A simple, classic Broccoli Salad recipe that serves as a great fast side dish for any party or potluck. Made with bacon, cranberries, sunflower seeds, cheddar cheese and a homemade dressing, this is one of my favorite side dishes and it can be prepped in under fifteen minutes!
Please do not be alarmed by the amount of green in today’s post! I know broccoli salad is a little different from what you’re used to seeing here, where sugar and chocolate and cookies and definitely not broccoli are the norm, but bear with me.
Broccoli salad is one of my favorite side dishes (right up there with deviled eggs and macaroni salad). It’s perfect for serving alongside Easter dinner (or any holiday dinner) and is a simple and refreshing side dish for summer parties and pot lucks. It can be thrown together in under fifteen minutes and I guarantee you that at least one person is going to ask for the recipe, wherever you bring it.
In contrast to the broccoli, onion, and savory bacon and cheddar, this recipe has a surprising bit of sweetness thanks to a pinch of sugar and dried cranberries. The contrasting flavors blend perfectly together, and a splash of vinegar gives the dressing a subtle bite. This really is the perfect summer salad, and the best broccoli salad I think you’ll ever try.
Tips for Making the Best Broccoli Salad
Broccoli salad is easy to make, but there are a few tips I want to share to make everything come together perfectly for you.
Notes on Cheese
When buying cheese for your broccoli salad, the thicker the shred the better. Buy sharp or extra sharp cheddar and stay away from the finely shredded variety. If you’re feeling extra ambitious, you can just buy a block and shred it yourself. Another option is to cut the cheese into small cubes instead.
Broccoli: To Blanch or not to Blanch?
I never blanch my broccoli when making broccoli salad, and I’ve never received any complaints (in fact, I always get requests for this recipe!). If you prefer to do so, you can. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and then blanch your broccoli for no longer than 60 seconds. Immediately drain and rinse in cold water to stop the broccoli from over-cooking. Dry your broccoli thoroughly before proceeding.
You can buy pre-cut florets, but for me it was cheaper and not much more difficult to just buy a few heads of broccoli and cut it myself. This recipe required about 2.5 heads of broccoli for me to make it, but your mileage may vary depending on the size of your grocery store’s broccoli!
For best taste, let it sit!
While this easy broccoli salad can be served right away, I prefer to let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours to let all of the flavors really meld together. Broccoli salad can be prepared up to 3 days in advance of serving.
How to Lighten Up Broccoli Salad
Broccoli salad certainly isn’t health food, but there are a few modifications you can make to make it a bit less fattening. I’ve found that when people see broccoli salad they think they’re getting something healthy, so if that’s what you’re looking for, there are a few modifications you can try.
- Instead of using regular mayo, use one made with olive oil. I’m very picky about the type of mayo that I use and can’t stand the taste of reduced fat (and don’t get me started on Miracle Whip). I’ve found that using olive oil mayo in my broccoli salad recipe gives you all of the same creaminess and flavor while saving a few calories.
- You can replace some or all of the sour cream with plain Greek yogurt.
- Using pre-cooked bacon will save time and fat and calories. Make sure you’re using real bacon pieces and not imitation flavored “bits”. These are usually found in the salad dressing aisle and should say that they’re “real” bacon on the packaging. I’ve also found that this bacon holds up best to the moisture from the broccoli salad.
Keep in mind that ultimately broccoli salad (especially this broccoli salad with bacon and cheese!) is meant to be an indulgent side dish, and not health food!
OK, I hope I didn’t lose you with all of the broccoli photos!
Enjoy!
More Easy Side Dishes You Might Like:
Enjoy!
Broccoli Salad
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)
Dressing
- 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
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
How to Store Broccoli Salad
Broccoli Salad may be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. If you are making several days in advance, I recommend storing the salad and the dressing separately, then tossing everything together at least an hour before serving.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
This Broccoli Salad Recipe was originally published 07/06/2017, re-published 04/15/2019.
Cassandra Dotson
Oh my I really didn’t like broccoli salad but I tried it at a restaurant and it was good. So I looked up a recipe and found your recipe for broccoli salad. Oh my it was better than the one at the restaurant that I tried. This is my third time making it. I’m making it for my church family tomorrow. I know it’s going to go over well. Thanks for sharing this recipe. Love it!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Cassandra! I hope everyone at church loves it too! 🙂
Chrystal
Love! Love! Love! Thank You for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed! thanks for commenting, Chrystal!
Cori
Made this tonight… It was soooooo good. I did skip the cranberries and chose apples instead. Thank you for the great recipe.. My new favorite snack and or side dish!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Cori! 🙂
Lin
What is the serving size?
Lorraine King Foley
Oh my goodness, this is so delicious! My husband absolutely loved it. Thanks Sam.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it, Lorraine! 🙂
Mona Sen
I’m serving this for a party tomorrow night, but I just tried a little bit and, oh my goodness! So delicious and week worth the time it took to chop all of that darn broccoli.
This recipe is a keeper!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, and I hope all of your guests do too! 🙂
Kimberly B Roepke
Awesome!
Sam
Thank you, Kimberly! ☺️
Sarah
The tastes amazing!! This definitely took a lot longer than 10 min for prep time though. Don’t know why, but I spent about an hour in total with chopping and measuring and mixing. Would definitely make this again though! Thanks for the recipe!
Sam
So glad you enjoyed, Sarah!
Cheryl
How long will this salad keep in the fridge?
Sam
3-4 days.
Karen
Is that 1 cup serving size
Estelle
Is this 291 calories per serving ?
Sam
Yes 🙂
Susan
Just found your blog a couple days ago and love it. I never liked broccoli salad because it was so hard to eat that hard crunchy raw broccoli and just not a fan of the taste either. I decided to try making it once probably 20 years ago and tried blanching the broccoli for about 3 minutes in boiling water, as soon as it gets that vibrant green color I take it out and put in ice water. Then dry it really well on a dish towel. It was a winner. Every time I take it to a potluck I get rave reviews. I have never put sour cream in my dressing, just mayo, apple cider vinegar and sugar. I will have to try the sour cream next time I make it which will be soon, sounds really good. Look forward to more great recipes.
Sam
I hope you love it with the sour cream, Susan! I am so glad you found my blog, thank you for commenting!!! 🙂
Elaine
Do you use Raw or Cooked broccoli?
Sam
raw 🙂
Elaine
Thank you! Will try this for dinner tonight.🙂
Wendy
Oh my this was delicious!!! I didn’t have a few things on hand so I substituted vanilla greek yogurt for sour cream and red wine vinegar instead of the white wine vinegar… and oh boy… it was sooooo good! My husband and I both loved it! Can’t wait for the leftovers and to make this again!
Sam
I’m so glad to hear it was a hit, Wendy!! Thank you for commenting 🙂
Alina
For the dressing I used honey instead of sugar and was awesome! Thanks for the recipe!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Alina!
Renee
Love this, have made it twice now for family get togethers and perfect!! Even better the day after for leftovers. Thank you much!!