Broccoli Salad is a quick salad full of fresh crisp broccoli, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and bacon bits. It’s all tossed in a really easy creamy homemade dressing.
Since it’s best made ahead of time (and everyone raves about this recipe), it’s a great potluck dish and a favorite addition to a holiday table.
If you have extra veggies you need to use up, you can easily add them to this dish. Zucchini, cauliflower, celery, or peppers can make great additions!
Fresh broccoli florets are the star of this dish. The broccoli doesn’t need to be cooked first. Just wash and drain well (a salad spinner can help ensure it’s dry).
Crispy bacon adds a salty smoky flavor. I use real bacon bits in this recipe to keep is simple but you can cut and crumble your own if you’d like.
This is probably one of the easiest salads you will throw together, which is why it has become a favorite (plus it’s so yummy)!
We love this creamy broccoli salad dressing and it’s super simple to make in just 3 minutes.
Broccoli Salad can be made in advance and kept in the fridge (at least an hour but up to 24 hours) until you’re ready to serve. If you’d like to make further ahead, keep the dressing separate and toss a few hours before serving.
Did you enjoy this Broccoli Salad? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
The Best Broccoli Salad
A fresh crisp broccoli salad is tossed in a simple & creamy homemade dressing.
Prep: 20min
Total: 80min
Yield: 8
Serving Size: 1 cup
Nutrition Facts: calories 317 kcal, Carbohydrate 17 g, Protein 6 g, Fat 26 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Cholesterol 18 mg, Sodium 330 mg, Fiber 3 g, Sugar 10 g, servingSize 1 cup
Ingredients:
- 8 cups broccoli (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- ⅓ cup red onion (diced)
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- ½ cup bacon bits
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- salt & pepper (to taste)
Instruction:
- Whisk together dressing ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine broccoli, onion, cranberries, sunflower seeds, and bacon bits. Pour the prepared dressing over and mix well.
- Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
Broccoli Salad
A simple broccoli salad made with bacon, cranberries, and other simple add-ins!Be sure to check out the recipe VIDEO at the bottom of the post!
Prep: 10min
Total: 10min
Yield: 8
Serving Size: 1 cup
Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 cup, calories 291 kcal, Carbohydrate 17 g, Protein 8 g, Fat 19 g, Saturated Fat 5 g, Cholesterol 33 mg, Sodium 617 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 12 g, unSaturated Fat 4 g
Ingredients:
- 5-6 cups broccoli florets¹ (1 lb, this was about 2 ½ heads of broccoli for me (450g))
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (thicker, not finely shredded (115g))
- ⅔ cup dried cranberries ((85g))
- ½ cup crumbled bacon² ((60g))
- ½ cup salted sunflower seeds ((60g))
- ⅓ cup red onion (diced into small pieces (50g))
- ¾ cup mayo (I use olive oil mayo (175g))
- ¼ cup sour cream³ ((70g))
- 1 ½ Tablespoon white wine vinegar⁴
- 3 Tablespoons sugar ((40g))
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instruction:
- Combine broccoli florets, cheddar cheese, dried cranberries, bacon, sunflower seeds, and onion in a large bowl.
- In a separate, small bowl, whisk together mayo, sour cream, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper until smooth and well-combined.
- Pour dressing over broccoli combination and toss or stir well.
- Broccoli salad may be served immediately, but for best flavor refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Make sure to toss broccoli salad thoroughly again before serving.Keep refrigerated if not consuming right away.
Broccoli Salad
Trisha Yearwood’s Broccoli Salad recipe is the perfect make-ahead side dish for all of your warm weather gatherings.
Total: 0 1h15min0
Yield: 10 servings
Serving Size: 1 of 10 servings
Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 of 10 servings, calories 316, Fat 27g, Saturated Fat 6g, Carbohydrate 16g, Fiber 0g, Sugar 12g, Protein 4g, Cholesterol 24mg, Sodium 292mg
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces bacon
- Salt
- 5 cups small broccoli florets
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup sunflower kernels
Instruction:
- Cut the bacon into small pieces and cook over medium heat just until crisp; drain on paper towels.
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and blanch until bright green and slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Drain well, run under cold water to stop the cooking, and drain again.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, onion, sugar and raisins. Add the broccoli and toss the coat with the dressing. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Just before servings, fold in the sunflower kernels and the bacon pieces. Serve immediately.
BROCCOLI SALAD | the perfect party salad recipe
FAQ
What goes in a brocoli salad?
…
Add ins include:
- onions (red or green work well)
- dried cranberries (add raisins if you’d like)
- sunflower seeds. Swap out the seeds for any kind of chopped nuts like almonds or pecans.
How to make brocoli salad?
- Chop chop chop! Chop the broccoli into small, bite-sized florets, mince the onion and cooked bacon.
- Mix up your homemade broccoli salad dressing in the bottom of a large bowl.
- Toss everything together until the salad is well dressed, and refrigerate for an hour.
How long is broccoli salad good for?
How healthy is broccoli salad?
