Make this easy broccoli salad for potlucks, picnics, and BBQs any time of year!
This broccoli bacon salad recipe also features sunflower seeds, cheddar cheese, red onions, and cranberries dressed in a sweet-tart creamy dressing.
Holly’s Broccoli Salad Highlights
- Flavor: The tangy dressing is the perfect contrast to the smoky bacon, sharp cheddar, and sweet cranberries.
- Prep Note: For the best results, make broccoli salad a day ahead, cover, and chill until ready to serve. This helps the flavors meld and soften the broccoli a little bit.
- Swaps: No cranberries? Swap them out for other pieces of chopped dried fruit, raisins, or currants.
Broccoli Salad Building Blocks
Broccoli: Cut fresh broccoli into bite-sized florets and be sure to rinse and drain well before using, or it may water down the dressing. For an extra colorful salad, use half broccoli and half cauliflower.
Bacon: Cook a whole package of bacon in the oven or the air fryer and have lots left over for homemade BLTs! Save a few crumbles to use as a garnish if desired.
Dressing: This dressing couldn’t be easier! Mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar are all you need for easy broccoli salad. Use more or less sugar or your favorite sugar substitute. Switch out the mayo for Miracle Whip, or if time is short, use a bottle of coleslaw dressing instead.
Broccoli Remix
- Feel free to use nuts like sliced almonds, walnuts, pistachios, or pecans instead of sunflower seeds.
- Cheddar cheese has a robust flavor, but you can also choose other cheeses like blue cheese crumbles, feta, or parmesan cheese.
- Diced red or green apples, halved red or green grapes, and celery add extra sweetness and crunch to broccoli salad.
How to Make Broccoli Salad
- Whisk dressing ingredients together and set aside (full recipe below).
- Place chopped broccoli florets in a mixing bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients and toss with dressing.
Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.
Broccoli Salad Encore
Store leftover broccoli salad in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 5 days. Drain and stir the salad, adjust the seasonings, and serve.
Leftovers can also be tucked into a homemade pita pocket for a tasty and filling workday sandwich.
Fresh and Flavorful Salads
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Easy Broccoli Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 6 cups broccoli
- ⅔ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup bacon bits or ½ lb bacon cooked and crumbled
- ¼ cup red onion
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries optional
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, sugar, and lemon juice. Mix well and set aside.
- Chop broccoli florets into small pieces and put into medium sized mixing bowl.
- Add shredded cheese, crumbled bacon, diced onion, sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries to the broccoli.
- Add the dressing mix to the other ingredients and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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