Crunchy broccoli salad with bacon is always a favorite side dish. Broccoli, red onion, crispy bacon, and a tangy dressing make this a crowd pleaser!
I’m so excited to share this recipe today. This crunchy broccoli salad with bacon is my very favorite salad to make in the summer.  With fresh green broccoli florets, chopped red onion, and red craisins, it is a really pretty salad to serve at a party.
The combination of salty bacon, crunchy broccoli, craisins, and a sweet dressing make this salad irresistible.
This recipe was given to me by two people at my wedding shower, and I have never met anyone who didn’t like it.
It’s an easy salad to make the night before you want to serve it Just cut up all the veggies, then add the craisins, seeds, and bacon to the bowl and refrigerate overnight. I recommend making the dressing and keeping it separate, then mixing it in right before you are ready to serve this salad.
This was one of my mom’s favorite salads, and she preferred to keep the bacon to the side and then crumble the bacon on top just before serving. If you would like the bacon to stay really crisp, then that’s the way to do it.
Ingredient Notes
- Broccoli – You can do some of the prep work ahead of time for this broccoli salad. Feel free to chop your broccoli the night before. I like to chop it up so that it’s quite small – bite sized pieces work well.
- Red Onion – Some people find red onion to be a very strong flavor, so I recommend chopping the red onion into very small pieces. If it’s too strong for you, you can use a sweet onion instead.
- Bacon – Salty bacon adds a nice contrast to this salad. If you are vegan, you can make this salad – it’s just delicious even without the bacon. Or you could go ahead and add some homemade vegan bacon bits.
- Dried Cranberries – I love dried cranberries, or “craisins” in this salad. You could also use dried cherries or raisins if you prefer.
- Dressing – The dressing for this salad couldn’t be easier to make. It’s simply mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, and sugar. I use egg free mayonnaise from Earth Balance, but feel free to use your favorite brand. The sweet dressing becomes a little more flavorful if you mix it in advance, but if you don’t have time, it’s okay to mix it just before serving.
Step by Step Instructions
- Chop the broccoli florets and place in a bowl.
- Add the bacon, red onion, craisins, and sunflower seeds to the bowl.
- Mix up the dressing and pour it over the salad ingredients.
- Mix the salad so that everything is covered in the dressing. Enjoy!
Storage
Store leftover salad in the refrigerator. It should stay fresh for about 3 days.
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Recipe
Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Bacon.
Ingredients
- 3 broccoli crowns chopped into small pieces, for about 5 cups broccoli florets
- ½ cup red onion chopped fine
- 8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- â…” cup craisins or dried cherries
- ½ cup sunflower seeds optional
For the dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise We use Earth Balance vegan mayo
- 3 Tablespoons organic cane sugar
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Place the chopped broccoli, chopped red onion, crumbled bacon, craisins, and sunflower seeds into a large bowl.Â
- Mix the salad dressing in a jar and stir well. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix together.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve. This salad will keep for three days in the refrigerator.Â
Notes
Nutrition
Julia Mueller
I’m a HUGE fan of broccoli salad, especially when it comes with bacon. This salad looks amazing, doll!
Kelly Roenicke
Thank you, Julia!
Katie
Very delicious and flavorful salad!
Roger
Hands down my favorite salad!
Camilla
This is one amazing salad! Absolutely delicious
Kelly
Thanks, Camilla! :)
Meeling
That looks and sounds delicious Kelly!
Faith
That looks super yummy!
Shannon
Looks Delicious!!
http://shannonhearts.blogspot.com/
megan lane
Glad to know about this brand of bacon. I want to start being more conscious of the meat I buy.
Sarah B.
I love salads and this one looks delicious!! Thanks for sharing :)