Easy old-fashioned Southern Broccoli Salad is a crowd favorite and always a hit at potlucks and cookouts. It’s irresistibly delicious with chopped fresh, crunchy broccoli, juicy cherry tomatoes, savory bacon, and Craisins.
Add extra-sharp cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, and roasted pecans, and top it with a homemade creamy dressing, and you have a tasty, easy recipe.
Like my Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad, this make-ahead classic broccoli salad recipe is a low-carb wonder and the vegetable side dish of your dreams.
One of my favorite side dishes, just like my Potato Broccoli Salad, this delicious broccoli salad will quickly become a dish your whole family will love.
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Reasons you will love this recipe:
- It’s an easy broccoli salad recipe. It’s also versatile, and you can tailor it to your family’s tastes or use ingredients you already have on hand.
- Like my Broccoli Cauliflower Salad, it’s the perfect make-ahead vegetable salad. It’s best if made up to 24 hours ahead to allow the flavors to come together.
- It travels well and can be served as a cold broccoli salad or at room temperature.
Salad ingredients and substitutions:
- Broccoli – fresh is best. When purchasing broccoli, look for heads with a dark green color and tightly closed florets. Broccoli is past its prime if the florets are opening or yellowing.
- Tomatoes – not only add a beautiful red pop of color but add their rich tomato deliciousness. I like to use cherry or grape tomatoes, but you can substitute chopped Roma tomatoes.
- Craisins – are sweetened dried cranberries that add their unique goodness. You can substitute raisins, dried cherries, or dried blueberries.
- Crisp Bacon – makes anything better, and this colorful broccoli salad is no exception.
- Cheddar cheese – adds a creamy element. I like to use extra-sharp cheddar for the tanginess, but you can also use mild or sharp cheddar. I also like to cut my cheese into small cubes, but you can substitute shredded cheese.
- Pecans – are what make this a southern broccoli salad. Classic broccoli salad usually calls for crunchy sunflower seeds, but I like roasted pecans with their buttery, nutty flavor because I always have them on hand. You could also substitute crunchy almonds.
- Mayonnaise – is the main ingredient in my tangy dressing. I prefer Dukes, but any good mayonnaise will work. You may substitute greek yogurt if you want to make the dressing without mayonnaise.
- Apple cider vinegar – adds the tang to this easy-to-make dressing. You can substitute red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, or champagne vinegar in a pinch. The dressing will taste a little different, but it will still be delicious.
- Sugar – adds just a bit of sweetness and balances out the apple cider vinegar. If you want to make a sugar-free dressing, Stevia or another sugar substitute may be used.
- Kosher salt & ground black pepper – just a pinch of each enhances the other flavors and brings them together into one cohesive dish.
Complete measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
How to make this fresh broccoli salad recipe:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Rinse, drain and let the broccoli dry. Cut off the stalks, save for another use or discard, and then cut the florets into small bite-size pieces.
- Place the bacon on a baking sheet with sides and cook it for 10 to 15 minutes or until it is crisp and golden brown. Remove the bacon and place it on a paper towel to drain. Crumble it or cut it into small pieces.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, or if they are large, cut them into quarters.
- Place the cut-up broccoli in a large bowl. Add the bacon, Craisins, cheese, cherry tomatoes, and pecans. Toss to combine. Set aside.
- Add the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar, a pinch of kosher salt, and ground black pepper to a small bowl and whisk until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Pour about half of the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat all ingredients. Taste and add more dressing, a little at a time to suit your family’s tastes.
- This dish can be served immediately, but it is best if covered and refrigerated for at least one hour or up to 24-hours before serving to allow the flavors to develop.
Serving suggestions:
Broccoli salad is the perfect side dish for your summer BBQ and pairs beautifully with grilled main dishes such as Smoked Chicken Thighs, Grilled Ham Steak, Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs, Grilled Half Chicken, or seafood dishes such as Fried Grouper or my popular Southern Crispy Fried Oysters.
I most recently served it with Steakhouse-Style Blackened Steak, Southern Deviled Eggs, and a Twice Baked Potato.
Strawberry Sherbet, Strawberry Trifle, Orange Sherbet Ice Cream or Key Lime Mousse would round out your meal nicely!
Recipe variations:
One of the great things about this broccoli salad is its versatility, both in how to serve it and its ingredients. Change it up however you like, for example:
- You can add pineapple, seedless grapes, red onion, scallions, or apples.
- Blue cheese, feta, gruyere, or gouda can be substituted for the cheddar cheese.
