This Broccoli Cauliflower Bacon Salad is perfect for a quick and tasty side dish that tastes like a meal. Loaded with broccoli, cauliflower, bacon, and a creamy dressing, this salad is sure to satisfy your hunger. Plus, it’s a great way to get your veggies in.
It is a delicious salad that we enjoy often at home because it is such an easy recipe with so many different flavors.
Copycat Deli Salad Recipe
This salad is at all our local deli counters in our grocery stores in the Midwest. Why? It is that good. However, when you want a large amount of this for family gatherings, summer picnics, or your Holiday table, it can be quite costly when buying at a grocery store. Therefore, we opt to make our own when we want to entertain. It is much more budget-friendly when we do.
It is so simple to make. If you have 20 minutes, you can be enjoying this broccoli cauliflower bacon salad recipe at home. That 20-minute time includes frying the crispy bacon too.
Time saving hint: when I fry bacon, I will fry up a few pounds at a time and freeze it. Then when I need it for a cold salad, all I do is take it out of the freezer, crumble it and add it to my recipe. By the time the other ingredients are added to the recipe, the bacon has thawed. When I do this, I can whip up this easy side dish in 10 minutes.
Looking for a delicious and nutritious side dish?
This easy salad recipe is perfect for any occasion. Featuring nutritious and simple ingredients raw broccoli, cauliflower, dried berried, and a bit of shredded cheese, this salad is loaded with flavor and crunch. Plus, the addition of bacon makes it irresistible.
Another deli salad recipe is this Summer Kale Salad. Delicious sweet and savory flavors.
How to make Broccoli Cauliflower Bacon Salad
First in a skillet cook the bacon until it is nice and crispy. Drain on a paper towel lined plate. When it is cool, coarsely chop it.
Next, in a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, salt, black pepper, and vinegar.
Finally, dice the broccoli, and cauliflower into bite size pieces and place in a large bowl. Add shredded cheddar cheese, chopped pecans, finely diced red onion, and dried berries.
Add the salad dressing and stir to coat all the ingredients.
Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy right away or airtight container if making ahead and storing in the refrigerator.
Recipe Variations
This salad is very forgiving when it comes to what you can add to it. Here are a few of my favorite ways to change it up. Sometimes, I change up this recipe based on what I have at home at the time.
Nuts and Seeds. This recipe calls for chopped pecans; however, you can use sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, chopped walnuts, cashews, pistachios, or peanuts.
Dried Berries. I used a dried berry mix of cherries, blueberries, and craisins. However, you can use diced apples, diced peaches, or other dried fruits such as raisins. They all add a delicious sweetness to the dish.
Cheese. I used a four-cheese blend from a bag today. However, I will often grate my own. Really, any kind of cheese that you enjoy the taste of will work well. Try Pepper Jack, Muenster, Monterey Jack, Gruyere, Cheddar, Colby, Swiss, or even cheese curds.
Vinegar. I used white vinegar today. If you like a bit milder salad dressing, use a rice vinegar or lemon juice. A red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar will have a bit stronger taste, but that works well for our family.
Mayonnaise. Yes, you can certainly swap out the mayonnaise for Miracle Whip. We do that often. It just depends on what we have on hand. The official recipe in our recipe collection calls for mayonnaise; we love the taste of both. Don’t like either, then use Greek Yogurt.
Broccoli Cauliflower Bacon Salad Recipe
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 3 Cups Broccoli 12 ounces or 1 head of broccoli chopped
- 3 Cups Cauliflower 12 ounces or 1 head of cauliflower chopped
- 1 Cup Cheddar Cheese Shredded
- 2/3 Cup Dried Berries
- 1/2 Cup Pecans Chopped
- 1 Cup Bacon Cooked and crumbled about ½ pound
- 1/3 Cup Red Onion Diced
Creamy Salad Dressing
- ¾ Cup Mayonnaise
- 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
- 2 Tablespoons White Vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- First in a skillet cook the bacon until it is nice and crispy. Drain on a paper towel lined plate. When it is cool, coarsely chop it.1 Cup Bacon
- Next, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, salt, black pepper, and vinegar.¾ Cup Mayonnaise, 2 Tablespoons White Vinegar, 3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar, ½ Teaspoon Salt, ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper, 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
- Finally, dice the broccoli, and cauliflower into bite size pieces and place in a large bowl. Add shredded cheddar cheese, chopped pecans, finely diced red onion, and dried berries.3 Cups Broccoli, 3 Cups Cauliflower, 1 Cup Cheddar Cheese, 2/3 Cup Dried Berries, 1/2 Cup Pecans, 1/3 Cup Red Onion
- Add the salad dressing and stir to coat all the ingredients.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy right away or airtight container if making ahead and storing in the refrigerator.
Your Own Private Notes
Notes
Make This Cauliflower Broccoli Salad Ahead of Time
You can make this salad a day ahead of time. Just make sure to store in an airtight container if in the refrigerator. Give the salad a mix before serving. However, it will last in the refrigerator up to three days, but the salad dressing will become a tiny bit watery. I just give it a stir before eating. If the salad dressing is too watery, I will mix up a little bit more salad dressing and mix that in before serving again. It freshens up this salad nicely. There is a short video for this recipeNutrition
Side Dish Salad Questions and Answers
Whenever I bring this popular broccoli salad to a party, I get asked for the recipe. People also a few other questions that seem to come up often. Hope these answers help you too.
Can I use frozen vegetables in this salad?
I would NOT recommend using frozen vegetables in this salad. The consistency changes once vegetables are frozen and thawed. They tend to become mushy rather than stay crispy and crunchy.
Should I cook the broccoli and cauliflower before adding to the salad?
Nope. While the vegetables will be soft, the salad will no longer have that crisp texture.
Does this salad freeze well?
No, the texture of the salad ingredients will change. I recommend only refrigerating this salad to retain the best combination of flavors and texture.
What to Serve with Broccoli Salad?
What to serve with this easy broccoli salad that has delicious flavors?
Another quick and satisfying meal that pairs well with this salad is the beef teriyaki skillet.
A delicious make-ahead salad is this imitation crab pasta salad.
Make This Cauliflower Broccoli Salad Ahead of Time
You can make this salad a day ahead of time. Just make sure to store in an airtight container if in the refrigerator. Give the salad a mix before serving.
However, it will last in the refrigerator up to three days, but the salad dressing will become a tiny bit watery. I just give it a stir before eating. If the salad dressing is too watery, I will mix up a little bit more salad dressing and mix that in before serving again. It freshens up this salad nicely.
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