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Broccoli Salad with Homemade Dressing

Name: Broccoli Salad with Homemade Dressing
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 5 cups broccoli florets; 1/2 cup dried cranberries; 8 slices thick-cut bacon, diced into bite-sized pieces; 1/2 cup roasted and salted sunflower seeds; 1/2 cup red onion, diced; 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, thick shredded; 3/4 cup mayonnaise (full fat or Avocado oil mayo); 1/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt; 2 Tablespoons light sour cream; 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar; 1 Tablespoon sugar; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

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Broccoli Salad with Homemade Dressing is easy to make, perfect for a crowd, and delicious as leftovers. Use real bacon, and char the broccoli for even more flavor. Make this salad a few hours ahead for a dish that everyone will love

This post and recipe card were updated May 19, 2019

finished Broccoli Salad in a white bowl with a green napkin on the side

I was a very picky vegetable eater as a child. Anything I loved, I would eat nonstop. But if I didn’t like something, I refused to eat it…even if I had never tried it before.

Broccoli was a vegetable I loved, but with a catch…I would only eat the stalks. So my parents ate the flowers and I devoured the stalks. I don’t recall exactly when it changed, but now I only buy broccoli crowns, and just eat the florets.

Two years ago I needed a “broccoli salad type thing” to take to Thanksgiving dinner. I had never made anything like that before, and my normal potluck go-to dish is Baked Homemade Mac and Cheese. But I was up for the challenge, did some research and created Broccoli Salad with Homemade Dressing

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

It’s a great dish for a crowd, and perfect no matter the occasion or time of year
You can change up the ingredients to fit your tastes
It’s SO GOOD as leftovers

overhead shot of finished broccoli salad in a white bowl with a green napkin on the side

INGREDIENTS FOR THE PERFECT BROCCOLI SALAD

Broccoli – I always use fresh broccoli. If you use frozen, thaw the broccoli completely and let it dry.
Real Bacon – don’t skimp and use bacon bits. Use real bacon, and own it!
Cranberries – I use Dried Cranberries
Nuts/Seeds – I use Sunflower Seeds, but pecans, almonds or walnuts are good substitutes
Cheese – I use a sharp Cheddar cheese and shred the cheese thick so it stands up to the other salad ingredients
Red onion – I add onion to almost everything. But if you don’t care for onion, then omit it

overhead shot of salad ingredients on a white plate: broccoli, red onion, sesame seeds, cheese, bacon, dried cranberries

EASY STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare homemade dressing, and set aside in the fridge to rest

Prepare broccoli

Rinse and drain broccoli florets, and place on a clean dish towel for 10 minutes to dry.
Spread broccoli on a foil-lined baking sheet and char it under the broiler for 10 minutes
Transfer broccoli to a large bowl, and put the bowl into the fridge to cool

overhead shot of broccoli on baking sheet, after being charred under broiler

Prepare bacon

Dice bacon into bite-sized pieces
Cook bacon in a large skillet, until done
Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain

overhead shot of bacon cooking in skillet

Final prep

Add bacon, cranberries, cheese, and onion to bowl with broccoli, and toss together
Add the homemade dressing
Don’t overdress the salad! I only add about 1/2 of the dressing and keep the rest on the side so guests can add more if they want.

overhead shot of finished broccoli salad in a white bowl

HOMEMADE DRESSING FOR BROCCOLI SALAD

There are lots of dressings for different versions of Broccoli Salad, and some are very similar to ranch. Since I live in Oklahoma where ranch is practically its own food group, I played with some options and came up with a fabulous take

Mayonnaise – I used real, full-fat Mayonnaise the first time, and I haven’t looked back. But you could certainly lighten it up with reduced-fat or fat-free mayonnaise or Avocado Oil Mayonnaise. Do not use an imitation mayo, because it changes the flavor of the dressing
Light Sour Cream – I can’t taste a difference between light and regular, so I use light to save the calories
Greek Yogurt – I really like the tang of the yogurt, and it’s another way to lighten up the dressing
Red Wine Vinegar – I’ve tried both the red wine and white wine vinegar, and I prefer the subtle bite of Red Wine Vinegar
Sugar, Salt, and Pepper – the sugar balances the vinegar

SERVING, STORAGE AND LEFTOVER TIPS FOR BROCCOLI SALAD

If you’re serving Broccoli Salad outside in the heat, keep it on ice! Fill a larger bowl with ice, and place the bowl of broccoli salad into the larger bowl

Kept in an airtight container in the fridge, your Broccoli Salad will last up to one week.

cropped shot of finished broccoli salad in a white bowl

SERVE BROCCOLI SALAD WITH HOMEMADE DRESSING WITH:

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