Broccoli Crunch Salad

Broccoli Crunch Salad is an easy recipe to bring to a potluck or serve at a cookout.

this Recipe!

Need a vegetable side dish to go alongside all those grilled meats or picnic sandwiches this season? This broccoli crunch salad has raw broccoli tossed in a creamy slaw sauce topped with crunchy bacon, sweet dried cranberries, red onion and any nut of your choice. It's pretty much a slaw with broccoli instead of cabbage, but the broccoli makes it so much better.

What's in Broccoli Crunch Salad?

• Broccoli florets: The star of the show and should not be substituted! I like to chop the florets pretty small into bite size pieces.
• Cheddar cheese: This can be substituted for other cheeses if you prefer, but I like the sharp contrast of flavor with the sweet slaw dressing.
• Red onion: Sliced thin, red onion gives a nice zingy bite to the salad. You'd definitely feel like something was missing if you left it out. *Soak the red onion for about 15 minutes before tossing it into the salad to get rid of some of that potency!*
• DrIed cranberries: An essential ingredient in my opinion that provides a chewy, sweet bite.
• Bacon: This is a must and adds the crunchy, savory element to the broccoli crunch salad.
• Toasted nuts: This is optional if you are worried about an allergy, but added a nice crunchy bite to the salad.
• Slaw dressing: You can use store bought slaw dressing if you're short on time (or energy), but I provide a homemade version below.

How do you make it?

Toss all of the salad ingredients in a bowl. Stir together your dressing ingredients: mayo, apple cider vinegar, sugar, lemon, and salt and pepper. Then mix everything together in a big bowl. Serve right away, or keep refrigerated for 1-2 days.

You can switch out the pecans for sesame seeds if you like too! Both versions are delicious.

Another great thing about this recipe is it gets better when it sits for awhile. The broccoli absorbs the dressing, and all the flavors melt together. Feel free to make this hours even a day in advance.

If you love this Broccoli Crunch Salad recipe, I would love to know! You can rate this recipe and leave a comment, and tag a photo on Instagram @hungrywaitress! Here's the recipe:

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Broccoli Crunch Salad

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4.7 from 3 reviews

• Author: The Hungry Waitress
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x

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Description

Broccoli Crunch Salad is the best for a picnic side, barbecue side, or grill out side dish. The simple salad is basically a Cole slaw with bacon, cheese, and yummy pecans.

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Ingredients

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Dressing:

• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup mayo
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Broccoli Salad

• 9 cups broccoli, chopped
• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• 1 cup bacon, cooked and chopped
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped

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Instructions

1. In a medium bowl mix together the dressing ingregients (mayo, apple cider vinegar, sugar, lemon, salt, and pepper).
2. In a large bowl, toss together the broccoli, cheddar cheese, bacon, red onion, dried cranberries, and pecans.
3. Pour the dressing into the broccoli combination and toss until everything is coated.
4. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Equipment

Mixing Bowls

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Notes

You can make this the night before, but leave out the pecans and bacon to toss in right before serving (otherwise they will loose their crunch).

This salad will last in the fridge for about two days.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Category: Side
• Method: One Pot
• Cuisine: American

Looking for more salad ideas? Check these out: