Deliciously crunchy and can be made in minutes. Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad is a picnic and potluck staple that’s filled with a variety of flavors from crumbled bacon, to cheddar cheese, to a mayonnaise-based dressing.
Some may say mayonnaise-based salads such as Southern Macaroni Salad are controversial at backyard barbecues, but I say bring them on and just keep them in the shade. The potato salad, coleslaw, and broccoli and cauliflower salad are traditional sides that make the meal.
With its sweet and tangy flavor and simple prep, you’ll want it for all of your future potlucks, picnics, and barbecues too.
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy to make. The only thing you have to cook is the bacon, and everything else is just tossed together. It’s especially easy if you buy pre-chopped broccoli and cauliflower.
- Tons of flavors.
- Serves a crowd. This is one of those salads that works great for picnics, potlucks, or barbecues. It feeds a crowd and is a fan favorite.
Ingredients Needed
- Mayonnaise – Use your favorite version of mayonnaise here, whether it’s low-fat, full-fat, or even sriracha-flavored. This mayonnaise is the base of the dressing and adds the cream texture overall to the salad.
- Bacon Grease – Adding this into the salad dressing is purely optional, but it brings so much flavor to the salad. It’s also easy to get because you have to cook your bacon anyway and it helps cut down on the mess (I recommend always saving your bacon grease though).
- Broccoli and Cauliflower – You will need bite-size raw florets to mix together in this salad. I recommend using a head of both the broccoli and cauliflower and cutting it down into the floret sizes you want. You can also buy the pre-cut option as well.
- Cheddar Cheese – Shredded cheese will work, but I like to have small cubes for a bigger cheesy flavor. Buy a block of cheddar and slice it up to the size you would like.
- Sunflower Seeds – Mixing these in adds a salty and delicious crunch to the salad that works well with the other ingredients.
How to Make Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
- Prepare the bacon. Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crispy and place on a paper-towel-lined plate to let it cool. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of grease to mix into the salad dressing (optional).
- Mix the dressing. In a small bowl whisk the mayonnaise, honey, dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, and bacon grease (if using).
- Toss the salad. Place the broccoli, cauliflower, sliced almonds, red onion, cubed cheese, crumbled bacon, and sunflower seeds into a large bowl and toss them together.
- Coat the salad in the dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss the salad again to evenly coat it in the dressing. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
Storage Information
If you find you have leftovers you can store the broccoli and cauliflower salad in an air-tight container and keep it in the fridge. This salad will last for up to 4 days and is actually better the next day, which is why I recommend making it a day ahead.
Note: When serving this salad make sure it’s not placed in direct sunlight or sitting in extreme heat for more than 1 hour.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Save the bacon grease. Adding some of the bacon grease into the salad dressing brings a delicious flavor, but it’s also great used in many other recipes such as Southern Green Beans. Pour it into a container with a lid and store it in the fridge for later.
- Chill the salad. If you have the time I recommend chilling the salad. It brings all the flavors together as the ingredients marinate in the dressing. Doing so will also allow the vinegar to soften the broccoli and cauliflower.
- Make it ahead. I personally think this salad tastes better the next day, which is why I prefer to make it ahead. This also saves time if you’re hosting a party and need some recipes prepped and ready before you plan on serving them.
- Mix in some dried fruit. I love to toss in some dried cranberries or dried cherries to add a little sweetness to the salad.
FAQS
No, you can’t freeze this broccoli cauliflower salad recipe because of the mayonnaise dressing and the cheese. The dressing will separate and clump if frozen and then thawed.
This salad is actually better the next day, which is why it’s best to make it 1 day in advance, but no more. The flavors blend together as it all marinates in the dressing making it better 24 hours later.
Related Recipes
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Broccoli Cauliflower Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 cup Mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Honey or sugar or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 tablespoon Bacon Grease optional
Salad
- 3 cups Broccoli Florets
- 3 cups Cauliflower Florets
- 10 slices Bacon cooked and crumbled
- ⅔ cup Sliced Almonds
- ⅓ cup Red Onion chopped
- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese cubed
- 2 tablespoons Sunflower Seeds
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crispy and place on a paper-towel-lined plate to let it cool. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of grease to mix into the salad dressing (optional).
- In a small bowl whisk the mayonnaise, honey, dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, and bacon grease (if using).
- Place the broccoli, cauliflower, sliced almonds, red onion, cubed cheese, crumbled bacon, and sunflower seeds into a large bowl and toss them together.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss the salad again to evenly coat it in the dressing. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
Notes
- Save the bacon grease. Adding some of the bacon grease into the salad dressing brings a delicious flavor, but it’s also great used in many other recipes such as Southern Green Beans. Pour it into a container with a lid and store it in the fridge for later.
- Chill the salad. If you have the time I recommend chilling the salad. It brings all the flavors together as the ingredients marinate in the dressing. Doing so will also allow the vinegar to soften the broccoli and cauliflower.
- Make it ahead. I personally think this salad tastes better the next day, which is why I prefer to make it ahead. This also saves time if you’re hosting a party and need some recipes prepped and ready before you plan on serving them.
- Mix in some dried fruit. I love to toss in some dried cranberries or dried cherries to add a little sweetness to the salad.
