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ByLana Stuart Published: Last Updated:
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5 from 11 votes
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This vintage Broccoli Salad recipe is total comfort food and the perfect side dish for any summer party. You’ll combine fresh, lightly blanched broccoli with crispy bacon, roasted sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries in a tangy mayo dressing for an easy recipe that your family and friends will ask for again and again.
I’ve always enjoyed a good vegetable salad. I like the ones with no lettuce and no tomatoes best. I think it’s because they’re so different from a regular old tossed green salad.
Yes, give me a bowl full of veggies, maybe a little bacon, and some sort of sweet-tangy dressing and I’m happy. I’ll take something just like this Broccoli Salad recipe. It rates right up there with deviled eggs, bbq beans, potato salad, and broccoli casserole as a side for any spring or summer dinner.
This is one of those old recipes that my friends and I made way back in the 1980s and 90s. I’ve noticed that it’s enjoying a bit of a revival and have seen it pop up on several sites as though it was something brand spanking new. That always makes me chuckle.
Give this a try and I guaranteed your family and friends will be asking for the recipe!
❤️ Why We Love This Recipe
- It’s a tried, tested, and proven winner!
- There are lovely contrasts between the tangy dressing, salty bacon, and sweet cranberries.
- You can make it ahead.
- Loads of ways to substitute ingredients.
🛒 Ingredients You’ll Need
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- Fresh broccoli (you can use whole heads of broccoli or purchase the packages of fresh broccoli florets to make your life easier; you’ll need 10 to 12 ounces of florets)
- Red onion (I prefer red onion for this recipe, but use whatever you have on hand, just be sure to finely dice it)
- Mayonnaise (or substitute a good quality plain Greek yogurt if you don’t like mayo)
- Dried cranberries (the perfect sweet complement to the vinegar, bacon, and sunflower seeds in this recipe; of course you could substitute raisins if you like)
- Bacon (either fry up a few pieces of bacon, use the pre-cooked bacon available in the grocery store, or use the real bacon pieces (not bits!) available in the salad dressing section)
- Cheddar cheese (use either sharp or extra sharp and be sure to grate it yourself)
- Sunflower seeds (you’ll want the salted, roasted kernels)
- Sugar (plain, white granulated type)
- Vinegar (use white or cider vinegar)
- Salt
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
🥄 How to Make Broccoli Salad
Blanch the Broccoli
👉 PRO TIP: You’ll find lots of broccoli salad recipes that use raw broccoli florets, but I think this recipe is much better if you take just a little time to blanch the florets. Blanching keeps the broccoli firm but the taste will be a little less “raw” and it also sets the pretty green color. This is an optional step, but I think it’s really worth doing.
- To blanch the florets, bring a large pan of water to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and cook for 1 minute. Immediately pour the broccoli into a colander. Add a little ice (about 2 cupsful) and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Allow the broccoli to drain very well. Spread it out on paper towels or set it in a colander. You want the broccoli as dry as possible.
Make the Dressing
- In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sugar, salt, and vinegar. Whisk together until the sugar has dissolved.
Combine Dressing with Other Ingredients
- Add the onion, cranberries, sunflower kernels, broccoli, cheese, and bacon. Toss gently, taking care not to break up the broccoli, until everything is well mixed and coated with the dressing.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour for the flavors to combine.
❗ Recipe Success Tips
- Save time by purchasing ready to cook broccoli florets rather than whole heads of broccoli.
- Blanching the broccoli is totally optional, but I do recommend it. I like my broccoli just that wee bit cooked and without so much of the raw taste. However, it’s perfectly fine to skip that step and just toss in the raw florets.
- For best results, be sure to make the salad ahead of time so that the flavors have a chance to mellow. Refrigerate it for at least one hour and up to eight hours.
- Store the leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
- Be sure to grate the cheese yourself. Don’t buy the pre-grated cheese for this recipe.
- To save time, use the real bacon pieces (not bits!) available in the salad dressing section at your grocery store.
- If the red onion seems too strong, rinse it briefly under cool water and let it dry before adding to the salad.
🔀 Substitutions
- Instead of mayonnaise, substitute a good quality plain Greek yogurt.
- Raisins make a great substitute for dried cranberries.
- You can use roasted, salted peanuts, pecans, walnuts, pepitas, pine nuts, or pistachios instead of the sunflower kernels. Almost any roasted salted nut will work fine.
- Use a sugar substitute such as Splenda.
- Use cider vinegar instead of white vinegar.
❓ Questions About Broccoli Salad
How much broccoli salad should I plan to serve per person?
Broccoli salad multiplies really well to feed a crowd. The recipe using 12 ounces of florets makes 6 servings, so plan on 2 ounces of raw broccoli florets per person and multiply the other ingredients accordingly.
What goes well with broccoli salad?
I love to serve broccoli salad with turkey burgers, grilled chicken, grilled pork chops, and my citrus marinated ribeye steaks!
How long does broccoli salad last in the fridge?
You can keep broccoli salad in a tightly sealed container in your refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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My Favorite Greek Salad
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- Southern Tomato Cracker Salad
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Questions? I’m happy to help!
If you have more questions about the recipe, or if you’ve made it and would like to leave a comment, scroll down to leave your thoughts, questions, and/or rating!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
📖 Recipe
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Broccoli Salad
This Vintage Broccoli Salad is pure comfort food and the perfect side dish for any summer party. Guests always ask for the recipe!
5 from 11 votes
Print It Rate It Save
Course: Salads
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 minute minute
Total Time: 11 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 635kcal
Author: Lana Stuart
Ingredients
- 12 ounces broccoli florets (or 2 to 3 whole heads)
- ¾ cup mayonnaise or substitute plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 ½ tablespoons vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup red onion finely diced (about 1/2 a medium onion)
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup cooked, crumbled bacon (about 8 ounces of bacon, or use "Real Bacon" pieces)
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup roasted, salted sunflower kernels
Instructions
(Optional but recommended step) Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and cook for 1 minute. Immediately drain the broccoli in a colander with ice and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Allow the broccoli to drain very well. Spread on paper towels or set it in a colander. You want the broccoli as dry as possible.
In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar. Whisk together until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the onion, cranberries, sunflower kernels, broccoli, and bacon. Toss gently, taking care not to break up the broccoli, until well mixed and coated with the dressing.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour for flavors to combine.
Notes
- Save time by purchasing ready to cook broccoli florets rather than whole heads of broccoli.
- For best results, be sure to make the salad ahead of time so that the flavors have a chance to mellow. Refrigerate it for at least one hour and up to eight hours.
- Store the leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information
Serving 1 | Calories 635kcal | Carbohydrates 28g | Protein 8g | Fat 56g | Saturated Fat 21g | Trans Fat 1g | Cholesterol 62mg | Sodium 847mg | Potassium 262mg | Fiber 3g | Sugar 19g | Vitamin A 562IU | Vitamin C 51mg | Calcium 175mg | Iron 1mg
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
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— This post was originally published on May 23, 2014. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
Lana Stuart
Lana Stuart is the cook, writer, and founder of Lana’s Cooking. Lana has been cooking since she was tall enough to reach the stove and started this blog in 2009 to share her delicious home cooking recipes. You'll find about 700 recipes here so there's sure to be something your family will like!
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