Broccoli salad is a fun and easy side dish with crunchy broccoli and cauliflower, dried cranberries and sunflower seeds in a simple creamy dressing. It is really delicious and is a perfect addition to almost any dinner menu.
This broccoli salad recipe comes from my Aunt Jenny. She brings it to almost every holiday along with the frozen fruit salad.
The frozen fruit salad is a not to my great-grandma as it was one of her specialties. The broccoli salad is in honor of my grandpa who loved it.
Luckily the rest of us love both as well. So, there are no complaints that they keep showing up to family meals.
We like the mix of broccoli and cauliflower in this salad. You can use all broccoli if you prefer.
This is one of those salads that is best dressed a little bit ahead of time. So, it is a perfect dish to make and bring to a potluck or holiday meal.
Dry The Broccoli
You want to make sure to get the extra moisture out of the broccoli before you make the salad. Otherwise you will water down the dressing.
Wash your broccoli ahead of time so there is plenty of time to let the extra water drain out. Or go ahead and chop it and use a salad spinner to get the water out.
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The Creamy Dressing
The dressing is only three ingredients. So, it comes together quickly.
It is creamy and sweet with a bit of tang which helps to balance out the veggies nicely. Allowing it to chill for a bit on the salad helps the flavors to meld and takes the edge off of the onions.
This dressing is on the sweeter side. You can reduce the sugar some if you want to or use a sugar substitute if you would like.
You could also try using Greek yogurt in place of the mayonnaise if you prefer. This is your salad, so do it your way!
Storage
Broccoli salad is best 1-7 hours after adding the dressing. For longer storage, keep the dressing separate from the rest of the ingredients and dress the veggies when you need them.
Leftovers will last about 4-5 days in the fridge, but will loose their crunch over time if dressed in advance.
Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1 big bunch broccoli
- 15 ounces mayonnaise
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 small red onion diced
- 1 pound crispy bacon crumbled
- 1 cup sunflower seeds
- 1 cup dried cranberries optional
Instructions
- Wash 1 big bunch broccoli and 1 head cauliflower. Chop or break into bite sized pieces. Allow to dry completely or use a salad spinner to remove extra water.
- Stir together 15 ounces mayonnaise, ½ cup granulated sugar, and 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar in a really large bowl.
- Add the 1 small red onion, 1 pound crispy bacon, 1 cup sunflower seeds, 1 cup dried cranberries, cauliflower and broccoli. Stir to coat.
- You can serve the salad immediately, but it is even better if you cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour to let the flavors meld. Toss before serving.
Notes
Video
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