A light, tangy dressing jazzes up this Broccoli Salad with dried cranberries, almonds, and bacon. A classic summer side dish!
Classic Broccoli Salad is one my favorite simple summer sides for so many reasons.
- It’s an easy make-ahead recipe.
- It’s fresh and healthy.
- It’s colorful and pretty.
- It makes everyone love broccoli. And last, but not least . . .
- It makes me feel less guilty about the giant cheeseburger on my plate.
Broccoli Salad is a tasty way to add a little crunch to your menu. It’s perfect to serve with steak, burgers, chicken, or anything you’ve got going on your grill. Fresh and light and just right for a hot summer day!
Are you sold? Okay then, let’s get to it!
Ingredient Notes
- Broccoli – You’ll need 2 or 3 broccoli crowns. Cut the florets into bite-sized pieces for about 6 cups total. You can scale the amount down if you’d like a higher ratio of dressing to broccoli. As written, this salad is lightly dressed.
- Bacon – Cooked and crumbled. You will only need 5 slices of bacon for this recipe but I like to cook the whole package at once and refrigerate the extra to reheat in the microwave for breakfast the next morning. See my notes below on my favorite method for cooking bacon.
- Red onion – Diced.
- Dried cranberries – Like Craisins.
- White wine vinegar
- Sugar – A little granulated sugar adds a touch of sweetness to the dressing.
- Mayonnaise – I like to use a healthy fat mayo like olive oil mayo.
- Sour cream – I use light sour cream. An easy way to lighten it up without affecting the flavor.
- Slivered almonds
How to Cook Bacon in the Oven
Are you all bakin’ your bacon yet? I think it’s the cleanest, easiest method.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy duty foil
- Place the bacon in an even layer and transfer the baking sheet to the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes or until nicely crisped.
- Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. It works like a dream and the clean up is a breeze. Just throw out the greasy foil, give the pan a quick rinse and you’re done!
How to Make Broccoli Salad
- In a small bowl, stir together the dressing ingredients.
- In a large serving bowl, combine the broccoli, onion and dried cranberries and pour the dressing over the top and toss until well combined. Cover and refrigerate the Broccoli Salad for at least two hours or up to six hours. Reserve the almonds and bacon to add just before serving so they keep their texture.
You don’t want to skip the step of refrigerating the salad before serving. Spending a little time in the refrigerator gives the broccoli some time to soften just a bit.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container and use within 2 days for the best quality.
More Broccoli Salad Recipes You’ll Love
- Lemony Tortellini Broccoli Salad
- 5 Minute Broccoli Kale Slaw
- Broccoli Grape Salad with Feta
- Tortellini Broccoli Salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing
This post was originally published on June 2, 2012. It has been updated with new text and images.
Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
- 5 slices thick sliced bacon
- 2 or 3 broccoli crowns, cut into bite size pieces (approximately 6 cups)
- ⅓ cup red onion, chopped
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise, I like to use a healthy fat mayo like olive oil mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup light sour cream
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup slivered almonds
Instructions
Cook the Bacon
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place the bacon in an even layer and transfer the baking sheet to the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes or until nicely crisped. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. When cooled, crumble and set aside.
Broccoli Salad
- In a large serving bowl, combine the broccoli, onion and dried cranberries. In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, light sour cream, white wine vinegar, and sugar. Pour over broccoli mixture, and toss until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or up to six hours.
- When ready to serve, stir in the crumbled bacon and slivered almonds.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
I made this salad today and it is now one of my favorite recipes! I used shallots instead of red onion, and golden raisins instead of cranberries, and creama mexicana for sour cream, cuz that was what I had in the fridge. I loved it! Will add sunflower seeds next time I make it, which will be as soon as I finish what I just made!
Forgot to Mark this five stars!
I love this recipe, added a little Dijon mustard. Thank you for sharing your recipes
It’s was just wonderful . Big hit for our BBQ.
How long will this salad keep in frig?
Hi Kitty. Since the dressing is mayonnaise based, I think it’s best if consumed within a day or two.
I’ve made this same recipe several times using raisins and toasted sunflower seeds instead of cranberries and almonds and it is delicious. I will try yours next time 🙂
This is a great salad!! Love, love, love it!! I sub sunflower seeds for the almonds as I am allergic to nuts.
I have converted many, many broccoli haters with this. recipe. I put grated mozzarella in it as well. it’s a go to favorite I can always count on. been making it for at least 15 years!!!!
It can never hurt to add a little cheese! That’s what I always say 🙂
I use raisins instead of cranberries because I am allergic to cranberries.