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Broccoli Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes
Serving Size 8 people

Ingredients

For the Salad:

  • 5-6 cups fresh broccoli washed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/3 cup red onion finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup crumbled bacon cooked fresh or store-bought bag
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

For the Dressing:

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Chop the broccoli. Cut your broccoli into small, bite-sized pieces — not too big. You want them to be easy to eat in one bite, and the smaller pieces hold the dressing better too. Place in a large bowl.
  • Add your salad ingredients. To the bowl, add the dried cranberries, finely chopped red onion, crumbled bacon, sunflower seeds, and shredded cheddar cheese. Give everything a quick toss to start getting it mixed together.
  • Make the dressing. In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sugar, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir well until smooth and creamy. A small whisk works great here, but a spoon does the job just fine. You want it as smooth as you can get it before it goes on the salad.
  • Dress the salad. Drizzle the dressing over your broccoli mixture. Then use a spatula (it gets down the sides of the bowl better than a spoon) to fold everything together until the dressing is evenly coating all the ingredients. You want enough dressing that everything is coated, but not so much that the salad gets soggy — you still want to feel that crispness from the broccoli and onion.
  • Serve and enjoy. This salad can be served right away, or you can cover it and refrigerate it for a bit if you're taking it somewhere. The flavors just get better as it sits.
    • Fresh bacon vs. store-bought crumbles: Fresh cooked bacon crumbled right before you add it is the most delicious option. That said, the pre-crumbled bacon you find in bags at the grocery store works perfectly when you're in a hurry — no shame in that!
    Make it your own: This recipe is a great base. Some people add raisins instead of cranberries, swap sunflower seeds for pecans, or toss in a little extra cheese. There are lots of variations and they're all good.
    Chop the red onion fine: A finely chopped red onion blends into the salad and gives you little bits of flavor throughout without being overpowering.

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