Easy Broccoli Salad Recipe

This easy broccoli salad is creamy, crunchy and perfect for potlucks.

With just 15 minutes of prep, you’ve got the perfect side dish for summer barbecues or weeknight meals.

Plus, it gets even better when it sits overnight in the fridge!

Easy Broccoli Salad

This is your classic broccoli salad with all the good stuff!

A classic Midwestern side dish that you’ll see at nearly every family get-together.

It’s a sweet and creamy combo of crunchy broccoli, crispy bacon, raisins, and sunflower seeds.

It’s perfect for weeknight meals as well.

Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this easy broccoli salad:

• Chopped broccoli. You can buy pre-chopped broccoli to save time or chop it yourself. Either way, it’s the star of this show.

• Bacon. Remember to cook and crumble the bacon before starting the salad. I typically use quick and easy microwavable bacon.

• Golden raisins. They add a slight sweetness and a little tanginess to the recipe. Their golden color is lovely, as well.

• Mayo & white wine vinegar. These ingredients make up the base of the dressing. They ensure it’s creamy, tart, and tangy.

• White sugar. A little sugar will sweeten the tartest and tangiest notes in the dressing. You can use less or more than the recipe requires to suit your tastes.

• Red onion. For crunch, color, and that sharp sweetness only onions can provide.

• Sunflower seeds or nuts. I typically use sunflower seeds, but you can substitute your favorite nuts. If they’re larger, though, you’ll want to chop them into smaller pieces.

How to Make Broccoli Salad

This fantastic recipe makes six servings perfect for an intimate dinner with the family. And it’s easy to make, too! Here’s how:

1. Fry the bacon over medium-high heat until brown. Then, chop it into small bits and set aside.

2. Chop the broccoli, keeping only the florets. Then, chop the florets into bite-sized pieces.

3. Make the salad. Toss the broccoli, bacon, nuts, raisins, and onions in a bowl.

4. Make the dressing. Combine the mayo, sugar, and vinegar.

5. Finish the dish. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat.

6. Enjoy! You can serve the salad immediately or cover and refrigerate it until ready to serve. Either way, enjoy!

Note: You can also add carrots for more crunch and cheese for a richer flavor.

Tips & Tricks

Check out my five top tips for making broccoli salad:

• Blanch the broccoli. Blanching the broccoli simply means boiling it for about 2 minutes, then dousing it in ice water. You don’t HAVE to do that for this recipe. However, it WILL keep your broccoli bright green and crunchy for several days.

• Tone down the onion. Some people don’t appreciate the strong taste of onions. If that sounds like you, soak the onion in ice water for about 10 minutes before using it. It will help cut down on some of its sharpest edges.

• Add cheese. Shredded cheese will really dial up the flavor. Grate it yourself and be sure to do so in thicker strips. Ultra-fine cheese kind of gets lost among the other ingredients.

• Chill before serving. While you can serve this dish right away, it tastes best cold after the flavors have melded. Try to make it at least 4 hours ahead of time so it has time to chill.

• Make it lighter. This salad is full of stuff that’s good for you. The cheese and dressing, though, are less nutritious. Make them slightly healthier by using olive oil mayo for the dressing and light cheese. You can also dial back the sugar a little or leave out the cheese entirely.

How to Store

If you have leftovers, don’t toss them out!

To store. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Or transfer the leftovers to an airtight container. Refrigerate them for 2 to 3 days.