This is an amazing salad! Crunchy, cold, and delicious packed with crisp bacon, chewy raisins, and diced red onion, then tossed in a simple creamy homemade dressing. This salad is always the star of every party!
Ingredients
Salad:
1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese – the thicker shred, not finely shredded
5-6 c. broccoli florets
⅔ c. dried cranberries
⅓ c. red onion, diced into small pieces
½ c. crumbled crispy bacon
½ c. salted sunflower seeds
Dressing:
3 tablespoons sugar
¾ c. mayo – I like to use mayo or olive oil
¼ c. sour cream
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon Pepper
1 ½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
HOW TO MAKE EASY BROCCOLI SALAD
Step 1: In a large bowl, place the broccoli florets, cheddar cheese, dried cranberries, bacon, sunflower seeds, and onion. Mix well until blended.
Step 2: Combine the mayo, sour cream, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until well-blended and smooth.
Step 3: Over the broccoli, pour the dressing and toss to coat. To taste, season with salt and pepper.
Step 4: If desired, you can serve the broccoli salad right away. Or let it sit for about an hour in the fridge for the best flavor. Before serving, stir well.
Notes:
For this recipe, I use fresh broccoli (not blanched). If you want to blanch the broccoli, you can place it in salted boiling water for just 30 seconds. Then, drain and rinse the broccoli with cold water. Make sure to dry the broccoli before using.
Make sure to use real bacon if using pre-cooked or crumbled bacon. Or cook the bacon yourself.
You can use plain yogurt in place of sour cream.
For this recipe, you can use your favorite mayo.
Feel free to use champagne vinegar, red wine vinegar, and apple cider instead of white wine vinegar.
To store the broccoli salad, keep it in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. If planning to prep the salad ahead, store the dressing