Classic broccoli salad recipe! This easy recipe is made with bacon, cheese, and cranberries and has a simple homemade dressing for a tasty summer side dish.
The first time that I had broccoli salad was when I was trying a little bit of everything from an all-you-can-eat buffet. It was tasty, but it was really sweet and really mayonnaise-y.
I can never get enough easy side salads during the summer, and I liked the idea of making a coleslaw-like side salad with that was made with broccoli. I just wanted to make a lighter, tastier version that let the flavor of the ingredients come through.
So, I came up with this recipe that uses a few lighter swaps to give it plenty of crunch without drowning the salad in overly sweet dressing, and it has become one of my family’s favorite side dishes.
“It turned out amazing!! I sliced the carrots into short matchsticks (cut up longer matchsticks and just cut those in half), sliced some celery sticks on a bias, and shredded the cheese. Otherwise I prepared it exactly as directed.” – April
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Vegetables: I use broccoli, celery, and carrots. However, feel free to add a little thinly sliced red onion if you prefer.
- Cheese: Feel free to substitute other types of cheese in place of the sharp cheese. I often buy cheese cubes if I’m short on time.
- Dried fruit: I like the tang of the dried cranberries, but golden or dark raisins will work in place of the cranberries.
- Mayonnaise: For mayonnaise, I use olive oil mayo, but feel free to use whatever type you like.
- Greek yogurt: I use non-fat plain Greek yogurt, but 2% or whole milk yogurt will also work.
- Sunflower seeds: You can substitute nuts, like almonds, if you prefer.
How to make broccoli salad
Here you’ll find instructions and step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: Begin by chopping the veggies. I buy broccoli florets to cut down on the prep when I make this, but you can also chop heads of broccoli into florets.
Step 2: Add the chopped veggies to a large mixing bowl along with cheese, bacon, cranberries, and 3/4 cup sunflower seeds.
Step 3: In a separate small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Start by adding less sugar, and then add more to taste.
Step 4: Add the dressing to the bowl with the veggies, and toss to combine everything. Either serve immediately or cover and chill until ready to serve.
Step 5: Top with remaining sunflower seeds just before serving.
Recipe Tips!
- Let it chill before serving: Chilling for at least 30 minutes helps the flavors come together.
- Don’t overdress the salad: Start with less dressing and add more as needed.
- Balance the flavors: If your dressing tastes too tangy, add a small amount of sugar to balance it. You can always add more sugar but can’t remove it, so I recommend starting with less and adding to taste.
- Add mix-ins just before serving: Ingredients like sunflower seeds stay crisp if added closer to serving time.
- Stir before serving: Give the salad a quick toss to redistribute the dressing.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for about 3 days when properly stored in the fridge; however, it’s best the first 2 days.
More easy side salad recipes!
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Broccoli Salad
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
Salad
- 5 cups broccoli florets cut into small pieces
- 1 ½ cups sliced carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese in small cubes
- 3 strips bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup sunflower seeds divided
- ½ cup dried sweetened cranberries
Dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
- 2-4 tablespoons granulated sugar depending on desired sweetness (I use 3 tablespoons)
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together vegetables, cheese, bacon, 3/4 cup sunflower seeds, and cranberries.5 cups broccoli florets, 1 ½ cups sliced carrots, 1 cup chopped celery, ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, 3 strips bacon, 1 cup sunflower seeds, ½ cup dried sweetened cranberries
- Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl.½ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt, 2-4 tablespoons granulated sugar, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- Add dressing to salad, and toss to combine.
- Cover, and refrigerate until chilled.
- Serve cold, and top with remaining 1/4 cup sunflower seeds just before serving.
Video
Notes
- Vegetables: I use broccoli, celery, and carrots. However, feel free to add a little thinly sliced red onion if you prefer.
- Cheese: Feel free to substitute other types of cheese in place of the sharp cheese. I often buy cheese cubes if I’m short on time.
- Dried fruit: I like the tang of the dried cranberries, but golden or dark raisins will work in place of the cranberries.
- Mayonnaise: For mayonnaise, I use olive oil mayo, but feel free to use whatever type you like.
- Greek yogurt: I use non-fat plain Greek yogurt, but 2% or whole milk yogurt will also work.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
April says
It turned out amazing!! I sliced the carrots into short matchsticks (cut up longer matchsticks and just cut those in half), sliced some celery sticks on a bias, and shredded the cheese. Otherwise I prepared it exactly as directed.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad to hear that!