This classic broccoli salad will delight you time and again! It’s the tastiest mix of crunchy broccoli, crispy bacon, red onion, cranberries, sunflower seeds, goat cheese, and a creamy mayo-yogurt dressing.

A bowl of broccoli salad for a party side dish.
Photo: Gayle McLeod

Why You’ll Love This Broccoli Salad

When it comes to the perfect year-round salad recipe, this broccoli salad reigns supreme! It’s great for holidays, potlucks, picnics, barbecues, and even weekly meal prep. Needless to say, it’s a classic for good reason, with its simultaneously crispy, creamy, sweet, and savory flavor. That’s why folks always go back for seconds! And did I mention bacon is involved? Here’s a few more reasons why you’ll love my broccoli salad recipe:

  • It’s easily customizable. Swap out any of the add-ins with your favorite dried fruit, seeds, nuts, or cheese. 
  • It only takes 20 minutes. My favorite thing about this!
  • It’s super durable. That means it’ll hold up for several days in the fridge. 
  • It’s always a holiday party hit. Whether that’s Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, or Christmas.

Broccoli Salad Ingredients

Broccoli salad ingredients.
  • Broccoli: Chop the raw broccoli florets into bite-sized pieces. 
  • Red onion: I love diced red onion for a punch of flavor, but green onion works too.
  • Bacon: Crispy bacon adds protein and that irresistible savory bite. Want another protein-packed broccoli salad? Try my broccoli tuna salad.
  • Dried Cranberries: I use unsweetened dried cranberries, but raisins or dried cherries are great alternatives.
  • Sunflower Seeds: For a little crunch, sunflower seeds are my go-to. But slivered almonds or your favorite nuts or seeds also work great. 
  • Goat Cheese: Just a sprinkle adds amazing creaminess. Crumbled feta or shredded cheddar are also delicious options.
  • Broccoli Salad Dressing: This creamy mayonnaise-based dressing gets an upgrade with a bit of homemade yogurt. I skip the added sugar since yogurt adds just the right hint of sweetness and tang.

Find the printable recipe with measurements below

How to Make The Best Broccoli Salad

Step one: Cook the bacon in the oven (it’s way easier), and when that’s done, blot it dry with a paper towel.

Baked bacon on a sheet pan.

Step two: While the bacon is cooking, slice the broccoli florets and red onion, and add them to the bowl along with the sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and goat cheese. Once the bacon is cooked and cooled, crumble the bacon in the bowl and mix it together.

Broccoli salad in a glass bowl.

Step three: In a separate small bowl, make the dressing by stirring together the mayonnaise and yogurt. Add that to the salad and stir everything together until it’s well combined. Voila, your broccoli salad is done! 

How to make broccoli salad.

Common Questions

Should the broccoli be cooked or raw?

Most traditional broccoli salads use raw broccoli for its crunchy texture. But if you can’t digest raw broccoli or don’t love the texture, you can blanch the florets for a few minutes. This will slightly soften them while retaining their bright green color and crispness.

Can I make this salad dairy-free?

Absolutely! Just omit the goat cheese or use a dairy-free alternative, and swap in dairy-free yogurt for the dressing. It’ll still be creamy and delicious.

Can I make this salad vegetarian?

Yes, you can! Simply leave out the bacon or use a plant-based bacon alternative. For the dressing, opt for vegan mayonnaise.

Broccoli salad side dish.

More Salad Recipes

If you make this broccoli salad recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.

Broccoli salad recipe in a bowl.

Classic Broccoli Salad

Author: Lisa Bryan
4.99 from 178 votes
Read 418 Comments
Serves 6 servings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
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Description

Everyone loves this broccoli salad recipe! With bacon, cranberries, and a creamy dressing, it's the perfect party side dish or weekly meal prep. Watch the video below to see how I make this in my Kitchen!

Video

Equipment

Ingredients 
 

Broccoli Salad

  • 8 slices bacon
  • 5 cups broccoli florets (from 1 large head of broccoli)
  • cup diced red onion
  • ½ cup dried unsweetened cranberries
  • ½ cup sunflower seeds
  • ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese

Broccoli Salad Dressing

Instructions 

  • Cook the bacon. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Add the bacon slices to a parchment-lined baking tray and cook for 15 to 18 minutes, or until crispy. Remove the bacon from the oven and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate to dry and cool.
    Baked bacon strips.
  • Add everything to a mixing bowl. Add the broccoli, red onion, cranberries, sunflower seeds, and goat cheese to a large mixing bowl. When the bacon is cool to the touch, crumble it on top.
    Broccoli salad in a glass bowl.
  • Make the dressing. Add the mayonnaise and yogurt to a small bowl and stir together.
    Mayo dressing for broccoli salad.
  • Toss to combine. Pour the dressing on top of the broccoli salad and toss to combine.
    How to make the best broccoli salad recipe.

Lisa’s Tips

  • Storage tip: Broccoli salad will stay fresh for 4 to 5 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. If you’re making it for a holiday party or gathering, you can prep it the day before, either with or without the dressing.
  • Make sure you’ve sliced the broccoli florets into small, bite-sized pieces. It makes it far easier to eat that way.
  • If you’re wondering what to do with the broccoli stem, spiralize it! Yes, you can totally spiralize a broccoli stem, just as you would a zucchini. It’s delicious! And while I don’t show you how to spiralize a broccoli stem in my Spiralizer Beginner’s Guide video, you can still get a little inspiration from the video.

Nutrition

Calories: 406kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 379mg | Potassium: 410mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 609IU | Vitamin C: 69mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

Recipe originally posted June 2018, but updated to include new information and information for your benefit. 

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

4.99 from 178 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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418 Comments

  1. I love your broccoli salad. I tried it once and I had to make it again. It was so good! Thank you for great recipes!5 stars

  2. This was fantastic! I had to do a few swaps- I had pumpkin seeds so I used them instead of sunflower, and I couldn’t find unsweetened cranberries so I used gold raisins. The feta made it soooo creamy. I also added a tbs or so of apple cider vinegar to the mayo and yogurt. I am looking forward to making this again and again!5 stars

  3. I have made this salad several times for my family and guests & love it!

    A funny story anout it: Most recently, I served it to my parents, mother-in-law, adult son and daughter and my husband last Sunday as part of a going away meal for our daughter who is moving to Spain. The grocery store did not have a smaller box of the organic sunflower seeds that day, so I bought a bag of sunflower seeds. I did not pay attention to the fact that they were whole seeds -the kind that you chew at a baseball game and spit out the shell. As my family was eating it, my mother-in-law said.”Kemper, I think there are some kind of bones in this salad.” Then it dawned on me what I had done!! My son then proceeded to demonstrate how those seeds are supposed to be eaten. We all had quite a laugh over this!!!5 stars

    1. How funny! It’s always a good idea to double-check the ingredients you buy, lol. But, glad the whole family loved it anyways, Kemper.

    1. The bacon in this salad really makes all the difference! Glad you’re enjoying it, Mylene.

  4. I LOVE a broccoli salad in the summer instead of a hot broccoli side with dinner. Adding the goat cheese seems like something I should have thought of years ago but didn’t! It’s sooooo tasty! This has become a staple in our house!5 stars

    1. The goat cheese definitely adds a delicious touch! Glad you’re enjoying this broccoli salad, Leslie.

  5. Absolutely the best recipe, always a crowd favorite anytime we have a party or attend one. I also make it as a lunchbox favorite for my husband.5 stars