Southern Broccoli Salad Recipe with Craisins & Bacon (2024)

Reasons you will love this recipe:

1. It’s an easy broccoli salad recipe. It’s also versatile, and you can tailor it to your family’s tastes or use ingredients you already have on hand.
2. Like my Broccoli Cauliflower Salad, it’s the perfect make-ahead vegetable salad. It’s best if made up to 24 hours ahead to allow the flavors to come together.
3. It travels well and can be served as a cold broccoli salad or at room temperature.

Salad ingredients and substitutions:

• Broccoli – fresh is best. When purchasing broccoli, look for heads with a dark green color and tightly closed florets. Broccoli is past its prime if the florets are opening or yellowing.
• Tomatoes – not only add a beautiful red pop of color but add their rich tomato deliciousness. I like to use cherry or grape tomatoes, but you can substitute chopped Roma tomatoes.
• Craisins – are sweetened dried cranberries that add their unique goodness. You can substitute raisins, dried cherries, or dried blueberries.
• Crisp Bacon – makes anything better, and this colorful broccoli salad is no exception.
• Cheddar cheese – adds a creamy element. I like to use extra-sharp cheddar for the tanginess, but you can also use mild or sharp cheddar. I also like to cut my cheese into small cubes, but you can substitute shredded cheese.
• Pecans – are what make this a southern broccoli salad. Classic broccoli salad usually calls for crunchy sunflower seeds, but I like roasted pecans with their buttery, nutty flavor because I always have them on hand. You could also substitute crunchy almonds.
• Mayonnaise – is the main ingredient in my tangy dressing. I prefer Dukes, but any good mayonnaise will work. You may substitute greek yogurt if you want to make the dressing without mayonnaise.
• Apple cider vinegar – adds the tang to this easy-to-make dressing. You can substitute red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, or champagne vinegar in a pinch. The dressing will taste a little different, but it will still be delicious.
• Sugar – adds just a bit of sweetness and balances out the apple cider vinegar. If you want to make a sugar-free dressing, Stevia or another sugar substitute may be used.
• Kosher salt & ground black pepper – just a pinch of each enhances the other flavors and brings them together into one cohesive dish.

Complete measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Serving suggestions:

Recipe variations:

One of the great things about this broccoli salad is its versatility, both in how to serve it and its ingredients. Change it up however you like, for example:

• You can add pineapple, seedless grapes, red onion, scallions, or apples.
• Blue cheese, feta, gruyere, or gouda can be substituted for the cheddar cheese.
• Raisins or dried cherries, or blueberries can be substituted for the Craisins.
• Instead of pecans, choose your favorite nut or seeds as far as nuts. Cashews, and almonds, are good choices. Or, you could use pine nuts, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds. Use what you have on hand. You could even substitute a handful of mixed nuts.
• The creamy homemade dressing puts it over the top, but in a pinch, purchased coleslaw dressing works as well as poppyseed dressing.
• If you prefer the dressing without mayonnaise, feel free to substitute Greek yogurt instead.

Storage and leftovers:

This recipe benefits from being made up 24 hours before you want to serve it. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge.

Leftover broccoli salad should be stored in an airtight container and will stay fresh for three days.

It does not freeze well.

Recipe FAQs:

Expert tips and tricks:

• I like to use a salad spinner to wash my broccoli. Place the raw broccoli heads in the spinner, fill it with water, and swish the broccoli around. Be sure to allow the broccoli to drain thoroughly and dry before making your salad.
• Leftover salad dressing makes a terrific coleslaw dressing.
• If your pecans aren’t already roasted, the easiest way to roast them is in the microwave since it’s such a small amount. First, chop them up and put them on a microwave-safe plate. Then, microwave them on high in 30-second increments until they are done. This usually takes about two minutes total.

Southern Broccoli Salad Recipe with Bacon & Craisins

Easy Southern Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Craisins is a healthy, make-ahead, delicious, cold vegetable salad. In addition to the broccoli and Craisins, it's loaded with pecans, cheese, tomatoes, and bacon!

Nutrition

Calories: 291kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 8gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 311mgPotassium: 263mgFiber: 2gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 557IUVitamin C: 53mgCalcium: 133mgIron: 1mg