Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Cheese
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Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Cheese is bursting with color and nutrients. Ten cups of broccoli, with handfuls of carrots, red onion, cheddar cheese, Craisins, bacon, and slivered almonds – all mixed together and topped with a delicious and tangy honey dijon dressing. YES please!
I try to whip a big green salad at the start of every week. For some other ideas besides this one, try my hearty Cruciferous Salad, a Healthy Chickpea Tuna Salad, or a delicious Mediterranean Chopped Salad. So many choices, y’all!
Healthy Broccoli Salad
Spring time is HERE, and I’m craving all the colors of the rainbow. The green, orange, and yellow vegetables that mean warmer weather is finally here. My blood has obviously thinned since I lived up north, because I get cold much faster now. Our Texas winter was COLD this year! I’m ready to open the windows and let the sunshine in.
I’m currently craving salads. Lettuce salads, cabbage salads, and just anything with a lot of crunch. Which is why I’ve made this Broccoli Salad several times lately.
This broccoli salad is just so many things:
- bright and vibrant
- interesting textures
- lots of crunch
- perfect combo of salt and sweet
- finished off with an amazing dressing
You’re gonna love this one. Trust me!
What to serve with Broccoli Salad
- Serve broccoli salad with any kind of grilled meats, like Grilled Chicken Skewers, Smoked Spatchcock Chicken, or Grilled Cedar Plank Salmon
- Pair it with a sandwich, like Open Faced Tuna Melts, Grilled Buffalo Chicken Wraps, or some Pressed Cuban Sandwiches
- Soup and Salad? Pair it with some Creamy Tomato Bisque, Autumn Squash Soup, or Coconut Curry Vegetable Soup.
Ingredient Notes
- Broccoli – Buy the broccoli crowns, if possible. The broccoli will be fresher (and taste better) than buying pre-cut broccoli.
- Carrots – I took the easy route and bought matchstix carrots however, but you could definitely slice them yourself.
- Onion – Red onion works the best in this salad.
- Craisins – If you can find the lower-sugar ones, get those! We can’t tell the difference from the regular version.
- Cheese – Some shredded sharp cheddar cheese is the perfect balance to the sweetness in this salad.
- Bacon – Just six slices needed. Don’t skip the bacon please!
- Almonds – Toast some slivered almonds for the perfect crunch.
Honey Dijon Dressing
The Honey Dijon Dressing makes this Broccoli Salad complete. It’s tangy, creamy, and sweet at the same time, which is necessary when you have a strong vegetable like broccoli.
Make sure you add the dressing to the salad well in advance to make sure the flavors are well incorporated. The salad won’t wilt. It will just taste better.
Dressing Ingredients:
- Olive Oil
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Honey
- Dijon Mustard
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Salt and Pepper
How to make Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Cheese
Step 1
Prep ingredients. Chop the broccoli into little florets, slice the onion, toast the almonds, cook the bacon.
Step 2
Combine. Add all salad ingredients to a large salad bowl – the broccoli, carrots, red onion, Craisins, cheese, bacon, and almonds – and toss.
Step 3
Make dressing. Measure all salad dressing ingredients into a mason jar, and shake vigorously.
Step 4
Add dressing. Pour the dressing over broccoli salad, and store salad in the refrigerator for an hour or two before serving, is possible.
Step 5
EAT. Enjoy your broccoli salad! 😀
Recipe FAQs
It’s not necessary to black the broccoli but you can, if desired.
According to Wikipedia, blanching is a cooking process in which a vegetable or fruit is scalded in boiling water, removed after a brief interval, and finally plunged into iced water to halt the cooking process. Blanching foods helps reduce quality loss over time.
Sharp cheddar cheese is the perfect kind of cheese for broccoli salad. It’s sharp taste goes so well!
If adding the dressing to the salad, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to two days. If you don’t add the dressing, it will last for up to 4-5 days.
There are 372 calories in a 2-cup serving of this salad.
Recipe Tips
- I recommend cutting the broccoli into little florets, so the dressing really absorbs well.
- Shredded carrots are a great short-cut, or you can slice your own.
- Make sure you shred your own sharp cheddar for best results. OR go with a good quality pre=shredded cheese like Tillamook.
- Toasting the slivered almonds brings adds extra nuttiness! Don’t skip it.
- I often cook my bacon in the oven, but you can buy the microwave-ready bacon too.
- I recommend adding the dressing to the salad an hour or two in advance of eating for maximum flavor. If you are trying to make it last all week, then add the dressing to individual salads.
Other Salads to try next
- Mexican Quinoa Salad with Avocado Crema – A personal fav, and one that’s a full meal for me.
- Chopped Greek Pasta Salad – Great for summertime barbecues.
- Crunchy Asian Cabbage Salad – THE most popular recipe on my blog, currently.
- Best Italian Chopped Salad – Really the BEST! Give it a try!
Make this salad next: Mom’s Best Creamy Cucumber Salad
xoxo ~Sue
Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Cheese
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 10 cups broccoli – from about three large heads, cut into small florets
- 2 cups matchstick carrots
- 1/2 cup red onion – sliced thinly
- 1/2 cup low-sugar Craisins
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese – freshly shredded is best
- 6 slices bacon – cooked and crumbled
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds – toasted
For the dressing:
- 10 Tablespoons olive oil
- 5 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 ½ Tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper – to taste
Instructions
- Prep the broccoli by washing and cutting the broccoli heads into little florets. Discard the tough part and use only the tops of the broccoli heads.
- Cook the bacon. Toast the almonds. Slice the onion.
- Add all the salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss.
- Make the dressing by combining all ingredients in a mason jar – the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Shake well.
- Pour the honey dijon dressing over the broccoli salad an hour or two before serving. Or add to individual salads (if wanting the salad to last all week long).
Notes
- I recommend cutting the broccoli into little florets, so the dressing really absorbs well.
- Shredded carrots are a great short-cut, or you can slice your own.
- Make sure you shred your own sharp cheddar for best results. OR go with a good quality pre=shredded cheese like Tillamook.
- Toasting the slivered almonds brings adds extra nuttiness! Don’t skip it.
- I often cook my bacon in the oven, but you can buy the microwave-ready bacon too.
- I recommend adding the dressing to the salad an hour or two in advance of eating for maximum flavor. If you are trying to make it last all week, then add the dressing to individual salads.
This looks good! I’ve never made a broccoli salad ever! No idea why. Thanks for the recipe. I like the dressing, too.
Take the pro tip and make the Dijon dressing. This salad will not disappoint! ❤️✅?
Excellent! I sometimes change the dressing to make it simple with olive oil and salt and pepper, and that’s delicious too.
Great idea! I love this combo of ingredients! 🙂
This was so delicious!! Took it to a Memorial Day gathering and it got rave reviews!!
I made it over the Memorial Day weekend too! Glad you all enjoyed it Shari! 🙂
Amazing!!! There was nothing about this I did not like. The flavors went together so wonderfully. The texture, with the crunchy broccoli and the almonds!! Not to mention the bacon. My husband said it is the Best salad he has ever had!!! We are low carb people so, I only added a few craisins to each bowl on the first helping. The second one, I added none and it was still delicious!! I for sure will Be making this a lot this summer!!! Thanks so much for sharing this.
Thanks Suzanne! I’m so glad ya’ll enjoyed it. Bring some of that broccoli back to Texas with you! 🙂
Tastes great and the salad only has 7 ingredients. I like it simple. Love it!