This salad is a summer potluck classic. Crunchy raw broccoli, crisp bacon, sweet raisins, sunflower seeds, and creamy dressing are the perfect combination for this fresh tasty salad.
There is no doubt that if you have been to an American potluck, you have seen some version of this broccoli salad. My favorite combination is definitely with bacon and raisins. I love the sweet and salty combination. Top it off with the tangy dressing made up of three simple ingredients and it is an all around winner.
It is very easy to make, and like all of my recipes, uses simple, easy to find ingredients. I have a few helpful hints to help you make and serve the best broccoli crunch salad.
Ingredients
Raw Broccoli- Crunchy and delicious with a slightly bitter flavor, it forms the base of this salad.
Cooked Bacon- Adds more crunch and nice saltiness.
Raisins- Chewy and sweet they add great texture and flavor.
Sunflower seeds- These add more crunch since this is a crunch salad.
Red Onion- Small pieces of red onion add a little spice to an overall sweetly flavored salad.
Broccoli Crunch Dressing Ingredients
Mayonnaise- Rich and creamy to form the base of this tangy dressing.
Red Wine Vinegar- Adds a tart taste and cuts the sweetness.
Sugar- Obviously, the sweet that balances the tart.
Instructions
Step 1
- Start by whisking together ½ cup of mayonnaise with ¼ Cup of red wine vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Make sure the vinegar and sugar are fully integrated into the mayo. The dressing has a sort of pink color from the red wine vinegar.
Step 2
- Next, clean and chop your broccoli heads into ½ inch pieces. Place them in a large salad bowl that will give you room to toss.
- Then, add diced cooked bacon pieces, diced red onion, sunflower seeds, and raisins.
This recipe calls for crisp bacon. This is a great way to use up leftover bacon from breakfast.
If you need to cook it up fresh you can cook bacon on medium high heat to remove the water, turning it down to medium until it is crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and place it on a paper towel to remove the excess fat.
Step 3
- Finally, add the tangy dressing and toss until all of the broccoli is evenly coated.
How to Serve
You can definitely serve this crunchy broccoli salad right away, but it is best if it has at least a half an hour in the refrigerator to really get all of the flavors to come together.
This can be made the night before and served the next day. If you are using this for a barbecue or party, making it ahead can take some work off of your plate for the day of.
FAQs
I remove the very end of the broccoli stems that tend to be a bit too tough raw. However, I do include the parts of the stem that are closer to the floret. These pieces taste great and retain their crunch even after the salad has been in the fridge for a few days.
This can be kept, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days after assembly.
Tips for success
Make sure you use bacon that has been well crisped. The dressing will soften it a bit over time and if it doesn’t start out crisp the chewy bacon isn’t as nice.
It is impossible to cut even pieces of broccoli, but make sure that all of the pieces are ½ inch or smaller. Smaller pieces are easier to chew and make the salad more pleasant to eat.
Substitutions
You can use whole broccoli on the stem, broccoli crowns that have the woodier part of the stem removed, or fresh broccoli florets. The most important thing is to choose fresh crisp broccoli with nice green coloring and no signs of softening or wilting.
Traditionally, I’ve used black raisins in this recipe. However, lately I have had golden raisins on hand and they taste great. Currants and dried cranberries can be used also.
Related Recipes
- Thai Chicken Salad With Peanut Dressing
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Roasted Delicata Squash Beet and Feta Salad
- Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad with Roasted Vegetables
- Wilted Spinach Salad with Bacon Dressing
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Broccoli Crunch Salad
Ingredients
- 4 Cups Broccoli cut into ½ inch pieces
- 3 Pieces Cooked Bacon diced, approx. ½ Cup
- ¼ Red Onion diced
- ¼ Cup Sunflower Seeds
- ¼ Cup Raisins
Broccoli Crunch Salad Dressing
- ½ Cup Mayonnaise
- ¼ Cup Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar
Instructions
- Start by whisking together ½ cup of mayonnaise with ¼ Cup of red wine vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Make sure the vinegar and sugar are fully integrated into the mayo. The dressing has a sort of pink color from the red wine vinegar.
- Next, clean and chop your broccoli heads into ½ inch pieces. Place them in a large salad bowl that will give you room to toss.
- Then, add diced cooked bacon pieces, diced red onion, sunflower seeds, and raisins.
- Finally, add the tangy dressing and toss until all of the broccoli is evenly coated.
Notes
- Make sure you use bacon that has been well crisped. The dressing will soften it a bit over time and if it doesn’t start out crisp the chewy bacon isn’t as nice.
- It is impossible to cut even pieces of broccoli, but make sure that all of the pieces are ½ inch or smaller. Smaller pieces are easier to chew and make the salad more pleasant to eat.
- You can definitely serve this crunchy broccoli salad right away, but it is best if it has at least a half an hour in the refrigerator to really get all of the flavors to come together.
- This can be made the night before and served the next day. If you are using this for a barbecue or party, making it ahead can take some work off of your plate for the day of.
- You can use whole broccoli on the stem, broccoli crowns that have the woodier part of the stem removed, or fresh broccoli florets. The most important thing is to choose fresh crisp broccoli with nice green coloring and no signs of softening or wilting.
- Traditionally, I’ve used black raisins in this recipe. However, lately I have had golden raisins on hand and they taste great. Currants and dried cranberries can be used also.
Nutrition
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Sara Welch
This was everything a gourmet salad should be, and then some! Such a great blend of flavors and textures; loved every bite!
Dana Sandonato
I love broccoli, but this just takes it to the next level! The sweetness and richness is so awesome with the broccoli's crunch!
kushigalu
Love the combination of ingredients in this salad recipe. So delicious. Thanks for sharing
Tayler Ross
I brought this salad to a picnic over the weekend and everyone raved about it! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!