Broccoli Crunch Salad with Cranberries

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Tantalize your taste buds with the best broccoli crunch salad! Crisp broccoli florets, crunchy bacon, sweet cranberries, and tangy red onions come together in a salad full of flavors and textures. Tossed with a creamy but healthy dressing, this salad is a balance of freshness, sweetness, and crunch.

A forkful of broccoli crunch salad with bacon.

Why you'll love this recipe

Basically, I've taken the classic broccoli salad that is served at potlucks everywhere and added some tart dried cranberries + bacon taking it up a level.

Then, I made a slightly healthier version made with honey instead of refined sugar and updated the tangy dressing to include Greek yogurt to cut through the mayonnaise or Miracle Whip.

This side dish is perfect for a summer picnic or potluck salad. Along with Healthy Broccoli Slaw and Creamy Potato Salad, they're always a hit with family and friends. Best of all, it only takes a few minutes to throw together.

I think we all know how delicious a broccoli salad can be. This recipe is no doubt super tasty or I wouldn't be sharing it with you!

While this crowd pleaser and family favorite is most certainly a summertime salad that’s a picnic and potluck favorite, it's also a great recipe for a delicious and filling cold lunch option.

Oh, and not to get all geeky on you, but with its bright green color, the broccoli is a vitamin C powerhouse. KA-POW!

Ingredients

Alrighty, let's talk about what's going into this broccoli salad...

Fat free Greek yogurt - you can use whole milk yogurt if you like
Mayonnaise
Apple cider vinegar – good for gut health! You can also use white vinegar if you prefer
Honey – nature’s sweetness
Fresh broccoli florets
Red onion
Dried cranberries – I love the contrast the tart cranberries make against the rich dressing. Sometimes you'll see the Ocean Spray brand at the grocery store, aka "craisins". Dried cherries can be substituted to mix things up
Roasted sunflower seeds – for a little crunch + a little nutty flavor. You could also substitute pumpkin seeds, especially in the autumn months
Crispy bacon – for real, it needs to be crispy bacon, soggy bacon just won't do. Because crispy and salty bacon makes everything tastier.

If you want to be ahead of the meal prep game, use your oven for make ahead bacon.

How to make broccoli crunch salad

This recipe is super easy to put together….

A creamy dressing for broccoli salad with mayo, Greek yogurt, honey and apple cider vinegar to be mixed together.

Make the creamy dressing in a large bowl. Mix the yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar and honey in a medium bowl.

Broccoli florets cut into bite size pieces along with chopped red onion in a salad bowl.

Take the extra minute to cut it into bite size pieces. Have you ever taken a huge bite of broccoli? Then you know that it's some serious chew work, friends. Let the knife do the work now; not your incisors.

Add the broccoli florets and red onions to the dressing. Use a large spoon to toss to coat in the dressing mixture.

Toppings for salad on top of broccoli florets include bacon, sunflower seeds and craisins.

Add the dried cranberries (or craisins), sunflower seeds and bacon to the mixing bowl.

A finished bowl of broccoli crunch salad with bacon.

Stir to combine and chill until you're ready to serve.

Meal Prep Shortcuts

Head to the produce aisle at the grocery story to pickup precut chopped broccoli florets.
Use precooked bacon bits from the grocery store or if you've made bacon ahead of time (you genius, you) you already have bacon in your freezer
Combine the dressing ingredients and store in an airtight container. Make the rest of the broccoli salad (the broccoli, red onion, sunflower seeds, etc.) and store that separately.
Dress the salad just before serving.

A scooped out portion of broccoli salad topped with bacon and cranberries.

Recipe Variations

A delicious addition is shredded cheddar cheese, or any mild cheese, really
You can use a cauliflower and broccoli mixture to give added color and texture.

Here's a low carb broccoli salad version if you want to check it out!

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers for 2-3 days in an airtight container.

FAQS

How long is broccoli salad good for?

If you keep your broccoli salad refrigerated and covered, it's good for 2-3 days. After that the dressing may start to get watery.

Should broccoli be cooked for broccoli salad?

I really like the crunchy broccoli so I keep mine uncooked. If you want to give your broccoli a quick steam, you can do that. Just be sure to limit the cooking time and remove it before. it's fully cooked. Shock it in ice water to stop the cooking and be sure to drain the broccoli well so it doesn't water down the salad.

What to serve with broccoli salad

This is a delicious side dish alongside honey mustard grilled chicken, pulled pork sliders or steak.

Other salad recipes you'll enjoy

If you make this broccoli crunch salad recipe, leave a recipe review or comment below. I'd love to hear from you!