Our Broccoli Salad Recipe (with bacon!) is the perfect summer picnic and potluck dish. Not only is it incredibly easy to make, but it’s crunchy, salty, sweet, creamy, and slightly tart – a real treat for your tastebuds! I also love this recipe because it holds well for several days and the longer it sits, the more the dressing infuses into the broccoli florets! Yum!
How to Make Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
Process
DRESSING
- Place all dressing ingredients into a small mixing bowl.
- Whisk Together.
SALAD ASSEMBLY
- Place broccoli pieces into a large bowl and top with dressing.
- Fold together until fully combined.
- Add remaining ingredients.
- Fold together until completely combined. Adjust seasonings as needed. Place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Give salad a good toss before serving.
Tips and Tricks for Success
Our easy broccoli salad recipe is truly very simple, but there are a few things we recommend to ensure you have the best broccoli salad with bacon ever!
- Cut the broccoli into small, bite sized pieces. It makes all the difference in the world. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve gotten broccoli salad at the market and the florets are kept whole and huge! If the pieces are too big it makes it very difficult to eat and way less enjoyable.
- Don’t be afraid to use the stalks, they’re delicious! Broccoli stalks are just as nutritious as broccoli florets and provide a really great crunch to the overall salad.
- If making the broccoli salad recipe over 1 day in advance, don’t add the cashews until just before serving. This will ensure the cashews don’t get soggy from the dressing and keep their great, crunchy texture!
- Don’t skip out on the Zante currants! They provide tiny bursts of tart flavor to our broccoli salad recipe which compliments the creamy dressing so well!
Variations
We love how simple this broccoli salad is and all the different flavors going on in it, but every now and then we like to switch it up. Our favorite variations and substitutions are:
- Swap the cashews out for sunflower seeds or sliced almonds! The flavor of sunflower seeds are also really delicious when used in our recipe. I also like the smaller crunchy bits distributed throughout the salad.
- Use plain Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise for a healthier dressing alternative. You still get a deliciously creamy dressing, but it’s just a little better for you.
- Add some diced red onion! The red onion provides a slightly sweet and acidic flavor that also goes really well with the broccoli and bacon.
- Replace the Zante currants with raisins or dried cranberries. I know I just mentioned above not to skip out on the dried currants, but if you’re unable to find them or they’re too tart for your palate raisins and dried cranberries (which are still a bit tart) are a great alternative!
- Omit the bacon for a vegetarian friendly option; or replace it with a vegan “bacon”.
Make Ahead Instructions
Our broccoli salad with bacon can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. Store the broccoli salad in an airtight container until ready to use. Toss salad together a couple times before serving.
If making the salad more than a day ahead of time, hold off on adding the cashews until you’re ready to serve it. This will prevent the cashews from getting soggy.
More Delicious Picnic Salad Recipes You Will Love
Broccoli Salad Recipe (with Bacon)
A deliciously crunchy Broccoli Salad with Bacon that's perfect for summer picnics, bbq's or just for general on the go! The blend of sweet, tart, salty, and creamy flavors really make this simple salad so delicious!
Servings:
INGREDIENTS
creamy homemade dressing
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1 garlic clove, minced (optional)
- ½ teaspoon superfine sugar (granulated is fine)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
broccoli salad
- 2 heads broccoli cut into bite sized pieces (
- 6 strips cooked bacon chopped
- 1 cup chopped, dry roasted cashews
- ⅓ cup Zante currants
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
INSTRUCTIONS
dressing
- Place all dressing ingredients into a small mixing bowl.
- Whisk Together.
salad assembly
- Place broccoli florets into a large mixing bowl and top with dressing.
- Fold together until fully combined.
- Add remaining ingredients.
- Fold together until completely combined. Adjust seasonings s needed. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Give salad a good toss before serving.
NOTES
Tips and Tricks
- Cut the broccoli into small, bite sized pieces. It makes all the difference in the world. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve gotten broccoli salad at the market and the florets are kept whole and huge! If the pieces are too big it makes it very difficult to eat and way less enjoyable.
- Don’t be afraid to use the stalks, they’re delicious! Broccoli stalks are just as nutritious as broccoli florets and provide a really great crunch to the overall salad.
- If making the broccoli salad recipe over 1 day in advance, don’t add the cashews until just before serving. This will ensure the cashews don’t get soggy from the dressing and keep their great, crunchy texture!
- Don’t skip out on the Zante currants! They provide tiny bursts of tart flavor to our broccoli salad recipe which compliments the creamy dressing so well!
Calories: 435kcal Carbohydrates: 28g Protein: 13g Fat: 33g Saturated Fat: 6g Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g Monounsaturated Fat: 12g Trans Fat: 0.1g Cholesterol: 18mg Sodium: 588mg Potassium: 892mg Fiber: 6g Sugar: 10g Vitamin A: 1310IU Vitamin C: 182mg Calcium: 120mg Iron: 3mg
CUISINE: American
KEYWORD: broccoli salad with bacon
COURSE: Salad, sides
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If I leave out the cashews -can this salad be frozen?
Absolutely delicious! The flavours work together so well. I added radishes and some grilled zucchini as I needed to use them up and it worked well. I never thought to use raw broccoli before and I’ll definitely be making this again.
So happy you enjoyed this recipe! I love the addition of the other veg, especially the radishes. Great idea!
This recipe is a game-changer! The flavors are a perfect harmony, and the instructions are so easy to follow. It’s now a family favorite in our house, and I can’t wait to make it again. Thanks for sharing this culinary delight!
nice one
nice crunch salad
nice salad
salad
What can you use instead of cashews?
Hi Dawna! We give a couple alternatives in the Variations section of our post above. Some of our favorite alternatives for cashews are sunflower seeds or sliced almonds :)
I was looking for a salad recipe and you give me the delicious and crunchy one.
Hi Terry & Jenny! I’m loving your recipes! I don’t have apple cider vinegar or mustard, will the taste be significantly different without the two? Else, what can I substitute these two ingredients with? :)
If you have white wine vinegar that should work too…you just want a little something to cut through the richness of the mayo
Ñami!!! Yesterday I bought a broccoli, though I didn’t know what to do with it… I don’t really like it but I want to be healthy and all… Now I know what to do with it!
xx,
e.
http://www.theslowpace.com
Such a pretty salad! I love the currants and cashews in there, very creative :)
Love this take on broccoli salad — yum!
This is a slightly different twist to the broccoli salad I make and love, so I am anxious to try yours to compare.
Love this take on broccoli salad. Ever tried this with dried cranberries in place of the currants? I never have currants in the house when I want them!
Yep, you can totally swap them out :)
This is everything I love in a salad. My mom used to make a version of this with raisins and pine nuts, but I love the cashew and currants idea!!!
Hi – is mustard supposed to be listed in the ingredients? I see it in the photos I think.
yep, it totally is…adding it now..thanks for catching that!
This is definitely different than the broccoli salad that I’m used to but I can’t WAIT to try it!!
Once I started making broccoli this way, I could never go back!! I mean…BACON!
crunch