Broccoli Salad Recipe

This Broccoli Salad is a classic summer potluck side! Fresh broccoli, chewy raisins, crunchy pecans, crispy bacon, and more tossed in a creamy and tangy homemade dressing.

This broccoli salad is such a classic at summer BBQs . . . and for good reason! It’s fresh, it’s crunchy, it’s salty, and it’s tossed in a tangy yet sweet and creamy dressing. What’s not to love?!

Ingredients

This broccoli salad recipe has everything you want in a side dish: crispy, crunchy, chewy, creamy, delicious textures and flavors.

• Mayonnaise – I always use Hellmann’s Olive Oil Mayo, but use your favorite brand/variety. Full-fat, avocado oil, lite, etc. will all work. 
• Granulated Sugar – I don’t recommend any substitutions for this. You need something sweet to balance out the vinegar. You may be able to use honey, but it has a stronger flavor, so keep that in mind. 
• Apple Cider Vinegar – champagne vinegar, red wine vinegar, or white wine vinegar will be fine. 
• Salt and Pepper – you can play around with other seasonings such as garlic powder, but I like the simplicity of just salt and pepper. 
• Bacon – use thick-cut bacon and my baking bacon technique for the easiest and crispiest bacon! Omit if vegetarian. 
• Broccoli – you need 2 pounds; look for large broccoli crowns without a ton of stem to save on waste. 
• Red Onion – green onion would make a great substitution. 
• Raisins – or golden raisins, dried cherries, cranberries, etc. 
• Sunflower Seeds and Pecans – look for both roasted and salted for the best flavor. Replace pecans with additional sunflower seeds if there’s a nut allergy. 

How to make

1. Whisk together mayo, sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
2. Add in cooked bacon, broccoli, red onion, raisins, sunflower seeds, and pecans then stir until well-combined.
3. Cover and chill for an hour then serve and enjoy!

How to cut broccoli into florets

Cutting broccoli into florets is incredibly easy!

• Thoroughly wash and dry the whole head of broccoli.
• Pull off the leaves.
• Cut through the large stem, just below where the florets start.
• Slice off the florets and then cut them into smaller pieces, if desired.

Do you have to cook the broccoli?

No, you do not cook the broccoli for this salad. Everything in this recipe is completely raw, aside from the bacon, of course. Let the broccoli salad sit in the fridge for a while—at least an hour—after you assemble it and before serving. The vinegar helps break the broccoli down so it doesn’t taste super raw. The longer it sits, the better flavor and texture you’re going to get.

If you absolutely hate raw broccoli, you can blanch the florets. To do this, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add your broccoli florets, cook until the broccoli is tender, and then drain in a colander. Rinse right away with cold water to stop the broccoli from cooking. (*not tested)

How to use leftover broccoli stems

If you’re like me, you don’t want any food to go to waste. So even though you don’t use the broccoli stems in this recipe, here are a couple other ways to utilize them!

• Serve as an appetizer or snack. I like to leave them raw, cut them into strips, and snack on them with a bowl of my Greek yogurt ranch dressing.
• Roast them. Toss them in some oil, salt, and pepper, and roast them up for a cooked snack or yummy side dish.
• Sauté them for other dishes. Chop them up into smaller pieces, sauté them with some garlic and oil, and serve them with your favorite pasta dish. I love stirring them into my instant pot mac and cheese or my Greek yogurt lemon pasta.

Is broccoli salad good for you?

“Healthy” means different things to different people. I tend to think everything in moderation is a-okay! However, objectively, this broccoli salad recipe does contain good for you veggies, lean protein, nuts and seeds, etc. The least technically healthy component is the sugar, but like I said, everything in moderation! One serving of broccoli salad contains about 300 calories, 21 grams of fat, 25 grams of carbs, and 7 grams of protein.

Tips

• Let it sit. This allows the flavors to meld together and intensify.
• Cut the broccoli small. Smaller pieces become fully coated in the dressing, absorb flavor better, and have a more desirable texture.
• Save the stems. Don’t waste your broccoli stems. Instead, serve them with a dipping sauce as a snack, roast them up, or sauté them for another recipe.
• Dice the red onion extra small. Red onion has a pretty overpowering flavor. You’ll want to dice it up pretty darn small so it’s well incorporated throughout.
• Save the nuts. The nuts will get soggy if they sit too long in the salad. Leave them out, then mix them in right before you’re ready to serve if you’re making this salad more than a day in advance.

Broccoli salad variations

• Lighten it up. Sub regular mayo for a lightened-up, olive oil-based mayo instead. You could also replace half the mayo with plain Greek yogurt but it won’t be quite as creamy. You could even try to use turkey bacon. 
• Make it cheesy. Add some chunks or shreds of your favorite cheese.
• Use different nuts/seeds. Pine nuts or walnuts are also delicious.
• Make it vegetarian/vegan. Leave out the bacon! Use a plant-based mayo to make this vegan. 

What to serve with broccoli salad

Not sure what main dish to pair with your broccoli salad? Here are some of my favorites!

• Smash Burgers
• Grilled Chicken
• Grilled Tofu
• Slow Cooker Ribs
• Slow Cooker Flank Steak
• Black Bean Burgers

How to store

Leftover broccoli salad will last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing it because the texture will be affected.

 – Jennifer

This post was originally published July 29, 2015 and has has been updated to provide more detailed content.