A classic from the family recipe notebook that showed up at every potluck and Sunday dinner. The tangy-sweet dressing with crispy bacon and crunchy sunflower seeds makes this broccoli salad disappear from the table every single time.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This recipe is an easy addition to any party menu or summer meal. This stores well in the fridge up to 5 days and stays fresh. If you want to add a fresh crunch to the salad before serving sprinkle the top with additional sunflower seeds before serving. The broccoli stays crunchy even when the salad is dressed giving you more flexibility. My favorite part about a salad that stores well is the leftovers. The next day you can enjoy a rich flavorful salad without any prep.
About the Ingredients
Add ins include: onions (red or green work well) dried cranberries (add raisins if you’d like) sunflower seeds. Swap out the seeds for any kind of chopped nuts like almonds or pecans. Broccoli Salad Dressing We love this creamy broccoli salad dressing and it’s super simple to make in just 3 minutes.
Ingredients
- Salad
- 8 cups broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/3 cup red onion, minced
- 1/3 cup bacon bits
- 1/4 cup grated cheese
- Dressing
- 1 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
Instructions
- Chop broccoli into bite-sized pieces.
- If cooking your own bacon- Lay the strips of bacon on a cooking sheet and bake at 375 f until crisp. Set aside to cool then crumble into small pieces.
- Toss broccoli, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, red onion, and crumbled bacon together in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, mix the mayo, sugar, and white vinegar until smooth.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until everything is well coated.
Ingredient Substitutions
| Broccoli (8 cups) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Substitution | Amount / Ratio | Notes | Nutrition / serving |
| Cauliflower | 1:1 | Same texture |
Cal: 0 · Pro: 2.2g · Fat: 0.3g
Carbs: 6.3g · Fiber: 2.6g
≈ similar to original
|
| Broccoli slaw | 1:1 | Pre-cut, saves time |
Cal: 0 · Pro: 0g · Fat: 0g
Carbs: 0g · Fiber: 0g
≈ similar to original
|
| Brussel sprouts | 1:1 | Shredded |
Cal: 0 · Pro: 5.3g · Fat: 0.8g
Carbs: 12.8g · Fiber: 6.4g
≈ similar to original
|
| Dried Cranberries (1/3 cup) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Substitution | Amount / Ratio | Notes | Nutrition / serving |
| Raisins | 1:1 |
Cal: 24 · Pro: 0.2g · Fat: 0g
Carbs: 6.3g · Fiber: 0.5g
↑ 3 cal vs original
|
|
| Dried apricots | 1:1 | Chopped |
Cal: 13 · Pro: 0.2g · Fat: 0g
Carbs: 3.5g · Fiber: 0.4g
↓ 8 cal vs original
|
| Fresh grapes | 1/2 cup | Halved -Add just before serving |
Cal: 2 · Pro: 0.3g · Fat: 0.1g
Carbs: 0.2g · Fiber: 0.1g
↓ 19 cal vs original
|
| Sunflower Seeds (1/3 cup) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Substitution | Amount / Ratio | Notes | Nutrition / serving |
| Sliced almonds | 1:1 |
Cal: 0 · Pro: 2.1g · Fat: 4.0g
Carbs: 1.3g · Fiber: 0.7g
↓ 45 cal vs original
|
|
| Chopped pecans | 1:1 |
Cal: 14 · Pro: 1.0g · Fat: 1.1g
Carbs: 0g · Fiber: 0g
↓ 31 cal vs original
|
|
| Pumpkin seeds | 1:1 |
Cal: 0 · Pro: 2.1g · Fat: 2.9g
Carbs: 1.3g · Fiber: 0.4g
↓ 45 cal vs original
|
|
| Red Onion (1/3 cup) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Substitution | Amount / Ratio | Notes | Nutrition / serving |
| Green onions | 1:1 | Milder flavor |
Cal: 1 · Pro: 0.1g · Fat: 0g
Carbs: 0.3g · Fiber: 0.1g
↓ 3 cal vs original
|
| Sweet onion | 1:1 |
Cal: 2 · Pro: 0g · Fat: 0g
Carbs: 0.4g · Fiber: 0g
↓ 2 cal vs original
|
|
| Shallots | 1:1 | More delicate |
Cal: 4 · Pro: 0.1g · Fat: 0g
Carbs: 0.9g · Fiber: 0.2g
≈ similar to original
|
| Bacon (1/3 lb) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Substitution | Amount / Ratio | Notes | Nutrition / serving |
| Turkey bacon | 1/3-1/2 cup | Lower fat |
Cal: 61 · Pro: 4.9g · Fat: 4.3g
Carbs: 0.7g · Fiber: 0g
↓ 17 cal vs original
|
| Smoked almonds | 1/3 cup | Vegetarian option |
Cal: 48 · Pro: 1.7g · Fat: 4.4g
Carbs: 1.4g · Fiber: 0.9g
↓ 30 cal vs original
|
| Dressing | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Substitution | Amount / Ratio | Notes | Nutrition / serving |
| 1/2 mayo + 1/2 Greek yogurt | 1 cup total | Lighter version |
Cal: 38 · Pro: 2.9g · Fat: 0.7g
Carbs: 5.0g · Fiber: 0.2g
↓ 21 cal vs original
|
| Honey | 3 tbsp | Instead of sugar |
Cal: 32 · Pro: 0g · Fat: 0g
Carbs: 8.8g · Fiber: 0g
↓ 27 cal vs original
|
| Apple cider vinegar | 1 tbsp | Instead of white vinegar |
Cal: 1 · Pro: 0g · Fat: 0g
Carbs: 0g · Fiber: 0g
↓ 58 cal vs original
|
Fewer calories than original
More calories than original
≈ Within 10% of original
Per serving · Est. where noted →
Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance can the salad be prepped?
Dressed the salad lasts 3-4 days in the fridge BUT if you want to be ahead of the game here is a trick -Cut the broccoli and onions a week in advance and keep in the fridge. If you making your own bacon bits then these can be made a week in advance also. -Portion out the sunflower seeds and the dried cranberries and put them in a small container together in the fridge. Keep the chopped broccoli, chopped onions, and bacon pieces in separate containers. You can prepare the dressing 2 weeks in advance and keep it refrigerated.
