15-Minute Broccoli Salad

This easy Broccoli Salad is quick, fresh, and so delicious! It makes the perfect side dish for any BBQ or potluck – and the tangy, creamy dressing is heavenly!

Here are a few more family-favorite salads we think you’ll love: Potato Salad, Caprese Pasta Salad, and Asian Chicken Salad.

Best Broccoli Salad Recipe

This salad is definitely one of my favorite side dishes to bring to a potluck or BBQ. Not only do the flavors taste amazing, but it’s also so easy to make and can be ready in under 15 minutes!

I’ve seen quite a few variations to salad, and I honestly don’t think I’ve ever tried one I didn’t like! I have a friend who makes my favorite version with fresh broccoli, grapes, sunflower seeds and bacon… everything is better with bacon, right?

With her permission, I am sharing this tasty salad recipe. If you’ve never tried this dish before, you are in for a delicious treat!

How To Make Broccoli Bacon Salad

INGREDIENTS –

• fresh broccoli florets
• red onion, chopped
• red grapes, halved
• cooked bacon
• sunflower seeds
• white wine vinegar
• sugar
• mayonnaise

DIRECTIONS –

Prep The Veggies – Wash and cut a fresh head of broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Chop the onions and slice the grapes in half and then add everything into a large bowl.

Dressing – In a separate small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar together until combined. Then pour the dressing over the other ingredients and toss to coat.

Refrigerate – Allow the broccoli salad to cool in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

Add Toppings – Add the bacon crumbles and sunflower seeds right before you serve the salad and then give it a good toss to mix evenly.

Alternative Ingredients

Mix up this classic broccoli salad recipe with any of the following substitutions:

Other Fruit You Can Use – If you’re not a fan of grapes, you can substitute them for either dried cranberries or raisins.

Go Nuts – You can also swap the sunflower seeds with your favorite nut. Some of my favorite nuts to use are either cashews or almonds but any kind will be delicious!

Get Cheesy – My husband loves all types of cheese, so sometimes I’ll add small cubes or shredded cheese depending on what I have in the fridge.

Healthy Alternative – You could use plain Greek yogurt instead of the mayo, but this will adjust the flavor.

Can I Make Broccoli Salad Ahead Of Time – Yes, you can make this salad ahead of time but I wouldn’t recommend doing it more than 24 hours in advance. Just be sure to add the bacon and nuts right before serving or they will get a little soggy.

If you prep this more than a day in advance, I would keep all of the ingredients separated until you’re ready to serve, otherwise the grapes and dressing will soften the broccoli and ruin the texture.

More Tasty Recipes With Broccoli

• Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry
• Broccoli & Chicken Pasta
• Broccoli and Grape Pasta Salad
• Chicken & Broccoli Tortellini Soup
• Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole

HERE’S A PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE –

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Broccoli Salad Recipe

Servings: 8 people

This easy Broccoli Salad is quick, fresh, and so delicious! It makes the perfect side dish for any BBQ or potluck – and the tangy, creamy dressing is heavenly!

Prep Time:10 minutes mins

Total Time:10 minutes mins

Ingredients

For the salad-

• 1 head fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 cup red grapes, halved*
• 10 slices of cooked bacon* *
• 1 cup sunflower seeds***

For the dressing-

• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 cup mayonnaise

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, combine the broccoli, onion and grapes.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar and mayonnaise. Pour over broccoli mixture, and toss until well mixed.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Before serving, toss salad with crumbled bacon and sunflower seeds.

Notes

* You can substitute 1/2 cup of raisins or dried cranberries for grapes if that is more your thing!

** I buy the bacon that is already cooked, but you can make your own- just let it cool before you add it to this salad.

*** Use your favorite nut instead of sunflower seeds. Cashews are one of my favorite additions to this salad!

Nutrition

Calories: 335 kcal

Other Notes

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: 30 minutes or less, bbq, summer, vegetables

ENJOY!!!