Move Love. I also walk daily and occasionally go for a run. If there is a day where I’m feeling too sore to tackle a higher intensity workout and that’s what I have planned, I’ll change my plan and do yoga or go for a run/walk instead. #listentoyourbody
• Plan “me” time and set boundaries around work. This starts with my morning routine of coffee, walking around the yard with my pups, and planning my day. I also commit to nightly walks with my pups, Walter and Lucy and sometimes Shane, my husband, and Putz, our goofy cat. I’m also working on developing the habit of not working passed 7 p.m.
• Hydrate! I aim for 100 oz. of water per day.
• Keep a journal. Jot down what you eat,  how you feel, your daily movement, how many hours of sleep you get at night and whatever else you’d like to keep track of. Journaling is a great way to help you stay accountable to your goals.

That’s it! It usually takes just a few days for me to start feeling better. What do you do to “get back on track?” Comment below!

I hope you found that helpful! And now it’s time to join me in increasing your veggie intake too by giving this Apple Broccoli Cauliflower Salad with Lemon Garlic Dressing a try!

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Let's Get Cookin'

Apple Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

Add more veggies to your plate with this Apple Broccoli Cauliflower Salad that’s tossed in a creamy, lemony garlic dressing. Whole30 | Gluten-free

• Author: Stacie Hassing
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Whole30 | Salad

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 2–3 small heads of broccoli, chopped (3–4 cups)
• 1 head cauliflower (3–4 cups)
• 1 medium apple, diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced (3/4 cup)
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced (1 cup)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries  (Made In Nature are Whole30 compliant) 
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (sub sunflower seeds for nut-free)
• 2/3 cup Tessemae’s Lemon Garlic Dressing (or see recipe option below) 
• 1/3 cup mayo
• 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme (optional)
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, toss together all of the ingredients except for the dressing, mayo and thyme.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon dressing, mayo and fresh thyme. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
3. Add the dressing to the large bowl and toss until well combined. Let salad sit in the fridge for 30 minutes to allow veggies to marinate in the dressing.
4. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

Notes

Prep tip: This salad can be made a day in advance. Add the walnuts just before serving so that they keep their crunch.

Homemade Lemon Garlic Dressing:

Whisk together –

• 1/3 cup organic olive oil
• 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. lemon zest (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
• Calories: 250
• Sugar: 7 g
• Sodium: 200 mg
• Fat: 20 g
• Carbohydrates: 13 g
• Fiber: 4 g
• Protein: 4 g

Pin now to enjoy later!

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About Stacie Hassing

Stacie is a Licensed and Registered Dietitian from rural southern Minnesota where she and her husband reside on 5 acres with their two pups, Walter & Lucy. She’s a creator of simple and wholesome recipes, a lover of nature, a crossfitter, a seasonal runner, and she’s on a mission to inspire as many as she can live a healthier and happier life from the inside out.