Broccoli Crunch Salad

Easy broccoli crunch salad with crispy bacon and a light creamy salad dressing for when you want a delicious salad but without lettuce. It’s so simple and flavorful, this easy salad can be whipped up in less than 10 minutes!

What Is Broccoli Salad Made of?

Broccoli salad couldn’t be easier to make! Chopped broccoli is mixed with bacon, red onion, dried cranberries, and seeds. Everything is tossed with a creamy dressing made with mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar), a bit of sugar, salt and pepper.

Here’s what I love about this salad:

SERVED COLD – After a quick 10 minute prep, this salad needs to be chilled before serving. It’s great to bring to picnics, barbecues and potlucks alongside a hawaiian macaroni salad and/or bacon ranch potato salad.

EASY PREP – A bit of chopping veggies and then tossing everything together, that’s it! Just a few ingredients make up the base of this recipe. The salad dressing is super easy too!

FAVORITE – With so many simple flavors, it’s easy to see why people love this salad. It’s creamy, crunchy and a bit salty from the bacon. Chopped raw red onions add some great taste too!

Broccoli is an easy alternative to regular salad made with lettuce or kale. It’s a wonderful base for an easy recipe like this one! I just highly recommend chopping the broccoli into very small florets. It makes it easier to chew them.

Ingredients to make the recipe including broccoli, bowls of mayonnaise, dried cranberries, bacon, sunflower seeds, sugar, pumpkin seeds, apple cider vinegar and onion.

Recipe Ingredients

Between the salty bacon, creamy dressing, fresh red onion, and crunchy seeds, there’s a variety of textures and flavors that make this salad feel more complex than it actually is. Here’s an overview of the ingredients you’ll need with more details in the recipe card:

BROCCOLI – One or two large heads of broccoli make up the base of this salad. I like to cut my broccoli florets extra small so that they’re easy to chew.

BACON – Six strips of bacon add salt and crunchiness.

ONION – Chopped red onion is sweeter tasting and perfect for salads like this one.

SEEDS – Pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds add extra crunch. You can use raw or roasted, just with shells removed.

DRESSING – This easy dressing is made with mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar), sugar, salt and pepper. This recipe can be made with regular full-fat mayonnaise, miracle whip or a lighter fat-free mayonnaise depending on your preference!

Pro Tip: Save time and buy a bag of pre-cut broccoli florets, no chopping necessary! Cooked and crumbled bacon can also be purchased too!

Ingredient Additions

This salad is easy to adapt. You can add more vegetables, seeds and even beans:

CHOPPED NUTS – Add chopped walnuts, pecans or almonds.
MORE SEEDS – Sprinkle in hemp seeds, they taste great in salads.
CAULIFLOWER – Swap half of the broccoli with cauliflower florets.
CARROTS – Chopped carrots would be easy to add in.
CHICKPEAS – Add a cup of chickpeas for more protein!

Four images grouped together including chopped broccoli florets, a bowl of broccoli florets, various ingredients in a large bowl, and broccoli florets in a bowl with creamy sauce on top.

How To Make Broccoli Crunch Salad

This salad couldn’t be easier to put together! Here’s an overview with the full instructions at the bottom of this post:

PREP – Cook the bacon strips in a frying pan until they’re nice and crispy. Pat with a paper towel, then crumble them into small pieces. Chop the broccoli into small bite-sized florets.
SALAD BASE – Add the broccoli florets, bacon, chopped red onion, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds to a large bowl. Mix everything together.
MAKE DRESSING – Mix together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.
ASSEMBLE – Pour the salad dressing on top of the main ingredients. Toss everything together and place it in the fridge for 1 hour. This salad is best served cold.

Pro Tip: If you’re cooking the bacon yourself (and not buying a pack of pre-crumbled bacon) then cook and crumble the strips the night before. Store them in the fridge until ready to assemble the salad.

Storing Leftovers

Unlike many other salad where the lettuce leaves become wilted the next day, this broccoli salad stores well in the fridge for a few days! It’s perfect to meal prep for lunches.

REFRIGERATE – Store the salad in an airtight container, or tightly wrapped in plastic for up to 3-4 days.

Looking down at creamy broccoli crunch salad in a white bowl with two wood salad spoons.

Serve This Salad With

This salad is simple, creamy and flavorful. Serve it with some of these ideas:

PICNIC / POTLUCK – Because this salad is served chilled, it’s great to bring to picnics or potlucks.
HAMBURGERS – Serve alongside air fryer hamburgers or our mushroom beef burger patties.
SANDWICHES – Any sandwich or chicken bacon ranch wraps or the easy mashed chickpea wraps.
CHICKEN – We love roasting a chicken and eating leftover chicken cold. This salad would be the perfect side dish for chicken.
SIDE DISHES – Serve this cold salad along with garlic butter yellow beans, rice, crispy rosemary potatoes, or quinoa.

Common Questions

How many calories are in a broccoli crunch salad?

This salad will make 6 servings that are 328 calories each.

Do I have to use regular mayonnaise?

No! This recipe will work with any style of mayonnaise, full-fat, low-fat, miracle whip or a plant-based alternative.

Broccoli crunch salad recipe in a white serving bowl with cutlery beside it.

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