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May 22, 2019

Broccoli Salad

This cold, crunchy broccoli salad—studded with crisp bacon, diced red onion and chewy raisins, then tossed in a creamy homemade dressing—is what all of your summer party dreams are made of.

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close up of homemade broccoli salad with creamy sweet dressing, crispy bacon, golden raisins and purple onions

Pairs Well With Barbecues, Pool Parties and Sparklers.

Broccoli salad is pure retro, cold salad comfort food, just waiting for you to bring it to your next summer party! Sure, it’s coated in a (delicious) mayonnaise-based dressing—what summer salad isn’t?—but it’s made with broccoli instead of macaroni or potatoes, so you can go ahead and pile those paper plates high with this bacon-y, onion-y easy broccoli salad.

ingredients laid out for broccoli salad; broccoli, bacon, mayonnaise, sugar, lemon juice, onions, golden raisins

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What Is in Broccoli Salad?

Broccoli salad could also be called broccoli slaw, since it’s very similar to cole slaw in that it features a raw vegetable from the brassica family, tossed in a creamy, mayo-based dressing. Our easy broccoli salad recipe is classic, through and through! You’ll need:

  • Raw broccoli florets. Yep, no need to blanch broccoli for this salad. No-cook summer salads FTW!
  • Bacon. Cooked until crispy, then minced.
  • Raw red onion, also minced.
  • Sunflower seeds, for crunch. Look for the unsalted kind.
  • Raisins. Sounds weird, but their hint of sweetness and toothsome chewiness is a great foil for the super-crunch of the raw broccoli.
sweet creamy salad dressing in a bowl with a whisk
large bowl of raw broccoli, bacon, sunflower seeds, purple onions and golden raisins
creamy dressing being poured onto homemade broccoli salad
homemade broccoli salad with creamy sweet dressing, crispy bacon, golden raisins and purple onion

How To Make Broccoli Salad Dressing:

Traditional broccoli salad dressing is just creamy, mayonnaise-y perfection and we’re not about to stray from that sweet-tangy goodness. We start with store-bought mayo, and add both cider vinegar and fresh lemon juice for lots of tangy brightness. A bit of sugar and salt to balance it all out, and that’s all there is to homemade broccoli salad dressing.

How To Make Broccoli Salad:

This cold broccoli salad is the best thing ever—it knocks other cold summer salads out of the park, because there’s basically no cooking required. Here’s how to whip up the best broccoli salad ever:

  1. Chop chop chop! Chop the broccoli into small, bite-sized florets, mince the onion and cooked bacon.
  2. Mix up your homemade broccoli salad dressing in the bottom of a large bowl.
  3. Toss everything together until the salad is well dressed, and refrigerate for an hour. This last step is really important—if you’re super pressed for time, it is OK to skip it, but the salad really benefits from a little time in the fridge to let its sweet, savory, creamy flavors mingle and harmonize.
close up of homemade broccoli salad with creamy sweet dressing, crispy bacon, golden raisins and purple onion

What Pairs With Broccoli Salad?

From picnics in the park to backyard cookouts and everything in between, this broccoli salad recipe is one that we turn to anytime we’re invited to a summer party. It’s cold, crunchy, creamy and satisfying—plus, it’s a great way to sneak a green vegetable onto that chip-and-burger covered gingham table. Try pairing it with:

Watch and Learn

close up of homemade broccoli salad in a large bowl with salad tongs and a linen

Tools You’ll Need:

The Best Broccoli Salad Ever?

Did you love it? How’d it turn out?! We want to know! Snap a photo of your broccoli salad and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you feed it to. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!

Broccoli Salad

  • Serves: 8
  • Prep Time:  10 min
  • Cook Time:  15 min
  • Calories: 693

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs broccoli florets (8 cups)
  • 1 lb bacon, cooked and minced
  • 1/2 cup red onions, minced
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1 cup raisins (golden or brown)

Dressing

  • 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Method

  1. In a small bowl mix together mayonnaise, sugar, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and salt. Whisk until smooth.
  2. In a large bowl toss together broccoli florets along with bacon, red onions, sunflower seeds, raisins and prepared dressing. Can be served immediately, but is best when chilled for at least an hour.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories693
  • Protein14 g
  • Carbohydrates35 g
  • Total Fat57 g
  • Dietary Fiber6 g
  • Cholesterol52 mg
  • sodium891 mg
  • Total Sugars24 g

Broccoli Salad

Questions & Reviews

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  • Deb

    I made it exactly and loved it. I had some dressing left over as well as some broccoli and remade the salad with exception of the bacon. Instead I added a tart juicy apple diced and really liked it. I’ll serve it this way when my vegetarian family comes to town.

    I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes. I’m adding more broccoli to my diet because it’s supposed to be a food that adds oxygen to your blood!

    Thanks Deb, we are so happy you loved it! You should check out our broccolini recipe if you want to add more broccoli to your diet, super simple and super yummy!

  • Marie

    Can you use honey roasted sunflower seeds?

    We haven't tried it might be fine!

  • Carole

    I add 1 cup of shredded sharp cheese to this exact recipe and it’s delicious!

    Nice, thanks for sharing Carole! We've never tried cheese in it.

  • Wendy

    Could white onions be substituted for red onions? Is the only difference the color?

    Wendy

    Red usually has a sharper flavor but white will work fine in a pinch, hope you enjoy!

  • meredith

    hi! Could greek yogurt be used in place of mayonnaise?

    Hi Meredith, we would not recommend that in this recipe.

  • Sally Groff

    I make broccoli salad a lot and everyone loves it 😋. I use craisins instead of raisins and instead of cider vinegar, I use bread and butter sweet pickle juice in the dressing.

    Sounds like yummy substitutions Sally!

  • Bernie

    I made this salad last week and it was delicious! I substituted Greek yogurt for half of the mayo and it was still delicious. I will make it again and will add shredded cheese.

    Thanks Bernie, we are so happy you liked it!

  • Patricia

    We love this recipe. The only change I made was using Swerve instead of sugar and omitted the raisins, my husband is diabetic

    Thanks Patricia, so happy to hear you both love it!

  • Lisa Daum

    delicious and easy

    Thanks Lisa!

  • susan

    Super yummy. Everyone asked for the recipe. Your page is very informative.

    Thanks Susan, we are so happy that everybody loved it!