A simple salad that includes the bacon pieces, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and fresh, crisp broccoli is called broccoli salad. Everything is combined with a very simple, creamy homemade dressing.
It is a wonderful addition to a holiday table and makes a great potluck dish because it is best made ahead of time (and everyone loves this recipe).
What Makes This the Best Broccoli Salad?
• Easy. Delicious. Simple. There's no need for expensive ingredients in the greatest broccoli salad recipe.
• It's really very simple to create!
• The three-ingredient dressing is incredibly easy to make, exceptionally creamy, and slightly tart. We adore that it contains very little sugar!
• Since its best prepared in advance, it's ideal for weekday lunches as well as potlucks and barbecues.
• We hardly ever have leftovers, but when we do, they keep for about five days! It is usually a success!
• This recipe is a great way to use up leftover vegetables that you may have on hand. Additions such as peppers, celery, cauliflower, and zucchini can be delicious!
Ingredients in Broccoli Salad
What make this dish special are the fresh broccoli florets. It's not necessary to cook the broccoli beforehand. Simply wash and thoroughly drain, making sure it dries with a salad spinner.
A salty, smoky flavor is added by crispy bacon. To keep things easy, I use actual bacon pieces in this recipe, but feel free to chop and crumble your own.
Included are:
• onions (red or green work well)
• dried cranberries (add raisins if you’d like)
• Sunflower seeds. Swap out the seeds for any kind of chopped nuts like almonds or pecans.
How to Make Broccoli Salad
• This salad is incredibly delicious and probably one of the simplest to put together, which is why it has become a favorite!
• Broccoli should be thoroughly cleaned and dried. You can chop the florets and stem into bite-sized pieces up to four days in advance. You can also top the salad with some broccoli slaw, if you'd like.
• In a small dish, whisk together the dressing ingredients and set away, following the method below.
• Toss the ingredients with the dressing in a sizable mixing bowl. Don't forget to give the recipe time to rest in the refrigerator. This allows some of the dressing to soak into the broccoli, making it even more delicious!
Broccoli Salad Dressing
• This creamy broccoli salad dressing is a favorite of ours, and it only takes three minutes to prepare.
• You can use mayonnaise (like Miracle Whip) in place of dressing.
• You can use any sugar substitute you like in this recipe.
• Try the creamy poppyseed dressing or the coleslaw dressing if you're searching for a readymade dressing.
• For a healthier version of this broccoli salad recipe, omit the bacon bits and replace half of the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt.
Tips for the Best Creamy Broccoli Salad
• Wash your broccoli ahead of time if possible, this helps to ensure it drains well.
• By doing this, the broccoli has an opportunity to absorb some of the dressing, making the salad even more tasty!
• Let the recipe cool in the refrigerator for a while. By doing this, the broccoli has an opportunity to absorb some of the dressing, making the salad even more tasty!
Make Ahead & Leftovers
When you're ready to serve, make the broccoli salad ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for at least an hour and up to 24 hours. Keep the dressing separate and toss a few hours before serving if you'd like to prepare ahead.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for about 4-5 days.
