Creamy Broccoli Salad

Creamy Broccoli Salad combines fresh broccoli florets, crispy bacon, dried cranberries, and toasted almonds with a smooth and tangy dressing. A great side dish for a variety of meals, perfect for potlucks, or even having on hand for easy lunches during the week.

What You’ll Love About Creamy Broccoli Salad:

I’m finally getting around to sharing this Creamy Broccoli Salad recipe, which I made for our family Christmas dinner as a simple side dish. Everyone raved about it and there were literally scraps left in the bowl.

This salad has fantastic texture and taste. The fresh broccoli, crisp bacon, and toasted almonds give it a wonderful crunch, while the dressing is smooth and tangy with a touch of sweetness. Salads like this make me do a party dance!

The beauty of this dish is that it can be adapted to your preferences or dietary needs! Throw in additional veggies like peas and carrots, or swap out the yogurt and mayo for your favorite dairy free base.

Broccoli salad makes a great side or potluck dish. It holds up so well it even gave me 3 days worth of easy lunches. Yum!

Not quite as light and fresh as this broccoli salad, but my Creamy and Cheesy Broccoli Casserole will win over any broccoli hater and become a comfort food staple.

Simple Ingredients:

• Broccoli– You’ll want to use fresh broccoli for this recipe for the best texture and flavor.
• Bacon– Make sure to cook bacon super crispy.
• Cranberries– I use low-sugar dried cranberries.
• Almonds– Toasted slivered almonds give this salad a wonderful nutty taste and crunch.
• Red onion– Offers a subtle onion bite.
• Dressing– Mayo, plain Greek yogurt (not fat free) Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, pure maple syrup, salt and pepper.

Additions and Substitutions:

How To Make Creamy Broccoli Salad:

See full instructions in recipe card below

Step One. Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.

Step Two. Add all the broccoli salad ingredients to a medium bowl– broccoli, bacon, cranberries, almonds, red onion. Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine. Serve right away or place in the refrigerator covered until ready to eat.

Tips:

Common Questions:

Other Recipes You Might Enjoy:

• Avocado Corn and Tomato Salad
• Tuscan Tuna Salad with Lemon Oil Dressing
• Bacon and Pea Pasta Salad
• Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
• Coleslaw Pasta Salad

Creamy Broccoli Salad

Creamy Broccoli Salad combines fresh broccoli florets, crispy bacon, dried cranberries, and toasted almonds, with a smooth and tangy dressing. A great side dish for a variety of meals, perfect for potlucks, or even having on hand for easy lunches during the week.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 186kcal

Equipment

• 1 large bowl
• 1 small bowl

Ingredients

Salad:

• 6 slices bacon, cooked crispy and chopped
• 8 cups fresh broccoli florets cut in bite size pieces
• 1/3 cup red onion, diced small
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, low-sugar
• 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup plain, 2% Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a small bowl use a whisk to combine 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup mayo, 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp pure maple syrup, 1 tsp Dijon, plus salt and pepper to taste. The dressing should be smooth.
• To a large bowl add 8 cups broccoli florets, 6 slices cooked chopped bacon, 1/3 cup diced red onion, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, and 1/2 cup slivered almonds.
• Pour all the dressing over the salad and use a large spoon to gently toss and make sure the broccoli is well coated with the dressing. Serve right away, or for best results allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30-minutes.

Notes

Tips:

 

• Cut broccoli in bite size pieces. You’ll want to make sure the broccoli florets are bite size for the best broccoli salad experience.
• Do not use imitation pancake syrup. It’s important here to use pure maple syrup for a subtle maple flavor sweetness.
• Add chicken for a complete meal. Add grilled chicken or use a rotisserie from the grocery store for a filling lunch or light dinner.
• Allow broccoli salad time to soak in the yummy dressing. For best results (but it will still be good it you don’t) allow the salad time to marinate with the dressing for at least 30-mintues before serving.

 

Additions and Substitutions:

 

• Additional veggies or swaps. If you don’t care for broccoli, cauliflower is a great substitute. You can also add other veggies in addition to the broccoli- thawed peas, shredded carrots, or bell peppers.
• Cheese– For a cheesy rich flavor add shredded sharp cheddar, or crumbled feta cheese.
• Nuts and seeds– Use toasted pecans or walnuts, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, or pepitas.
• Dressing swaps- For a dairy free option use unsweetened, coconut or soy yogurt. If you don’t care for Greek yogurt use sour cream instead.
• Sweetener- In place of the pure maple syrup, use honey, agave, or a sugar free substitute.

 

Common Questions: 

 

How long does broccoli salad last?

This creamy broccoli salad will last 4-5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. This makes it great for easy lunches during the week.

Can I cook the broccoli so it’s softer?

I would only recommend blanching the broccoli for 30-seconds in boiling water and immediately place in a bowl with water and ice to stop the cooking. This salad is best with crisp tender broccoli.

How far in advance can I make broccoli salad?

For the freshest taste this can be made up to one day in advance.

 

This salad will serve 8 people as a side dish.

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be understood as an estimate rather than a guarantee. The Menu Maid makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 151mg | Potassium: 408mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 555IU | Vitamin C: 79mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 1mg

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