Classic Broccoli Salad | Downshiftology (2024)

This classic broccoli salad will delight you time and again! Just toss broccoli, bacon, red onion, cranberries, sunflower seeds, and goat cheese with a creamy mayonnaise yogurt dressing for the best year-round salad.

If ever there was a salad recipe that consistently knocked my socks off, it’s this one – a broccoli salad. It’s super easy to make, but don’t let easy fool you, because this salad is loaded with flavor. It’s simultaneously crispy, creamy, sweet, and savory. And did I mention bacon is involved?

When it comes to salad recipes most of us gravitate towards leafy greens. But if you’re looking for a little salad shakeup and want something that’s perfect for potlucks, picnics, and barbecues (because yes, this salad is durable), give broccoli salad a whirl.

Broccoli Salad Ingredients

The great thing about this salad is how easy it is to customize. So feel free to tweak the ingredients your personal preference. Here’s what’s in mine:

• Broccoli: raw broccoli florets form the bulk of the salad. Make sure to chop them into bite-sized pieces.
• Red Onion: I love diced red onion, but you could also use sliced green onion.
• Bacon: crispy bacon adds protein to the salad and that unmistakable savory flavor. Want another broccoli salad with protein? Try my broccoli tuna salad.
• Dried Cranberries: I use unsweetened dried cranberries, but you could also use raisins or dried cherries.
• Sunflower Seeds: for a little crunch, I love sunflower seeds. But feel free to use slivered almonds or your favorite seeds or nuts.
• Goat Cheese: just a sprinkle adds amazing creaminess. But crumbled feta or grated cheddar cheese works too.

Helpful tip: You can easily make this salad dairy-free! Just omit the goat cheese or use dairy-free cheese and swap in dairy-free yogurt in the dressing. It’ll still be delicious!

Broccoli Salad Dressing

The typical dressing for a broccoli salad is a creamy, mayonnaise-based dressing. I don’t add any extra sugar to my dressing, but I do “up” the creaminess by adding a little homemadeyogurt to the dressing. It adds just the right sweetness and tang!

Find the printable recipe with measurements below

How to Make Broccoli Salad

The only thing that requires cooking in this salad is the bacon. The rest comes together easy! Here’s how you make it:

• Cook the bacon in the oven (it’s way easier) and when that’s done, blot it dry with a paper towel.
• While the bacon is cooking, slice the florets off a large head of broccoli and add them to a mixing bowl.
• Dice up some red onion and add that to the bowl along with the sunflower seeds, dried cranberries and goat cheese.
• Once the bacon is cooked and cooled, crumble the bacon in the bowl and mix it all together.
• In a separate small bowl make the dressing by stirring together the mayonnaise and yogurt. Then add that to the salad and stir everything together for the most delicious, flavorful, highly addictive, healthy broccoli salad recipe.

Broccoli Salad Recipe Video

While this is an easy recipe to make, it always helps to watch a quick tutorial video. Give it a watch below!

More Healthy Salad Recipes You’ll Love

Want more easy, healthy salad recipes? Check out some of these classics – they’re favorites for a reason!

• Chicken Salad
• Tuna Salad
• Waldorf Salad
• Cobb Salad
• Greek Salad
• Caprese Salad

This is the ideal salad for weeknights and dinner parties. Trust me, it’ll get devoured quickly! Once you make it, let me know your thoughts on it in the comment box below.

Recipe originally posted June 2018, but updated to include new information.