This vintage Broccoli Salad recipe is total comfort food and the perfect year-round side dish. You’ll combine fresh, lightly blanched broccoli with crispy bacon, roasted sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries in a tangy mayo dressing for an easy recipe that your family and friends will ask for again and again.
I’ve always enjoyed a good vegetable salad. I like the ones with no lettuce and no tomatoes best. I think it’s because they’re so different from a regular old tossed green salad.
Yes, give me a bowl full of veggies, maybe a little bacon, and some sort of sweet-tangy dressing, and I’m happy. I’ll take something just like this Broccoli Salad recipe. It rates right up there with deviled eggs, bbq beans, potato salad, and broccoli casserole as a side for any occasion.
This is one of those old recipes that my friends and I made way back in the 1980s and 90s. I’ve noticed that it’s enjoying a bit of a revival and have seen it pop up on several sites as though it were something brand spanking new. That always makes me chuckle.
Give this a try, and I guarantee your family and friends will be asking for the recipe!
— This post was originally published on May 23, 2014. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Stovetop
Total Time: 11 Minutes
Servings: 6
Primary Ingredient(s): Fresh Broccoli, Red Onion, Dried Cranberries, Bacon, Sunflower Kernels
Skill Level: Easy
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I love broccoli salad, it’s been my first stop at the picnic table since I can remember. I love the addition of yogurt and cranberries! YUM!”
— Kellie
What You’ll Like About This Recipe
- It’s a time-tested, proven winner!
- Fantastic flavor contrasts between the tangy dressing, salty bacon, and sweet cranberries.
- Easily made in advance.
- Loads of ways to substitute ingredients.
Ingredient Notes
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- Fresh broccoli — you can use whole broccoli heads or, to make your life just a touch easier, pick up a package of fresh broccoli florets. You’ll need 10 to 12 ounces of florets.
- Red onion — I prefer red onion for this recipe, but use whatever you have on hand, just be sure to finely dice it.
- Mayonnaise — Or substitute a good quality plain Greek yogurt if you don’t like mayo.
- Dried cranberries — The perfect sweet complement to the vinegar, bacon, and sunflower seeds in this recipe; of course, you could substitute raisins if you like.
- Bacon — Either fry up a few pieces of bacon, use the pre-cooked bacon available in the grocery store, or use the real bacon pieces (not bits!) available in the salad dressing section.
- Cheddar cheese — Use either sharp or extra sharp, and be sure to grate it yourself.
- Sunflower seeds — You’ll want the salted, roasted kernels.
- Sugar — Plain, white granulated type.
- Vinegar — Use white or cider vinegar.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook!
You can see this recipe on page 88 of my cookbook, My Southern Table! Get your signed copy today.
How to Make Broccoli Salad
Pro Tip
You’ll find many broccoli salad recipes that use raw broccoli florets, but I think the recipe is much better if you take just a moment to blanch the florets. Blanching keeps the broccoli firm, but the taste will be a little less “raw,” and it also sets the pretty green color. This is an optional step, but I think it’s really worth doing.
- To blanch the florets, bring a large pan of water to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and cook for 1 minute. Immediately pour the broccoli into a colander. Add a little ice (about 2 cups) and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Allow the broccoli to drain very well. Spread it out on paper towels or set it in a colander. You want the broccoli as dry as possible.
- In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sugar, salt, and vinegar. Whisk together until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the onion, cranberries, sunflower kernels, broccoli, cheese, and bacon.
- Toss gently, taking care not to break up the broccoli, until everything is well mixed and coated with the dressing.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour for the flavors to combine.
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Recipe Success Tips
- Save time by purchasing ready to cook broccoli florets rather than whole heads of broccoli.
- Blanching the broccoli is totally optional, but I do recommend it. I like my broccoli just that wee bit cooked and without so much of the raw taste. However, it’s perfectly fine to skip that step and just toss in the raw florets.
- For best results, be sure to make the salad ahead of time so that the flavors have a chance to mellow. Refrigerate it for at least one hour and up to eight hours.
- Store the leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
- Be sure to grate the cheese yourself. Don’t buy pre-grated cheese for this recipe.
- To save time, use the real bacon pieces (not bits!) available in the salad dressing section at your grocery store.
- If the red onion seems too strong, rinse it briefly under cool water and let it dry before adding to the salad.
Recipe Variations to Try
- Instead of mayonnaise, substitute a good quality plain Greek yogurt.
- Raisins make a great substitute for dried cranberries.
- You can use roasted, salted peanuts, pecans, walnuts, pepitas, pine nuts, or pistachios instead of the sunflower kernels. Almost any roasted salted nut will work fine.
- Use a sugar substitute such as Splenda.
- Use cider vinegar instead of white vinegar.
More Recipes You’ll Like
Tomato and Avocado Salad
My Favorite Greek Salad
Layered Tortellini Salad
Black Bean and Corn Salad
Questions About Broccoli Salad
Broccoli salad multiplies really well to feed a crowd. The recipe uses 12 ounces of florets and makes 6 servings, so plan on 2 ounces of raw broccoli florets per person and multiply the other ingredients accordingly.
I love to serve it with turkey burgers, grilled chicken, grilled pork chops, and my citrus marinated ribeye steaks!
You can keep broccoli salad in a tightly sealed container in your refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
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Recipe
Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
- 12 ounces broccoli florets (or 2 to 3 whole heads)
- ¾ cup mayonnaise or substitute plain Greek yogurt
- 2 ½ tablespoons vinegar
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup red onion finely diced (about 1/2 a medium onion)
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup roasted, salted sunflower kernels
- 1 cup cooked, crumbled bacon (about 8 ounces of bacon, or use "Real Bacon" pieces)
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- (Optional but recommended step) Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and cook for 1 minute. Immediately drain the broccoli in a colander with ice and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Allow the broccoli to drain very well. Spread on paper towels or set it in a colander. You want the broccoli as dry as possible.12 ounces broccoli florets
- In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, and salt. Whisk together until the sugar has dissolved.¾ cup mayonnaise, 2 ½ tablespoons vinegar, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt
- Add the onion, cranberries, sunflower kernels, broccoli, bacon, and cheese. Toss gently, taking care not to break up the broccoli, until well mixed and coated with the dressing.⅓ cup red onion, ¾ cup dried cranberries, ⅓ cup roasted, salted sunflower kernels, 1 cup cooked, crumbled bacon, 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour for flavors to combine.
Notes
- Save time by purchasing ready to cook broccoli florets rather than whole heads of broccoli.
- For best results, be sure to make the salad ahead of time so that the flavors have a chance to mellow. Refrigerate it for at least one hour and up to eight hours.
- Store the leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
I make a similar salad, but never cook the broccoli. I also put half a head of cauliflower in to make it go further and have even more crunch.