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This classic Broccoli Crunch Salad recipe is an easy side dish that comes together in less than 15 minutes. It’s made with fresh broccoli, bacon, dried cranberries, crunchy almonds and a creamy homemade dressing.
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Pin ItEveryone has their own version of broccoli salad. This recipe is my favorite because it’s packed with texture and flavor. It’s simple to make and combines the perfect amount of ingredients.
This savory salad is inspired by one from a local deli. It combines everything I love in a good broccoli salad with a creamy homemade dressing. Bring it to picnics and backyard bbq’s or serve it as a side for any dinner.
Table of Contents
Recipe Highlights
- Classic Ingredients: All of the ingredients you love in broccoli salad are included – crunchy broccoli, salty bacon, dried cranberries, almonds and red onions. You can omit the bacon or switch out the ingredients to make it your own.
- Homemade Dressing: This recipe includes a classic mayo-based dressing.
- Quick and Easy Prep: The entire salad comes together in only 15 minutes!
What is broccoli salad made of?
There are many recipes for broccoli salad, but this is one made with some of the best ingredients including crunchy fresh broccoli, red onion, dried cranberries, slivered almonds and cooked bacon. Mix together mayo, greek yogurt, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper for the simple homemade dressing.
Mayonnaise is a must for any broccoli salad. This recipe lightens up the dressing by using a combination of mayo and Greek yogurt. But if you only like mayo, you can just use mayo. The yogurt helps also adds a little tanginess which is refreshing for summer.
We like broccoli crunch salad well dressed, but if you prefer less dressing you can cut the dressing ingredients in half.
Substitutions and Variations
Add more vegetables: Chopped cauliflower or sliced red cabbage and carrots are a great addition to broccoli crunch salad.
Add cheese: Add shredded cheddar cheese or goat cheese crumbles for cheesy flavor.
Substitute the dried fruit: Add raisins, dried cherries or chopped dates instead of the dried cranberries, if desired.
Add nuts or seeds: Sunflower seeds, chopped walnuts and pumpkin seeds are a great option if you don’t like almonds.
Serve with protein: Add chickpeas to the salad for a protein boost or serve alongside chicken or fish. We love serving it with salt and pepper chicken wings, bqq boneless chicken thighs or baked salmon patties.
Recipe Tips
- Chop the broccoli into even sized pieces. You can chop the broccoli large or small bite-sized pieces. Either way works, just make sure they are evenly sized.
- Make the salad vegan. You can easily adapt this salad to make it vegan by omitting the cheese and bacon. Substitute the mayo and greek yogurt for vegan mayo.
- Experiment with your own flavors. Use this recipe as a base to add your own unique twist. Substitute ingredients or add other ingredients for different flavor.
- Blanch the broccoli. Using raw broccoli is perfectly fine, but you can make it a bit easier to chew by blanching the broccoli for 1 minute. Don’t blanch for longer than 1 minute or it will become soft.
Frequently Asked Questions
Water or moisture on the broccoli can make the salad watery. Rinse and dry the broccoli completely before making the salad. Also be sure to whisk together the ingredients for the dressing well before mixing into the salad.
You do not need to blanch broccoli for this recipe. But, if you prefer a softer texture of broccoli, you can blanch it in a pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and dry the blanched broccoli to prevent the salad from becoming soft or watery.
No. Frozen broccoli retains a lot of water. Using frozen instead of fresh broccoli will result in a soggy, mushy salad.
Storage Instructions
To make it ahead, store the dressing separately from the salad ingredients. Stir them together just before serving. This helps keep things fresh. Store the salad in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Broccoli Crunch Salad with Creamy Dressing
Ingredients
- 4 cups broccoli florets, (about 1 head of broccoli) chopped into small pieces
- 5 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup red onion, diced
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, (or mayo)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped broccoli, bacon, cranberries, onion and almonds. Toss to combine.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Serve immediately or cover and chill in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- More vegetables: Chopped cauliflower, sliced red cabbage or carrots.
- Nuts or seeds: Sunflower seeds, chopped walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sliced almonds.
- Dried fruit: Raisins, dried cherries or chopped dates.
- Cheese: Add cheddar cheese or goat cheese.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I really enjoyed this broccoli crunch salad. The almonds were the perfect addition!