Southern Broccoli Salad with Craisins

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Easy old-fashioned Southern Broccoli Salad is a crowd favorite and always a hit at potlucks and cookouts. It’s irresistibly delicious with crisp, chopped fresh broccoli, juicy cherry tomatoes, and Craisins.

Add in cheddar cheese, crunchy bacon, and roasted pecans, and top it with a creamy homemade dressing, and this classic, make-ahead broccoli salad like my Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Pecans is a low-carb wonder and the vegetable side dish of your dreams.

Broccoli salad in a white serving dish with a blue rim.

Here’s why you will love this recipe:

It’s 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 at room temperature or chilled.

Ingredients for a broccoli salad including broccoli stalks, tomatoes, and craisins.

Ingredients – here’s what you need:

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.
Bacon – makes anything better, and this colorful broccoli salad is no exception.
Cheddar cheese – adds a creamy element. I like to use extra-sharp for the tanginess, but you can also use mild or sharp. 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 sunflower seeds, but I prefer to use roasted pecans with their buttery, nutty flavor.
Mayonnaise – is the main ingredient in my creamy homemade dressing. I prefer Dukes, but any good mayonnaise will work. If you want to make the dressing without mayonnaise, you may substitute greek yogurt.
Apple cider vinegar – adds the tang to this easy-to-make dressing. You can substitute red wine, white wine, sherry, 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.

Directions – Here’s how to make this recipe:

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 cut-up broccoli in a large bowl. Add the bacon, Craisins, cheese, cherry tomatoes, and pecans. Toss to combine. Set aside.

Cut up broccoli with cherry tomatoes, cheese, bacon, and Craisins.

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.

Broccoli Salad dressing in a small glass bowl.

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.

Pouring salad dressing over broccoli salad.

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.

Broccoli Salad in a white metal bowl with rolls and plates.

Frequently asked questions:

Can you use frozen broccoli in this recipe?

I have seen recipes that use frozen, but I think this recipe works best with raw. broccoli.

Do you have to blanch the broccoli?

I don’t blanch the broccoli in this recipe. I know some folks prefer to blanch it, but I think 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.

What’s the secret to making the best salad?

The secret of this salad is to cut off most of the tough broccoli stalks and then cut the florets up into tiny pieces no bigger than a small grape.

What to serve with this salad?

Broccoli salad pairs beautifully with grilled main dishes such as Smoked Chicken Thighs, Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs, Grilled 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.

How long will leftovers keep?

Leftover salad will keep for two to three days covered in the fridge. It does not freeze well.

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.

Sharon’s tips:

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.

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★ 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!

Thanks so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!

*This post was originally published on January 3, 2018. It was republished on April 18, 2022, with new photos, the addition of a FAQ section, and expanded tips.