- Raisins or dried cherries, or blueberries can be substituted for the Craisins.
- Instead of pecans, choose your favorite nut or seeds as far as nuts. Cashews, and almonds, are good choices. Or, you could use pine nuts, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds. Use what you have on hand. You could even substitute a handful of mixed nuts.
- The creamy homemade dressing puts it over the top, but in a pinch, purchased coleslaw dressing works as well as poppyseed dressing.
- If you prefer the dressing without mayonnaise, feel free to substitute Greek yogurt instead.
Storage and leftovers:
This recipe benefits from being made up 24 hours before you want to serve it. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
Leftover broccoli salad should be stored in an airtight container and will stay fresh for three days.
It does not freeze well.
Recipe FAQs:
I have seen recipes that use frozen, but I recommend using fresh raw for the best results. broccoli.
I don’t blanch the broccoli in this recipe. I know some folks prefer to blanch it, but the crispness of the vegetables is one of the reasons this recipe works so well.
If you prefer to blanch your broccoli, place it in a bowl with a few tablespoons of water. Place a plate on top and microwave on high for three minutes.
The secret of this salad is to cut off most of the tough broccoli stalks and then cut the small florets up into tiny bite-size pieces no bigger than a small grape.
Expert tips and tricks:
- I like to use a salad spinner to wash my broccoli. Place the raw broccoli heads in the spinner, fill it with water, and swish the broccoli around. Be sure to allow the broccoli to drain thoroughly and dry before making your salad.
- Leftover salad dressing makes a terrific coleslaw dressing.
- If your pecans aren’t already roasted, the easiest way to roast them is in the microwave since it’s such a small amount. First, chop them up and put them on a microwave-safe plate. Then, microwave them on high in 30-second increments until they are done. This usually takes about two minutes total.
More broccoli recipes:
If you are a broccoli lover like me, you might also like these fan-favorite recipes:
⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ If you make this dish, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!
Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones; I hope you come back soon!
📋 Recipe:
Southern Broccoli Salad Recipe with Bacon & Craisins
Ingredients
- 3 stalks raw broccoli
- 6 slices bacon
- ½ cup Craisins, dried cranberries
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cut into small chunks
- ½ cup sliced cherry tomatoes, cut in half, or if large, cut into quarters
- ½ cup roasted pecans
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- Pinch of kosher salt
- Pinch of ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Rinse, drain and let the broccoli dry. Cut off the stalks, save for another use or discard, and then cut the florets into small bite-size pieces.
- Place the bacon on a baking sheet with sides and cook it for 10 to 15 minutes or until it is crisp and golden brown. Remove the bacon and place it on a paper towel to drain. Crumble it or cut it into small pieces.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, or if they are large, cut them into quarters.
- Place the broccoli in a large bowl. Add the bacon, cranberries, cheese, cherry tomatoes and pecans. Toss to combine. Set aside.
- Combine the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Pour about half of the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat all ingredients. Taste and add more dressing, a little at a time to suit your family's tastes.
- This salad can be served immediately, but this salad is best if covered and refrigerated for up to 24-hours before serving to allow the flavors to develop.
Notes
- For the best results, cut off most of the tough stalks and then cut the broccoli florets up into very small pieces no bigger than a small grape.
- Leftovers will keep for two to three days covered in the fridge. They do not freeze well.
- I like to use a salad spinner to wash my broccoli. Place the raw broccoli heads in the spinner, fill it with water, and swish the broccoli around. Be sure to allow the broccoli to drain thoroughly and let it dry before making your salad.
- Leftover salad dressing makes a terrific coleslaw dressing.
- If your pecans aren’t already roasted, the easiest way to roast them is in the microwave since this recipe calls for a small amount. First, chop them up and put them on a microwave-safe plate. Then, microwave them on high in 30-second increments until they are done. This usually takes about two minutes total.
I made this as a side dish for a church luncheon, and it was a huge hit. It disappeared quickly and I got many requests for the recipe. It is nice to offer a healthy option, and it is also a colorful and visually appealing dish. Plus, it tastes great. It is one of my new “go to” recipes to bring to parties & affairs.
I am so excited to make this….love that I can prepare this a day ahead
I love making this salad, but shred my cheese. Also, when using dried fruit such as cranberries, cherries or raisins, I put them in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for a few minutes just to plump up then drain thoroughly. I just prefer the softer fruit texture. I do this with all recipes calling for dried fruit. Even fruit cakes.