Broccoli Salad

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This classic broccoli salad will delight you time and again! Just toss broccoli, bacon, red onion, cranberries, sunflower seeds, and goat cheese with a creamy mayonnaise yogurt dressing for the best year-round salad.

A close up of broccoli salad in a bowl

If ever there was a salad recipe that consistently knocked my socks off, it’s this one – a broccoli salad. It’s super easy to make, but don’t let easy fool you, because this salad is loaded with flavor. It’s simultaneously crispy, creamy, sweet, and savory. And did I mention bacon is involved?

When it comes to salad recipes most of us gravitate towards leafy greens. But if you’re looking for a little salad shakeup and want something that’s perfect for potlucks, picnics, and barbecues (because yes, this salad is durable), give broccoli salad a whirl.

Ingredients for broccoli salad in a bowl

Broccoli Salad Ingredients

The great thing about this salad is how easy it is to customize. So feel free to tweak the ingredients your personal preference. Here’s what’s in mine:

  • Broccoli: raw broccoli florets form the bulk of the salad. Make sure to chop them into bite-sized pieces.
  • Red Onion: I love diced red onion, but you could also use sliced green onion.
  • Bacon: crispy bacon adds protein to the salad and that unmistakable savory flavor. Want another broccoli salad with protein? Try my broccoli tuna salad.
  • Dried Cranberries: I use unsweetened dried cranberries, but you could also use raisins or dried cherries.
  • Sunflower Seeds: for a little crunch, I love sunflower seeds. But feel free to use slivered almonds or your favorite seeds or nuts.
  • Goat Cheese: just a sprinkle adds amazing creaminess. But crumbled feta or grated cheddar cheese works too.

Helpful tip: You can easily make this salad dairy-free! Just omit the goat cheese or use dairy-free cheese and swap in dairy-free yogurt in the dressing. It’ll still be delicious!

Broccoli Salad Dressing

The typical dressing for a broccoli salad is a creamy, mayonnaise-based dressing. I don’t add any extra sugar to my dressing, but I do “up” the creaminess by adding a little homemade yogurt to the dressing. It adds just the right sweetness and tang!

Find the printable recipe with measurements below

A large bowl of broccoli salad

How to Make Broccoli Salad

The only thing that requires cooking in this salad is the bacon. The rest comes together easy! Here’s how you make it:

  • Cook the bacon in the oven (it’s way easier) and when that’s done, blot it dry with a paper towel.
  • While the bacon is cooking, slice the florets off a large head of broccoli and add them to a mixing bowl.
  • Dice up some red onion and add that to the bowl along with the sunflower seeds, dried cranberries and goat cheese.
  • Once the bacon is cooked and cooled, crumble the bacon in the bowl and mix it all together.
  • In a separate small bowl make the dressing by stirring together the mayonnaise and yogurt. Then add that to the salad and stir everything together for the most delicious, flavorful, highly addictive, healthy broccoli salad recipe.
Broccoli salad in a bowl with salad servers

Storage Tips

This is one of those super durable salads that’s perfect for meal prep! It will keep for 4 to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container. And if you’re making this for a holiday party, you can easily prep this the day before (with or without the dressing).

Broccoli Salad Recipe Video

While this is an easy recipe to make, it always helps to watch a quick tutorial video. Give it a watch below!

More Healthy Salad Recipes You’ll Love

Want more easy, healthy salad recipes? Check out some of these classics – they’re favorites for a reason!

This is the ideal salad for weeknights and dinner parties. Trust me, it’ll get devoured quickly! Once you make it, let me know your thoughts on it in the comment box below.

A large serving bowl of broccoli salad

Classic Broccoli Salad

4.98 from 132 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

This classic broccoli salad will delight you time and again! It's a durable salad that's perfect for meal prep or any holiday party. Watch the video above to see how quickly it comes together!

Video

Ingredients 
 

Broccoli Salad

  • 8 slices bacon
  • 5 cups broccoli florets (from 1 large head of broccoli)
  • cup diced red onion
  • ½ cup dried unsweetened cranberries
  • ½ cup sunflower seeds
  • ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese

Broccoli Salad Dressing

Instructions 

  • Cook the bacon. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Add the bacon slices to a parchment-lined baking tray and cook for 15 to 18 minutes, or until crispy. Remove the bacon from the oven and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate to dry and cool.
    Baking bacon for broccoli salad
  • Add everything to a bowl. Add the broccoli, red onion, cranberries, sunflower seeds, and goat cheese to a large mixing bowl. When the bacon is cool to the touch, crumble it on top.
    Broccoli salad ingredients in a large bowl
  • To make the dressing, add the mayonnaise and yogurt to a small bowl and stir together.
    Making broccoli salad dressing in a bowl
  • Pour the dressing on top of the broccoli salad and toss to combine.
    A white bowl of broccoli salad

Lisa’s Tips

  • Make sure you’ve sliced the broccoli florets into small, bite-sized pieces. It makes it far easier to eat that way.
  • If you’re wondering what to do with the broccoli stem, spiralize it! Yes, you can totally spiralize a broccoli stem, just as you would a zucchini. It’s delicious! And while I don’t show you how to spiralize a broccoli stem in my Spiralizer Beginner’s Guide video, you can still get a little inspiration from the video.

Nutrition

Calories: 406kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 379mg | Potassium: 410mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 609IU | Vitamin C: 69mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: broccoli salad
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

Recipe originally posted June 2018, but updated to include new information. 

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

4.98 from 132 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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310 Comments

  1. If I don’t eat bacon, is there an alternative to use, or do you suggest another broccoli salad recipe instead ? I don’t want to give up flavor.. Thanks!

  2. Hi Lisa,
    Love your recipes, food is yummy. I made 2 of your salads for our Church picnic yesterday. The Best & Classic Broccoli Salad & boy it was a hit. When I went through the line the tupperware was almost empty. When I got my tupperware when I was leaving it was empty. I loved it & I will be making this salad again. I also made the Chick Pea salad & the tupperware was 2/3 full. I guess they are an acquired taste.
    I’m also baking a butternut squash in the oven right now. Preparing it for supper w/ roasted chicken. PS I am not a fan of goat cheese so I did not put that in. Excellent chef & teacher thank you5 stars

    1. Hi Sherry – I’m so glad you’re enjoying many of my recipes, especially this broccoli salad! :)

  3. I am not a huge fan of raw broccoli, but this recipe just may change my mind. This was super tasty & it keeps well for a few days. Thanks for the recipe!5 stars

    1. Hi Lisa!
      I made this salad for my low carb days and it is very delicious, both my husband and I really liked it! ☺️☺️5 stars

  4. This salad is so nourishing and delicious! I made a batch for a family meal and had several more servings for a quick and easy lunch throughout the next week. The broccoli stayed crisp and the dressing was so easy. Would highly recommend making this one!5 stars

  5. 5++ stars of course AGAIN!
    Just made this and oh how yummy. I put the raw broccoli in boiling water for 30-45 seconds and then submerged the broccoli in an ice bath. It becomes a vibrant green and “softens” it a bit while still maintaining the crunch. I placed the cut red onion in ice water before using it to take the bite out it.
    This will be a staple for summer entertaining.5 stars

    1. Hi Fiona – Happy to hear you love this broccoli salad! And yes, you can always soften the broccoli a bit :)