Broccoli Salad

Everyone needs a classic Broccoli Salad Recipe in their arsenal, and this one is the best! Fresh broccoli, bacon, sunflower seeds and more – all covered in a tangy dressing – this broccoli salad doesn’t disappoint.

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I have always been a fan of the good old classic broccoli salad recipe. I know that it is a summer favorite for barbeques and potlucks, but funny enough, the first time I published this recipe on Taste and Tell was back in 2010 because of a pregnancy craving. Now, I didn’t get a lot of pregnancy cravings, but apparently, Broccoli Salad was one of them!

Over the years, my sister has become the resident broccoli salad maker for family dinners, but I was craving it again recently (no – not pregnant!) so I decided to go back to this recipe. And I fell back in love all over again. There is something about the crispness of the broccoli, and the sweetness from the raisins and the apples, the saltiness of the bacon – all combined with the tangy dressing that makes this salad one that I know I’ll hold onto for years and years. You can never go wrong with a classic!

Ingredients in a Broccoli Salad Recipe

The ingredients in broccoli salad are pretty straight forward. You can definitely get creative here, too! Here is what I put in my salad:

• broccoli
• bacon
• raisins
• sunflower seeds
• chopped onion
• diced apple

You can swap out the sunflower seeds for another nut of your choice, and use craisins instead of raisins. The diced apple isn’t as common in broccoli salad, but I love the extra sweetness and crunch that it brings. Many people will also add cheddar cheese. Feel free to add or take away ingredients to make it exactly what you want!

Do you cook the broccoli for Broccoli Salad?

Nope – the broccoli goes in raw! You want to cut the florets small so that you get a bite with all of the different ingredients, though.

If you aren’t a fan of raw broccoli, you can blanch the broccoli first and then put it in ice water to stop the cooking. That will take away some of the crunch and the raw taste.

How to make the Broccoli Salad Dressing

Let’s preface this with saying that I know that this salad is not healthy. And that’s why I usually only make it if I’m taking it somewhere, otherwise, I’d be tempted to eat the whole salad myself!!

This Broccoli Salad Dressing consists of only 3 ingredients:

• mayonnaise
• sugar
• white vinegar

All you do is whisk the three ingredients together – easy peasy! I haven’t tried reducing the amount of sugar, but if you want less sweetness, you could definitely try cutting back on the sugar.

What to serve Broccoli Salad With:

Triple Pork Burgers
Open Face Caprese Steak Sandwich
Bacon Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
Grilled Brown Sugar Mustard Chicken

More Side Dish Salads

Artichoke Pasta Salad
Potato Salad Recipe with Corn and Poblanos
Korean Cucumber Salad
Tomato and Black Bean Quinoa Salad
Tomato and Herb Salad

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Broccoli Salad Recipe

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Deborah
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 mins
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Everyone needs a classic Broccoli Salad Recipe in their arsenal, and this one is the best! Fresh broccoli, bacon, sunflower seeds and more – all covered in a tangy dressing – this broccoli salad doesn’t disappoint.

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 4 stalks fresh broccoli, cut into small florets (about 20 oz)
• 1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup diced apple
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup white vinegar

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Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, bacon, raisins, sunflower seeds, red onion, and diced apple. Stir to combine.
2. In another bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar. Pour the mayonnaise mixture over the salad and stir until combined.
3. Refrigerate salad until ready to serve.

Recipe Notes:

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should only be used as a general guideline.

Nutrition

• Calories: 487
• Sugar: 24 g
• Sodium: 734 mg
• Fat: 34 g
• Saturated Fat: 7 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 21 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 35 g
• Fiber: 3 g
• Protein: 14 g
• Cholesterol: 41 mg

Keywords: broccoli salad recipe, broccoli salad with bacon

This recipe was originally posted September 23, 2010, and republished in 2018.