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    Home » Side Dish Recipes

    Broccoli Salad

    BY: Ben Rayl UPDATED: February 12, 2025 Leave a Comment

    RecipePrintComments
    5 from 2 votes

    This easy broccoli salad recipe with creamy homemade dressing is the perfect side dish for any dinner and holiday party! The crunchy vegetables combined with salty crisp bacon, sweet cranberries, and creamy mayonnaise dressing for the perfect balance of flavors.

    broccoli-salad - Featured

    This is the salad dressing you have been missing on your table that's got sweetness and a bit of tang, and it's super quick to whip up in 15 minutes - and always gets rave reviews from the guests!

    Contents
    • 🌟 Why this recipe works
    • 🍽 Key Ingredients
    • 🔪 How to make broccoli salad
    • 💭 Cooking tips
    • 📖 Recipe Variations
    • 🥗 What to serve with
    • 🙋 Frequently asked questions
    • 🧊 Storing
    • 🍳 Related recipes
    • 👪 Serving size
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    🌟 Why this recipe works

    This cold broccoli salad recipe is a delicious and easy way to add some color and texture to your meal. It can be made ahead of time and served cold, making it a great option for potlucks or barbecues. 

    The key ingredients for this salad include broccoli, red onion, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds for added crunch, bacon for flavor, mayonnaise as the base of the broccoli salad dressing - plus apple cider vinegar and sugar to add sweetness.

    The combination of all these ingredients gives you a hearty, flavorful side dish that will please your guests.

    The great thing about broccoli salad is that 95% of the time, you'll have these ingredients on hand and because it's versatile, you can also add in other veggies, nuts, or fruits as desired. 

    All-in-all, this is the best broccoli salad recipe you'll ever try! With few ingredients and lots of flavors, this creamy salad will be a huge hit with everyone. 

    If you want more flavorsome salad recipes, check out our best potato salad, or the Italian-classic tomato, basil, and mozzarella salad.

    🍽 Key Ingredients

    If you have made broccoli slaw before, then you will find most of the ingredients for broccoli salad are quite similar. Crisp broccoli pieces with a 3-ingredient mayo-based dressing and some extras for texture are all you need for this broccoli salad recipe.

    broccoli salad ingredients

    Salad ingredients

    Broccoli florets - Washed and trimmed broccoli florets are the star of this creamy salad recipe, and they don't need to be cooked either. Raw and crunchy is the way we like them here!

    Red onion - A few thinly sliced pieces of red onions bring a bit of spice, color, and pungency to this dish.

    Dried cranberries - A handful of dried cranberries add a bit of sweetness, texture, and color.

    Nuts - A mixture of sunflower seeds and sliced almonds give a nice crunchy texture and nutty flavor.

    Bacon - Some crispy bacon bits are always a popular choice for salad recipes. You only need a small amount to add a wonderful smoky-salty flavor to the salad.

    Dressing ingredients

    Mayonnaise - The key ingredient in this creamy salad dressing, mayonnaise provides a rich creamy flavor.

    Apple Cider vinegar - For a bit of tart flavor to balance out the sweetness.

    Sugar - To offset the tanginess of the cider vinegar, a bit of sugar is added.

    Salt & Pepper - To taste, for extra flavor.

    Substitutions

    Dried cranberries

    If you don't have cranberries, you can use raisins or any other dried fruit.

    Nuts

    Almonds are the best choice here, but you can also use chopped walnuts or peanuts. As a substitute for sunflower seeds, you could use pumpkin seeds.

    Bacon

    Feel free to substitute with turkey bacon if preferred.

    Mayonnaise

    For a lighter dressing, you can use plain Greek yogurt or even sour cream instead.

    🔪 How to make broccoli salad

    Broccoli salad is one of the easiest and tastiest salad recipes you will ever make! With just 15 minutes required and a few simple steps to follow, you'll have this delicious salad on the table and ready for serving in no time.

    Preparations

    • Wash and dry the broccoli head, then cut the florets from the head of the broccoli.
    • Peel and dice the red onion.

    Cooking instructions

    Step 1
    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).

    Step 2
    Line a baking sheet with foil and fitted with a rack. Place the bacon slices on top of the rack without overlapping them.

    Line a baking sheet with foil and fitted with a rack. Place the bacon slices on top of the rack without overlapping them.

    Step 3
    Cook the bacon for about 15-18 minutes until it becomes golden and crispy.

    Step 4
    Remove the tray from the oven and let the bacon cool for 5 minutes. 

    Remove the tray from the oven and let the bacon cool for 5 minutes

    Step 5
    Chop the crispy bacon into ½-inch pieces.

    Chop the crispy bacon into ½-inch pieces.

    Step 6
    Mix the bacon pieces together with broccoli florets, diced red onion, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and almonds in a large bowl.

    Mix the bacon pieces together with broccoli florets, diced red onion, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and almonds in a large bowl.

    Step 7
    To make the creamy broccoli salad dressing, whisk the mayonnaise with the apple cider vinegar, sugar, and seasoning in a medium bowl until combined.

    whisk the mayonnaise with the apple cider vinegar, sugar, and seasoning in a medium bowl

    Step 8
    Pour the prepared dressing over the salad ingredients and mix well.

    Pour the prepared dressing over the salad ingredients and mix well

    Step 9
    Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour before serving.

    serve

    💭 Cooking tips

    Prewash you broccoli

    To ensure no water from the washed broccoli goes into the creamy homemade dressing, leave the fresh broccoli florets to drain in a colander for 30 minutes before preparing the salad.

