Broccoli Salad with Tangy Dressing
Broccoli Salad is a delicious dish that is perfect for picnics and potlucks! This Broccoli Salad with Tangy Dressing is made with fresh broccoli, bacon, cranberries, sunflower seeds, cheddar cheese and a tangy homemade dressing. The dressing is what makes this salad irresistible! It is made with a tangy and sweet combination of mayo, Greek yogurt,vinegar, and sugar- a perfect pairing to go with the crunchy salad.
Summer Favorite
Broccoli salad is a picnic favorite that can be prepared in advance and stored until 24 hours in the fridge. This cool and creamy salad is always a hit at gatherings, and prep is perfect for those hot summer days. If you purchase precooked bacon, you don’t have to cook anything, so your kitchen stays cool! Broccoli salad is a favorite of our entire family, even my kids who can be picky about eating vegetables like this salad!
What is Broccoli Salad?
Broccoli salad is also sometimes called broccoli slaw, and it is a classic potluck side-dish that has been enjoyed for generations! There are several variations with different additions or slightly different takes on the dressing, but all include raw broccoli, bacon, cranberries sunflowerseeds, red onion, cheese and a mayo based homemade dressing. This salad is great for serving with any grilled food and is a no-fuss recipe that every one should have at their disposal.
Broccoli Salad Ingredients & Time Saving Shortcuts!
All you need to make broccoli salad is:
- A full pound of raw broccoli is the main ingredient here. For a shortcut, you can purchase a bag of precut broccoli florets. If you don’t mind cutting your own, you will need about 2 heads of broccoli.
- 5-6 Slices of pre-+cooked bacon that has been crumbled. I really like using ready-to-eat pre-cooked bacon in this salad. It saves me the messy step of frying up a few slices of bacon, and it is less greasy.
- Sunflower seeds – I prefer unsalted sunflower seeds!
- Shredded cheese- Sorry, no shortcuts here! I am a fan of shredding my own cheese, it only takes a minute or two, and the results are worthwhile!
- Chewy dried cranberries- You could sub raisins if you’d like, but the sweet-tart cranberries are delicious in this salad.
- A handful of chopped red onions round out this recipe.
- For the dressing, you are going to want to use your favorite brand of mayo.
- Greek Yogurt or sour cream- it’s up to you!
- Sugar
- Your choice of vinegar- apple cider, white wine vinegar, or champagne vinegar will all work well here.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
How do I make Broccoli Salad?
It’s the summer, and we want to keep it simple! This is one of my go-to recipes for a quick dinner side or dish to pass that will leave you feeling refreshed.
It’s a simple salad that can be thrown together in minutes, and it tastes great. The combination is unlike anything else on the summer table; with fresh broccoli, bacon, red onion, and cheddar cheese, this salad is different than most BBQ side dishes you will find. After trying this recipe, I guarantee you’ll find yourself making it again and again because who doesn’t love a dish that tastes good AND is super easy to prepare?!
Prep is easy, just…
- Wash: Wash and drain the broccoli. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Whisk: Whisk together the dressing ingredients.
- Toss: Stir together all ingredients into a large mixing bowl, and toss with dressing.
- Chill: Refrigerate this broccoli salad for about an hour. This gives all the flavors a chance to meld and marry, resulting in an even more flavorful salad!
Tips for Making the Best Broccoli Salad
Broccoli salad is easy to make and requires very little prep time, but I have a few little tips to help you make the best broccoli salad!
- Make sure the broccoli is dried well, so it doesn’t water down the salad dressing.
- Grating your own cheese is always worth the effort. Freshly grated cheese doesn’t contain added preservatives and anti-caking agents. Because you’re shredding as needed, it will have a fresher, creamier taste.
- I prefer apple cider in vinegar in the salad dressing, but you can use whichever vinegar you prefer. White wine vinegar and champagne vinegar will also work great in this recipe.
- Broccoli Salad can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
- This salad may be served immediately, but refrigerate for at least one hour before serving for the best flavor.
Broccoli Salad With Tangy Dressing
The perfect summer salad recipe is one that you can make ahead of time and serve to your guests, or just for yourself! This light, refreshing broccoli salad with a tangy dressing will be the hit at any party. The best part about this recipe? It's so easy to put together- the ingredients are minimal and there aren't many steps involved in making it happen. Give this flavorful dish a try if you're looking for something tasty but low effort.
Ingredients
- 5-6 cups broccoli florets 1 lb, this was about 2 ½ heads of broccoli for me (450g)
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese thicker grate, not finely shredded (115g)
- ⅔ cup dried cranberries (85g)
- ½ cup crumbled bacon (60g)
- ½ cup salted sunflower seeds (60g)
- ⅓ cup red onion, diced into small pieces (50g)
Broccoli Salad Dressing
- ¾ cup mayo (175g)
- ¼ plain Greek yogurt (70g)
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons sugar (40g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Combine broccoli florets, cheddar cheese, dried cranberries, bacon, sunflower seeds, and onion in a large bowl.
- In a separate, small bowl, whisk together mayo, greek yogurt, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper until smooth and well-combined.
- Pour the dressing over broccoli mixture and toss or stir well.
- Broccoli salad may be served immediately, but for best flavor refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
- Toss broccoli salad thoroughly again before serving.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1/2 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 341Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 863mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 13gSugar: 12gProtein: 15g
Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimates. Please see my Nutrition Disclaimer for more information.
Pairs well with Barbecues, Pool parties, and Sparklers
What’s your favorite dish to pass when attending picnics? Mine is definitely this Broccoli Salad with Tangy Dressing. The ingredients are easy to find at any grocery store, and they can be prepared in just 15 minutes, and everyone loves it! I hope you enjoy it too. If you make this summer classic let me know in the comments what you think!
