Classic Broccoli Salad

Homemade Broccoli Salad is a healthy and easy recipe made with broccoli florets, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and bacon, with a sweet and creamy dressing.

It’s one of my favorites to serve at a barbecue because everyone loves it!

It’s not a summer party without a big bowl of this delicious Broccoli Salad on the table!

This recipe somehow turns broccoli (which, let’s be honest, isn’t everyone’s favorite food) into a delicious sweet and savory side dish that will be the star of the meal.

And it’s super simple to make a classic broccoli salad. Simply mix up a creamy homemade dressing and pour it over broccoli florets and the perfect combination of tasty broccoli salad mix-ins.

If you’re looking for more classic summer salads, be sure to get the recipes for my Hawaiian Mac Salad, Creamy Cucumber Salad, Tuna Pasta Salad, and Dorito Taco Salad. Any of these will be gobbled right up along with hot dogs and hamburgers!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

1. A Healthy Picnic Salad Option – Summer parties are often filled with potato salads and macaroni salads, so this veggie-based broccoli salad is a nice healthy option! Bring this to the next BBQ you’re invited to, I guarantee there won’t be any leftovers.
2. Sweet and Savory Flavors – The balanced flavors in this salad come from expertly selected ingredients. Honey and cranberries add sweetness, while cheddar cheese, red onions, and salty sunflower seeds add savory notes. The creamy and tangy dressing pulls everything together perfectly!
3. Almost No Cooking Involved! You’ll need to crisp up a few slices of bacon, but other than that, this recipe is no-cook! That means that you can easily make this while camping or on a day when you don’t want to heat up the house too much.

Ingredients In Classic Broccoli Salad

Here’s what you need to make this tasty side salad:

• Broccoli Florets: You’ll need about a pound of bite-sized florets, which is about 2 heads of broccoli.
• Bacon: Crispy, salty bacon is probably my favorite part of this salad. I’m using turkey bacon here, but traditional bacon is just as good.
• Cheese: I like this salad with cubed sharp cheddar cheese, but other types of cheese are also delicious!
• Dried Cranberries: These add a tangy sweetness to the salad. Try it with golden raisins instead if you prefer.
• Onion: Thinly slice or finely dice a medium red onion to add to the salad.
• Sunflower Seeds: Roasted sunflower kernels add a salty, crunchy flavor to the salad that is just perfect.
• Broccoli Salad Dressing: A quick mix of mayo, Greek yogurt, vinegar, and honey, seasoned with salt and pepper, is the perfect creamy coating for cold broccoli salad.

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

How To Make The Best Broccoli Salad

1. Combine the Ingredients: Add broccoli florets, diced onion, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, diced cheddar cheese, and cooked, crumbled bacon to a large bowl.
2. Make the Dressing: In a separate bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper.
3. Mix it Up! Pour the dressing over the salad, and stir to be sure everything is well coated. Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.

Recipe Tips

• You can blanch the broccoli first to make it easier to chew. Follow my easy instructions on how to blanch broccoli for all the details. It’s super simple, just boil the florets for a few minutes, then shock them with ice water.
• After washing the broccoli, be sure to dry it well before making the salad. The extra water held by the florets will water down the dressing if you don’t.
• For even more flavor, try adding a clove of minced garlic, or a tablespoon of poppy seeds.
• Instead of sunflower seeds, try sliced almonds or roasted pepitas.
• The dressing can be made with all mayo instead of the blend of mayo and yogurt. You can also replace the yogurt with sour cream.
• Use a different sweetener. Honey can be replaced with white or brown sugar, or maple syrup to give the salad the same sweetness, but a slightly different flavor.

Storing Tips

This is an excellent dish to make ahead of time since it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Since the dressing for broccoli salad is mayonnaise based, be sure to keep it refrigerated, and don’t leave it out in the heat for very long.

What To Serve With Broccoli Salad

If you’re planning a BBQ or an outdoor party this summer, make sure that this classic Broccoli Salad is on the menu!

While you’re planning that cookout menu, consider also making more of these summer recipes favorites:

• For the Main Meal: Beer Can Chicken on the grill, Chicken Under a Brick, Grilled Shrimp Kabobs, or Smoked Beef Chuck Roast
• On the Side: Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing, Deviled Egg Potato Salad, Broccoli Slaw, and Tortellini Salad.
• For Dessert: Watermelon Cupcakes, Banana Icebox Cake, No Bake Strawberry Pie, Classic Blueberry Pie, and some Pool Party Jello Shots for the grown-ups!

Recipe FAQs

Classic Broccoli Salad is such a wonderful side dish for any meal, but it’s especially perfect for summertime parties that involve friends, family, and great food. Be sure to Pin the recipe for when you need it!