This colorful broccoli salad with bacon is so darn scrumptious! It’s a healthy summer salad that’s quick and simple to make. Even members of you family who may not be crazy about veggies are going to love this recipe. They may even be tempted to lick the plate when they’re done!
Ingredients for Broccoli Salad with Bacon
How do you make a scrumptious healthy broccoli salad at home? These are all the ingredients you’ll need to make this quick and easy broccoli salad: two heads of broccoli, red onion, a small block of cheddar cheese, cooked and crumbled crispy bacon, sunflower seeds, and grape tomatoes.
Broccoli Salad Dressing Ingredients
Broccoli salad dressing is made with just three simple ingredients: mayonnaise, granulated sugar, and organic apple cider vinegar.
How to Make Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Cheese
This broccoli salad recipe is quick and easy to prepare. Begin by frying the thick-sliced bacon until it’s nice and crispy. Rinse and dry all of the veggies. It’s very important to fully dry the broccoli with paper towels or a clean dish towel so that droplets of water aren’t left behind to thin out the salad dressing.
Healthy Broccoli Salad
Chop the stems off the heads of broccoli leaving only the florets. Cut them into bite-size pieces. Crumble the bacon or cut it into pieces. Chop the red onion, and slice the grape tomatoes in half. Cube the cheddar cheese. Measure out the sunflower seeds. You are now ready to assemble your broccoli salad! Put all of these ingredients into a large bowl and toss them together.
Broccoli Salad Dressing
Add the mayonnaise, vinegar, and granulated sugar to a medium bowl. Whisk the ingredients together until fully combined. Pour only two-thirds of the dressing over the salad, leaving the remainder for family and guests to pour on more, if desired. When I make my salad in advance, I transfer the dressing to a cruet and refrigerate it. I wait to pour on the dressing until just before serving time. This helps keep the pieces of bacon nice and crisp instead of limp and moist! Sprinkle a few more sunflower seeds over the top of the salad as a garnish.
Creamy Broccoli Salad
This healthy, creamy broccoli salad recipe makes an excellent side dish or main dish. It’s also a fabulous summer salad for potlucks, picnics, BBQs and large family gatherings. For outdoor venues, fill a deep chafing tray with ice and then place your salad bowl on top. Place additional pieces of ice around the sides of the bowl. This will keep your salad nice and cool! If you’re salad dressing is stored in a separate cruet, be sure to keep that cool as well.
Recommended Kitchen Tools for Broccoli Salad Recipe
Broccoli Salad with Bacon
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 Servings 1x
Description
This healthy broccoli salad with bacon is a beautiful way to enjoy your veggies! This colorful salad is hearty, satisfying and so delicious. It’s perfect any time of year, and can be served either as a side dish or as the main course.
Ingredients
BROCCOLI SALAD
- 2 large heads of broccoli, rinsed and dried off
- 8–10 pieces thick-sliced center-cut bacon, fried until cooked and crispy
- 1/3 cup chopped red onion
- 1 cup cubed cheddar cheese
- 10.5 ounces grape tomatoes (about 1–1/4 cups), sliced in half
- 1/3 cup sunflower seeds (plus more for garnishing)
BROCCOLI SALAD DRESSING
- 1 + 1/2 cups mayonnaise, refrigerated and cold
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup + 1/2 tablespoon organic apple cider vinegar
Instructions
BROCCOLI SALAD WITH BACON
- Cut the trunks off the broccoli. Slice off the stems very close to the crown. (Throw away or compost the trunks and stems.) The heads of broccoli will now easily separate into large florets. Slice the florets into bite-size pieces.
- Chop or crumble the slices of cooked crispy bacon.
- In a large bowl, add the broccoli, bacon pieces, chopped red onion, cubes of cheddar cheese, grape tomatoes and sunflower seeds. Toss these ingredients together until mixed.
- Prepare the salad dressing: in a small/medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, and apple cider vinegar. (If prepping in advance, transfer the salad dressing to a cruet and refrigerate until needed.)
- Pour 3/4 of the salad dressing over the broccoli salad. Mix well. Garnish with additional sunflower seeds. Save the remainder of the dressing for family and guests to add to their salads, as desired. This will help keep the bacon crisp.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Potluck, Picnic, Party
- Method: By hand
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: broccoli salad, broccoli salad with bacon, cold broccoli salad
BROCCOLI SALAD RECIPE > PIN IT TO PINTEREST
Save this healthy recipe for later. Pin it to Pinterest! Be sure to leave a comment on the pin so others will know it’s super yummy!
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ITALIAN PASTA SALAD
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BROCCOLI SALAD WITH BACON > JOIN THE CONVERSATION!
Do you love making or eating yummy healthy salads during warm-weather months? What do you think about this broccoli salad recipe? I invite you to join the conversation by leaving a comment below. I’d love to hear from you! For more delicious salad recipes follow me on Pinterest >> </em Pinterest
I make broccoli often. I add 1/2 cup grapes sliced in half to my recipe instead of using tomatoes. I think the tomatoes will be a bright, colorful, healthy addition and love the colors of your salad. I’ve always used grated cheese but your chunks make a more colorful plate and would add more bite to the salad. Thanks for sharing!
Oh my gosh, this salad looks amazing! I’ve been trying to eat healthier lately since I’ve been implementing a new workout program, so I’ll definitely have to try this!
It will not disappoint . lol. Thanks for stopping by.
This salad looks awesome I already pinned it from another board the other day! Can’t wait to try it
You will love it.
This looks so delicious! Love how colorful it is too – it makes eating healthy a little more fun!
-Jennifer
★★★★★
It is really fun to make.
Bacon and healthy? Get out of town! With all of that color you know you’re doing the right thing!
lol. Thank you.
That salad is so pretty–love the array of colors! And I bet it’s yummy, too! Broccoli isn’t my favorite, but if you add cheese and bacon, anything is delicious! ;)
That is so true. lol.
The flavors, colors and textures in this salad look and sound incredible! And of course bacon makes everything better! :) Trying this soon, thanks so much for this delicious summer salad recipe!
★★★★★
I hope you enjoy it.
What a delicious Salad idea, I love healthy salads.. Trying this tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★★
You are so welcome. Thanks for stopping by.