Easy Broccoli Salad Recipe

Totally rock their taste buds and rule vegetable salad recipes like a 5-star chef with this incredible broccoli salad! This isn’t one of those boring old broccoli salad recipes.

This little gem is bright and colorful and insanely delicious – not to mention there’s a truckload of nutrition in every bite. Once you try it, I just know it’s gonna’ be one of your favorite salad recipes of all time!

I hope you try some more of these vegetable warm-weather salads!: Amazing copycat  KFC coleslaw, pea salad, carrot salad, and picnic classic, grape salad.

Let’s make this salad!

What I Love About This Recipe

• Bright and zesty
• Makes a wonderful side dish all year round
• Not only is this salad refreshing and delicious, but it’s also really versatile.

How To Make Broccoli Salad Recipe

1. Combine all the dressing ingredients.
2. Whisk until smooth and creamy.
3. In a large salad bowl, toss all the salad ingredients.
4. Pour half of the dressing.
5. Toss and refrigerate.
6. Adjust seasoning and add more dressing. Serve.

***See the full instructions below.

Broccoli Salad Recipe + Ingredient Notes

For best results, make your salad a few hours ahead of time omitting the bacon and pecans. The little broccoli florets and other ingredients will soar to new heights as they absorb the flavor of the bright zesty dressing.

Toss in the bacon and pecans just before serving so they stay crunchy adding even more texture to your veggie salad.

• Broccoli –For me, one, of the most important factors in making this salad so delicious, is that the broccoli is cut into slender, small pieces. I generally leave a bit of the stem on, probably about 1/2 an inch. This is totally optional and the stems can be removed.
• Fresh Fruits – This recipe is equally delicious with either sliced seedless grapes or chopped apples. I actually think the salad is prettier and made with red grapes. The color pops nicely against all the green broccoli and I have to say I prefer the taste of my broccoli salad with grapes a bit more than with apples.
• Dried Fruit – I’m on a crazy kick for dates right now. I can’t seem to get enough of these little gems! Super sweet and chewy with a unique flavor all their own. I often use dried cranberries in this salad. They add a nice sweet-tart little bite. Raisins are also nice.
• Nuts – I generally add pecans to this salad. I like the rich buttery taste and the kinda soft crunch. Any type of nut would be delish in this salad. I also like sliced almonds, walnuts, or pine nuts. Sunflower seed is a nice alternative as well.
• Bacon and Cheese – What can I say……. broccoli salad with bacon is totally natural. This is really all kinds of flavors yum. I used fresh mozzarella in this salad, but regular mozzarella, cheddar, feta, or even bleu would be nice choices. Each of those cheeses would add a little different personality and flavor to this salad, so switch it up however you like.
• Orange Zest – When zesting the orange for your broccoli salad dressing, go gentle. A heavy hand will remove the bitter pith and you don’t want that in your dressing. A micro planer works best for this recipe.
• Don’t skip the Dijon either. It’s a great emulsifier to hold your bright spring vinaigrette together. It also helps to cook the bacon a little crispy.
• Healthy option – To increase the healthy aspects of this salad you can switch out the regular bacon for turkey bacon and use low-fat mayo instead of the full-fat. version. Another change I will occasionally make is to switch out the pecans for either pine nuts or almonds, to increase the protein content of the salad.

Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead

• How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Keep your salad in a covered container in the fridge. As per FDA recommendations, it should be kept at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit and you’ll want to reserve the 2-hour serving rule. It will last for 3-4 days.
• Can You Freeze This? Unfortunately, this salad doesn’t freeze well but it comes together so quickly there’s almost no need.
• Make-Ahead Tips: This salad will taste best when made 2-4 hours ahead of serving time. I like to add half the orange vinaigrette before the salad goes into the fridge and reserve the other half for just before serving time.
  • You may have some left after freshening your salad and I use it for those who like a little extra.
• Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.

Serving Recommendations

I love to serve this salad alongside my barbecued smoked ribs, grilled chicken made with my delicious grilled chicken marinade, or grilled flank steak.  Add some Bisquick biscuits or a chunk of Southern cornbread.

End your meal with my chocolate delight, butterscotch delight, or pineapple delight to top off a delightful meal!!

More Yummy Salads

• Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
• Cucumber Tomato Salad
• Pasta Salad With Italian Dressing
• Watergate Salad
• Frog Eye Salad
• Mexican Corn Salad
  
• Quinoa Salad

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Broccoli Salad

This bright tangy broccoli salad combines the best flavors and textures in a sweet zesty homemade vinaigrette for a crave-worthy salad sure to please.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Servings: 6 people

Author: Kathleen

Ingredients

Salad:

• ▢ 4 cups broccoli florets cut into bite-sized pieces
• ▢ 2 cups red seedless grapes cut in half
• ▢ 3/4 cup pecans roughly chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup red onion chopped
• ▢ 12 ounces bacon cooked and chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup cheddar or Mozzarella cut into small cubes
• ▢ 1/2 cup dried cranberries or dates

Dressing:

• ▢ 1 cup mayonnaise
• ▢ 1/2 cup orange juice
• ▢ 1/4 Cup sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• ▢ 1/4--1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, orange juice, sugar, apple cider vinegar, orange zest, Dijon, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy.
• In a large salad bowl, toss together the broccoli, grapes, pecans, red onions, bacon, cheese, and dates. Toss the salad with half the dressing. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. Adjust seasoning, adding more salt and pepper and dressing as needed. Serve

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Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of the recipe | Calories: 723kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 63g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 800mg | Potassium: 535mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 592IU | Vitamin C: 70mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 1mg

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