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Broccoli Salad

Updated June 19, 2025 / By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

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.

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.
 

Need a great picnic food idea? 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? Looking at you, coleslaw and macaroni salad! —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 or slaw. For a non-creamy summer side, try our fresh and herby Avocado Salad

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

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:

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!

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Broccoli Salad Recipe

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

Description

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.

Video

Ingredients

Dressing

  • 1 ½ cups mayonnaise
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
  • 3 tablespoons unfiltered apple cider vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt

Broccoli Salad

  • 8 cups broccoli florets (about 1¼ pounds), cut into bite size pieces
  • 12 ounces bacon, cooked, chopped
  • ½ cup finely chopped red onions
  • ½ cup sunflower seeds
  • 1 cup raisins

Method

  1. Make the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar and salt, until smooth.

  2. Add the broccoli, bacon, onions, sunflower seeds and raisins to the same bowl. Toss until the broccoli is evenly coated with the dressing. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories 693
  • Protein 14 g
  • Carbohydrates 35 g
  • Total Fat 57 g
  • Dietary Fiber 6 g
  • Cholesterol 52 mg
  • Sodium 891 mg
  • Total Sugars 24 g

Broccoli Salad

Questions & Reviews

Rated 5 stars by 25 readers

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  • Nina

    Can you substitute Vegenaise or Avocado Oil mayo for the mayo?

    absolutely!

  • Cathy

    Can I mix the the dressing the day before and then add it to the broccoli the next day

    Absolutely!

  • geri

    can I use frozen brocilli

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

  • Rhonda

    You don't cook the broccoli before u add it too the salad

    Hi Rhonda, nope! This is a raw broccoli salad!

  • sue

    I would like to omit the nuts and substitute greek yogurt for mayo. how would this alter the calorie count?
    What are your thoughts on the substitution of mayo to greek yogurt?
    thank you for your time

    We would not substitute greek yogurt in this recipe. It is much tangier than mayo.

  • Stephanie

    No need to steam the broccoli beforehand?

    Nope! This is a raw broccoli salad. Hope you enjoy!

  • althea

    need a recipe for 10 people. How do I increase this recipe?

    This serves 8. You could just do 1.5 times the recipe. Hope you enjoy!

  • Emily

    Is there another vinegar i can use to substitute apple cider vinegar if i dont have that?

    Rice Wine vinegar or champagne vinegar would probably be your best options.

  • 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!

  • Jenny

    Classic, delicious, and so easy!! I think the most time-consuming part was cooking the bacon. Tailored to my taste with a smidge less mayo and sugar. Next time I would go lighter on raisins and a little heavier on onions. Thanks for a great recipe!

    Thanks Jenny, so glad you loved it!

  • Valerie

    This recipe is SO good! My favorite broccoli salad! Adding this recipe to my recipe book!

    Thanks Valerie, we are so glad you loved it!

  • Patricia

    Love this recipe thank you. Made it exactly as written and wouldn’t change a thing. However Debs idea of diced apples sound good.

    Thanks, so glad you loved it!

  • tanya

    It is amazing - you can make 2/3 of the dressing and it has a lighter feel as well.

    Thanks Tanya, we are so happy you loved it!

  • Sally

    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

    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!

  • Marie

    This is a very flexible recipe. I use white vinegar instead of cider. I make a huge quantity. I dress the broccoli and add the other ingredients at serving time if then. It is delicious and healthy with just the broccoli and dressing alone. I use dried cranberries instead of raisins and sometimes walnuts instead of the sunflower seeds.

    Thanks Marie, so glad you like it and that you have fun switching it up with what is on hand!