Broccoli Salad was one of those classic recipes I grew up eating all the time. It was everywhere, kind of like 7 layer salad. My mom made it often, and so did all of my friend’s moms. It was also at pretty much any kind of get-together I can remember from birthday parties to backyard bbq’s. But somehow over the years, I haven’t been seeing it around as much. So today I thought I’d share my best recipe for this classic that really does need to make a comeback! This recipe is how my mom used to make it to the best of my recollection. I don’t think she even had a recipe for this salad, it was just one of those classics you made from memory.
Ingredients for this best Broccoli Salad recipe
Broccoli – I like to use both the tops (florets) and the stems in this recipe so there’s no waste. If you peel the stems with a vegetable peeler, the inside is tender, sweet, and perfect chopped up in this fresh salad. Broccoli salad is made with fresh broccoli, so frozen doesn’t work in this case. Bacon – Use whatever bacon you like the best. I’ve used everything from classic bacon to uncured peppered bacon, and you cannot go wrong! Be sure to check the labels to see if it works for you if you have dietary issues. Our local health food store has several brands of bacon now without any sugar or preservatives which has been so nice. Red Onion – is classic in broccoli salad. You could use other types of onion, but really red onion is best here and adds a lot of savory flavor. Cranberries or Raisins – I know raisins used to be the most used in the classic version of this recipe. But dried cranberries are so much better. Try looking for fruit juice-sweetened dried cranberries. They’re not as overly sweet and are perfect here. Sunflower Seeds – I like to buy the already roasted lightly salted sunflower seeds to keep things nice and easy. You can also use toasted slivered or sliced almonds. Dressing – I like to use a mixture of homemade or avocado mayo from the store with fresh lemon juice. You don’t want to use bottled lemon juice here because this dressing is so simple, that freshness becomes extra important. If you don’t like mayo, see my options below. You can also use apple cider vinegar in the dressing, but I recommend the freshness of the lemon juice overall.
Let’s make this recipe step by step
Step 1: Start by cooking the bacon to make bacon bits. I like to bake mine in the oven on a parchment-lined baking sheet. There’s virtually no cleanup and it’s the easiest way to cook bacon I’ve ever tried. It also cooks evenly which is super nice for a salad. You can crispy it up to your liking with no soft bits in your salad! Step 2: Once the bacon has been drained and cooled, chop it up into small bacon bits. Step 3: Prep the other ingredients by mincing up the onion and roughly chopping the cranberries. Step 4: Prep the broccoli by cutting up the tops into small bite-sized pieces. To use the stem, peel away the tough outer layers, then chop into small bite-sized pieces. Step 5: Stir together the dressing in a small bowl. Add all of the salad ingredients to a large bowl except the sunflower seeds. Mix the broccoli mixture together with the dressing. Then add the sunflower seeds if you’re serving it right away. Or keep them separate until you’re ready to serve the salad. Note: in some areas, it’s traditional to add grated sharp cheddar cheese, so feel free to mix some in if desired. We love adding some crumbled feta cheese sometimes!
Try these 3 fun variations on broccoli salad
Healthy Broccoli Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing Thai Mango Broccoli Salad with Sweet Chili Dressing Mexican Style Broccoli Salad
I really hope you enjoy this classic Broccoli Salad, it’s so perfect for everything from lunches to backyard BBQs. And if you do get a chance to make it, I hope you’ll leave me a comment/rating below. I always love hearing from you here! Also for lots more salad recipes, head over to the recipe index.
