Broccoli Salad
Posted May 12, 2023, Updated Feb 13, 2024
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This is the best broccoli salad recipe. Loaded flavor and tossed in an amazing homemade dressing, this broccoli salad with bacon will become your go-to side dish for any party!
Broccoli is my favorite vegetable! I make this roasted broccoli all the time, but my kids & husband prefer eating it raw. So, I created this broccoli salad recipe so that my entire family could enjoy eating broccoli together!
And truly everyone who tries it loves this broccoli salad. In this recipe, fresh broccoli, salty bacon, sweet cranberries, nutty sunflower seeds and onions are all tossed in the best homemade dressing.
Since too much dressing has always been my frustration with broccoli salad, I created this recipe to include just the right amount of dressing. We’re talking, enough to lightly coat the ingredients & impart flavor without creating puddles of extra dressing at the bottom of the bowl.
Broccoli Salad Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Broccoli florets. You need 6 cups of broccoli for this recipe. I suggest buying florets so you get more of the tender broccoli head for your money. Be sure to cut it into small, bite-sized pieces.
- Red onion. Use your favorite onion variety, green onions, yellow and white are all great choices.
- Dried cranberries. you can substitute raisins, if desired.
- Sunflower seeds. Pecans are a good substitute for sunflower seeds.
- Bacon. Choose your favorite variety.
- Mayonnaise. I don’t suggest substitutes for the mayo in this recipe.
- Sour cream. full-fat greek yogurt can be used in place of sour cream.
- Honey. granulated sugar works well in place of honey.
- Apple cider vinegar. white vinegar works well as a substitute.
How to Make Broccoli Salad
We’ll walk through this broccoli salad recipe step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Cook & Crumble Bacon
Begin by preparing the bacon because it needs time to cool before putting it in the salad.
Cook the bacon either on the stovetop or bake in the oven (400 degrees for 20 minutes) until crispy.
Then, line a plate with paper towels. Remove the bacon from the pan transfer it to the plate to cool.
Once it’s cooled, crumble the bacon into a bowl, set aside.
Make the Broccoli Salad Dressing
Next, make the dressing by whisking together the dressing ingredients until smooth. Set it aside.
Assemble the Broccoli Salad
Now it’s time to assemble the salad! In a large bowl, combine broccoli florets, red onion, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds and crumbled bacon.
Toss or stir the ingredients until combined.
Then, pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and stir until evenly distributed.
Once the salad is well mixed, transfer it to a serving dish, cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. This allows the flavors to blend together.
Serve
Use some extra bacon, cranberries, and sunflower seeds to garnish the top of the salad. Then, serve cold alongside your favorite BBQ recipes! Here are some suggestions:
- Lemon chicken kebabs
- Grilled flank steak
- Italian pasta salad or summer pasta salad
- Summer fruit salad
- Burrata salad
- Homemade mac and cheese
Store
Store leftover broccoli salad with bacon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Do not freeze this recipe.
Broccoli Salad Recipe FAQs
This recipe is made with fresh broccoli, bacon, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, onions, and a delicious homemade dressing.
It lasts 3 to 5 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Yes! Raw broccoli is a great source of nutrients.
No, I do not suggest freezing this salad. Freezing will change the texture of the ingredients and is not recommended.
You can do either. You can run broccoli heads under lukewarm water then shake to remove excess water before cutting. Or you can cut the broccoli, put it in a colander, rinse with water then shake off excess water. You just have to be sure your broccoli is completely dry before using in this recipe.
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Broccoli Salad Recipe with Bacon & Cranberries
Ingredients
- 1 pound broccoli florets (about 6 cups), cut into small pieces
- ½ cup red onion finely diced
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds roasted and salted
- 10 ounces bacon cooked and crumbled
Dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Pinch black pepper
Instructions
Cook & Crumble Bacon
- Cook bacon either on the stovetop or bake in the oven (400 degrees for 20 minutes) until crispy.
- Remove from pan and place bacon on paper towels to cool.
- Once cool, crumble bacon into a bowl, set aside.
Make the dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until smooth.
Assemble
- In a large bowl, combine broccoli florets, red onion, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds and crumbled bacon and toss to combine. (Be sure to keep at least 1 TBS of each ingredient to use to garnish the top of the salad).
- Pour dressing over the broccoli mixture and stir until evenly distributed.
Chill & Serve
- Cover the salad and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
- Use the extra bacon, cranberries, and sunflower seeds to garnish the top of the salad. Then, serve cold.
Video
Notes
- Red onion. Use your favorite onion variety, green onions, yellow and white are all great choices.
- Dried cranberries. you can substitute raisins, if desired.
- Sunflower seeds. Pecans are a good substitute for sunflower seeds. Make sure to use shelled sunflower seeds, do not put the shells in the salad.
- Sour cream. full-fat greek yogurt can be used in place of sour cream.
- Honey. granulated sugar works well in place of honey.
- Apple cider vinegar. white vinegar works well as a substitute.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This broccoli salad is absolutely delicious! A perfect recipe to make and share at summer gatherings. Fresh and flavorful!