Chopped Broccoli Salad is fresh, crunchy, and full of flavor. The crisp bacon, chewy raisins, and sweet dressing make it a delicious side for any meal.
Broccoli Salad
This chopped broccoli salad will make a believer out of even the pickiest of eaters! Sweet craisins, savory bacon, salty sunflower seeds and vibrant broccoli florets are tossed with the yummiest dressing ever! You’ll love the crunchy texture and bursts of flavors in every single bite. This salad is a staple at many of our family summertime suppers. We love making a big batch for a barbecue, potluck or quick evening dinner, then eat on it all week. It just gets better and better as the flavors mix together. My family eats this Broccoli Salad for Easter dinner, Christmas Eve parties, or a summer cook-out. If you’re still skeptical about anything broccoli, try this recipe. I promise you will love it!
Substitutions and Additions
- You can use any kind of nuts you like in this delicious side dish. Sunflower seeds offer a salty crunch, but if you don’t have any on hand, you could use sliced almonds, peanuts, cashews or pecans.
- For a lighter Broccoli Salad, use plain Greek yogurt instead of mayo.
- You could also add cheese cubes, ham, raisins, purple cabbage, shredded carrots, chicken, celery, red onions or cauliflower. This is a deliciously versatile side dish with many options.
- Using precooked bacon saves time in the assembling process, but make sure you use real bacon pieces, not bacon bits. You want that salty, savory flavor to combine with the sweet craisins and creamy, sweet dressing.
What to Serve with Broccoli Salad
Toss some meat on the grill, cook up some corn on the cob and serve this broccoli salad for a perfect summertime dinner. You could also eat it alongside our Sweet Teriyaki Grilled Ham Steaks, our scrumptious New York Steaks or Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken. But it goes well with sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, just about anything!
More Delicious Salads
This broccoli salad is another favorite side dish that we make every summer, and really any other time of the year too since the ingredients taste good year round. Try a few of these other delicious salads and make a meal out of any of them!
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Creamy Green Pea Salad
- Mom’s Traditional Macaroni Salad
- Waldorf Salad with Crunchy Apples
- Snickers Apple Salad
- Creamy Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
How to Make Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
- 2 heads broccoli
- 1/2 cup bacon bits (homemade or purchased)
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup Craisins
Dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Rinse broccoli well. Cut broccoli florets into bite size pieces. Add to a large bowl and mix in bacon bits, sunflower seeds, and craisins.
- Mix dressing ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Toss the dressing with the salad until everything is evenly coated. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.
