This sweet and savory Easy Broccoli Salad Recipe will have your tastebuds doing a happy dance! With smoky bacon, crunchy cashews, and sweet raisins (or cranberries), it’s the ultimate gourmet dinner salad and holiday side dish. Plus it gets bonus points for the most AMAZING tasting leftovers!
Broccoli Salad Recipe
If you’ve never tried this Broccoli Salad Recipe with Bacon you are honestly missing out.
Trust me… you won’t believe how fast it will disappear, and it’s so easy to make!
Sheryl writes: “My bowl gets emptied by many each potluck we have. This is yummy!!!!”
With healthy fresh veggies, dried fruit, protein packed nuts, light dressing, and savory bacon, this easy broccoli salad will be the star of any party or holiday gathering!
Or… just treat yourself and add it to your menu this week!
Leftovers taste amazing the next day, and you can even pack it as a fancy lunch to take to work!
And if you ask my family, this is by far the best broccoli salad recipe ever!
So what are you waiting for?
Let’s make some classic broccoli salad, shall we?
To make this easy broccoli salad, you’ll just need some broccoli, Crispy Bacon and…
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Broccoli Salad Ingredients
So what is broccoli salad made of?
You’ll just need a few simple ingredients to make the most amazing broccoli salad with off-the charts flavor!
- Fresh Broccoli
- Crispy Bacon – learn How to Make Bacon in the Oven!
- Cashews
- Raisins – Dried cranberries can be substituted
- Red Onion
- Mayo – the base for the dressing
- Apple Cider Vinegar – to add a bite of tanginess to the dressing
- Sugar – to add the perfect kiss of sweetness to the dressing!
What Goes Well with Broccoli Salad?
This delicious cold veggie salad really is so versatile!
In addition to being the perfect potluck dish, it’s an absolute must-have at holiday meals!
It will pair perfectly with your Maple Brown Sugar Ham and Easy Mashed Potatoes.
Broccoli Salad Variations
Want to change things up a bit? Go for it!
Here are a few of my favorite tasty variations…
- Cranberry Broccoli Salad – swap ALL of the raisins for dried cranberries
- Walnut Broccoli Salad – swap the cashews for chopped Walnuts
Healthy Broccoli Salad Substitutions
Want to make this veggie salad even healthier? Here are some simple swaps…
- Use Organic Broccoli
- Opt for Organic Raisins
- Use Organic Cashews
- Swap Bacon for Turkey Bacon
How Long is Raw Broccoli Salad Good For?
Broccoli salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
How to Make Broccoli Salad
You’re not going to believe how simple it is to make this gourmet broccoli salad at home!
Here’s what you’ll do…
1. Wash and dry your broccoli. I like to pat it dry with paper towels.
2. Cut your broccoli into florets, and discard the main broccoli head stem.
3. In a large bowl, mix your salad ingredients together until well combined.
4. In a separate small bowl, whisk your sauce ingredients together. This will be the sweet and tangy salad dressing, and let me tell you… it’s DELICIOUS!
5. Pour your dressing over your broccoli salad, and stir well.
6. Cover your salad with plastic wrap, and transfer to the refrigerator to chill.
7. You’ll want to allow for the proper amount of time. This will allow the flavors to marinate before you enjoy your tasty veggie salad.
See… I told you this was going to be EASY! The hardest part is just waiting to dig in. 🙂
Scroll down for the printable recipe card with detailed, step-by-step instructions.
Broccoli Salad Reviews
Here’s what your frugal friends are saying about this Easy Broccoli Salad Recipe…
Josh writes: “A great salad recipe”
Serene writes: “Love all the flavors and textures!!”
Jenna writes: “Yummy!”
Ryan writes: “Hands down one of my favorite salads.”
Rebecca writes: “Delicious”
Amy writes: “This is a great broccoli salad!”
Norine writes: “Deliciousness!!!”
Heather writes: “Yummy – it has the best CRUNCH!”
Maura writes: “So yummy! Perfect for a potluck”
Diana writes: “I love this year round”
Sheryl writes: “I use lemon instead of apple cider vinegar. Regardless, my bowl gets emptied by many each potluck we have. This is yummy!!!!”
Did You Enjoy This Recipe? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Leave a comment & review below!
Broccoli Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Fresh Broccoli
- 8 oz. Bacon, cooked until crispy & chopped
- 3/4 cup Red Onion, diced, (1 small red onion should be enough)
- 3/4 cup Salted Cashews
- 1/2 cup Raisins
- 1 cup Mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup Granulated (White) Sugar
- 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
Instructions
- Remove heads from broccoli and cut into bit sized pieces.
- Add Broccoli, Bacon, Onion, Cashews, and Raisins to large bowl, and stir to combine.
- In small bowl, whisk together Mayonnaise, Sugar, and Apple Cider Vinegar to create the dressing for the salad.
- Pour dressing over broccoli salad, stir well to combine, then cover salad bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours for the flavors to marinate.
- Prep Ahead Tip: Broccoli salad can easily be made the night before.
- Storage Tip: Broccoli salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- For answers to Frequently Asked Questions or tips for common substitutions and variations, please refer to the detailed information above this recipe card.
- Follow The Frugal Girls on Pinterest for more Easy Recipes!
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So have you tried making this Broccoli Salad Recipe with Bacon yet?
Leave a comment and share…
This sounds good and we have some broccoli in the fridge. thanks for sharing and have a great day.
That’s perfect timing… ENJOY!
I’ve never had these ingredients together in a salad before, Heidi! I’m usually a picky eater but we’ve loved so many of your recipes in the past that I’m excited to give this one a go too. Thanks for making dinner so easy! Hugs, CoCo
It really is a unique blend of ingredients, but somehow it just works. 🙂 I hope you love it!
Ooo this sounds delicious! This salad would be perfect for the holidays with how easy it is to prepare! I have a lot of these things in my house already. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
You’re very welcome… ENJOY!
Yummy! I love that this is healthy (except for the bacon of course but a little bit goes a long way with flavor). Mixing fruits, vegetables and nuts in a dish is always exciting to the taste buds.
It really is the perfect sweet and savory flavor combo!
My husband looks bacon and broccoli so I need to make this for him asap! It’s look so yummy.
Yes, definitely… I bet he will love it!!
I agree Broccoli Salad is so versatile; it can go with almost any main course. Your salad looks so crunchy good!
Thanks so much, Carol!
We all love broccoli and bacon but I’ve never thought of combining them – this looks delicious, thank you, Heidi!
You’re very welcome, Lisa! It definitely is a unique combination of flavors, but the sweet and savory plus crunch all work beautifully together. ENJOY!
Broccoli salad with cashews and raisins sounds really delicious. I love the addition of a sweet taste among the slightly bitter broccoli.
Thank you, Judee… the sweet and tangy flavor profile really is SO delicious! 🙂
Perfect timing for this recipe! I´m about to go on holidays and still have a broccoli in the fridge I have to use up 😉
Such a great idea! I will def try it out
have a great day,
Tiziana
That’s wonderful, Tiziana… it really does sound like perfect timing. ENJOY!
Une délicieuse salade je vais la faire
Merci
Merci beaucoup, Delphine. 🙂 Bises