    Overnight chill

    For best results and flavor, chill the prepared broccoli salad overnight in the fridge to give the florets a chance to soak up the broccoli salad dressing. Doing so results in a more flavorsome broccoli salad.

    broccoli salad variations

    📖 Recipe Variations

    You can give the broccoli salad an upgrade with additional veggies, fruits, and dressing. Here are some variations for you to try:

    Broccoli salad with Greek yogurt dressing

    Replace the mayo with Greek yogurt and the sugar for honey. Whisk the honey with the plain Greek yogurt, then add the vinegar and seasoning.

    Orange and raisin broccoli salad

    For a festive twist, grate 1 orange into the salad ingredients to combine, then mix 2 tablespoons of orange juice and 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice instead of using vinegar, and mix that with the mayo and sugar. Add ¼ cup of raisins and mix everything together and enjoy!

    Asian broccoli salad

    Give your broccoli salad some Asian infusion by using a mixture of 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 2 tablespoons of honey, and 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar. Use this dressing instead of the creamy dressing and top with toasted sesame seeds once the dressing and salad ingredients are combined for an extra nutty flavor.

    broccoli salad storing

    🥗 What to serve with

    A delicious broccoli salad is a great side dish to serve with other tasty tasty dishes such as grilled chicken, stuffed mushrooms, fish, pork chops, or steak. It also pairs nicely with finger food recipes if you're having a buffet. Here are some serving ideas:

    Deviled eggs

    Deviled eggs are a staple recipe on party food tables.

    Sandwiches

    Grilled cheese with bacon, pulled BBQ chicken sandwiches, or cucumber sandwiches are all great options to serve alongside this broccoli salad.

    Quiche

    Bacon mushroom quiche, Spinach feta cheese quiche, or if you have more broccoli left over, you could make this broccoli, shallot, and cheddar quiche. They are all great options to serve with this salad.

    🙋 Frequently asked questions

    Can I make this recipe with blanched broccoli?

    Yes, you can use blanched broccoli florets instead of raw ones. However, they still need to have a bite to them, otherwise, they will turn really soggy once they soak up the dressing.

    Can I make this broccoli salad ahead of time?

    Absolutely! You can make this salad up to 2 days before serving. Simply store it in the fridge and give it a good mix before serving.

    broccoli salad

    🧊 Storing

    Although it rarely happens, leftover broccoli salad can be stored and eaten another day.

    Refrigerated leftover - This broccoli salad will last up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. It may lose some of its crunchiness, so it is best consumed within 1-2 days. If you want to keep the crunch, reserve some of the dressing to add just before serving.

    🍳 Related recipes

    If you're looking for something healthy, why not try one of the recipes below.

    • Three cheese lasagna
      Three-Cheese Lasagna (Easy & Delicious)
    • Mac and cheese tuna casserole
      Mac and Cheese Tuna Casserole (Easy Recipe)
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    👪 Serving size

    This broccoli salad will yield 6 to 8 servings, making it perfect for large families. The recipe can also be quickly doubled or tripled if you're catering for more than 10 people.

    This easy broccoli salad recipe is sure to become a family favorite! It’s a great way to add a bit of nutrition to your meal while keeping everyone’s taste buds happy. Give it a try, and let us know what you think!

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.

    Try one of my comfort dinner recipes for your next family meal! And if you have any questions, I'm here to help!

    📋 Recipe

    broccoli-salad - Featured Image-3

    Broccoli Salad

    This easy broccoli salad recipe with creamy homemade dressing is the perfect side dish for any dinner and holiday party! The crunchy vegetables combined with salty crisp bacon, sweet cranberries, and creamy mayonnaise dressing for the perfect balance of flavors.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved! Share
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 320kcal
    Author: Ben Rayl

    Ingredients
     

    • 8 cups Broccoli - cut into bite-sized pieces
    • ⅓ cup Red onion diced
    • ½ cup Dried cranberries
    • ½ cup Nuts - ¼ sunflower seeds & ¼ sliced almonds
    • 8 slices Bacon

    Dressing

    • 1 cup Mayonnaise
    • 3 tablespoons Apple cider vinegar
    • 2 tablespoons Sugar
    • Salt & pepper to taste

    Instructions

    Preparations

    • Wash and dry the broccoli head, then cut the florets from the head of the broccoli.
    • Peel and dice the red onion.

    Cooking instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
    • Line a baking sheet with foil and fitted with a rack. Place the bacon slices on top of the rack without overlapping them.
    • Cook the bacon for about 15-18 minutes until it becomes golden and crispy.
    • Remove the tray from the oven and let the bacon cool for 5 minutes.
    • Chop the crispy bacon into ½-inch pieces.
    • Mix the bacon pieces together with broccoli florets, diced red onion, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and almonds in a large bowl.
    • To make the creamy broccoli salad dressing, whisk the mayonnaise with the apple cider vinegar, sugar, and seasoning in a medium bowl until combined.
    • Pour the prepared dressing over the salad ingredients and mix well.
    • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour before serving.

    Notes

    Prewash you broccoli
    To ensure no water from the washed broccoli goes into the creamy homemade dressing, leave the fresh broccoli florets to drain in a colander for 30 minutes before preparing the salad.
    Overnight chill
    For best results and flavor, chill the prepared broccoli salad overnight in the fridge to give the florets a chance to soak up the broccoli salad dressing. Doing so results in a more flavorsome broccoli salad.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Iron: 1mg

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    Chef Ben Rayl

    Hi, I'm Ben!

    I believe comfort food unites us, and I want to inspire you to cook at home with everyday ingredients. It is easier and takes less time than you think, costs less than eating out, and tastes a million times better.Read More

    Feel free to share our recipes on your blog using a photo and link back to the original recipe.

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