This delicious and nutrient-rich Broccoli Crunch Salad is loaded with bacon, dried cranberries, pecans, and sunflower seeds, and tossed in a creamy and tangy dressing. Ready in just 15 minutes, this is the perfect simple-to-make side to bring to a potluck or pair with any grilled entree.
Jump to:
- What I Love about this Broccoli Crunch Salad
- Ingredient Notes & Possible Substitutions
- Healthier Mayo Options
- How to Make this Broccoli Crunch Salad
- Can I make this salad ahead of time?
- Storage
- Serving Suggestions
- Dietitian Notes
- Recipe Tips
- Try These Other Great Healthy Recipes
- Did you try this Broccoli Crunch Salad?
- 📖 Recipe
This salad is the perfect thing to bring to a potluck or a backyard barbeque because it is easy to prepare and everyone will enjoy the unique flavors and textural components. It helps to break up the monotony of the usual (less-than-healthy) sides at these types of gatherings.
Pair this versatile Broccoli Crunch Salad with Pellet Smoked Baby Back Ribs, this delicious Almond Crusted Chicken Breast, or a side of these Wagyu Beef Meatballs.
This No Mayo Potato Salad is another great healthy alternative to conventional BBQ sides!
What I Love about this Broccoli Crunch Salad
This salad is a go-to for me and loaded with flavor and texture. Here is why I love it:
- Nutrient-Rich - This salad is loaded with vitamins and minerals, and contains 4 grams of fiber and 9 grams of protein per serving.
- Easy to Make - In just 15 minutes, you can make this deliciously crunchy salad that tastes elevated but requires minimal effort.
- Versatile - This salad pairs wells with so many different entrees and can be brought to a potluck as a unique and healthy side.
Ingredient Notes & Possible Substitutions
Broccoli
You will need about 4 small heads of broccoli, or 2 16-ounce bags of broccoli florets to get 6 cups chopped into bite-size pieces. Chop your broccoli fairly small so that it is easier to eat and can get well-coated in the dressing.
Shallot
I love the slightly sweet, garlicky flavor of shallot. You could substitute about ¼ of a small red onion if you prefer a sharper flavor.
Bacon
The bacon can be pan fried or baked in the oven. Be sure to pat the grease with a paper towel before chopping. I used Hempler's No Sugar Bacon. It is available at most Costco's for a good price.
Dried Cranberries
You can use whatever dried cranberries you prefer. I like the tanginess of apple juice sweetened cranberries. Dried tart cherries are also phenomenal in this recipe.
Pecans & Sunflower Seeds
These ingredients are textural components that help give the salad that desirable crunch. You could use all pecans or all sunflower seeds. Alternatively, you could replace one of these ingredients with another crunchy option like walnuts, slivered almond, or pepitas. Candided nuts or seeds are also a tasty addition if you want your salad to be a little sweeter.
Mayo
I use avocado oil mayo, but you can use any mayo that you enjoy the flavor of as it makes up the bulk of the dressing. Homemade mayo would also work!
Maple Syrup
Any liquid sweetener can be used, like honey or agave.
Apple Cider Vinegar
You can adjust the amount of ACV based on how tangy your mayo is.
Healthier Mayo Options
Mayo is made from a few simple ingredients including egg yolk, oil, vinegar, salt and sometimes mustard. It is not inherently unhealthy and can easily be made at home, but is often made with less-than-desirable seed oils. While some conventional mayo brands will boast that they are made with olive, avocado or coconut oil, they are not made exclusively with these oils and often contain canola oil and/or soybean oil. Be savvy and read labels.
My favorite mayo brands are Sir Kensington's, Primal Kitchen, Chosen Foods and Better Body Foods. These brands have clean labels and carry 100% avocado oil (or other non-seed oil) mayos. Better Body Foods is my least favorite of these four options in terms of flavor.
How to Make this Broccoli Crunch Salad
This well-loved salad is simple to make and only requires about 15 minutes. Here is what you need to do:
- Prepare the ingredients by chopping the broccoli into small bite-sized florets, dicing the shallot, cooking and chopping the bacon, and chopping the pecans. If your pecans are raw, you can lightly toast them in a skillet with about ½ teaspoon of oil over low-medium heat until they smell lightly toasted (2-3 minutes). Set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the dressing ingredients and whisk until there are no lumps.
- Add the broccoli and shallot to the mixing bowl with the dressing and toss with a rubber spatula until everything is evenly coated and the diced shallot is distributed.
- Transfer to a serving platter or large shallow salad bowl and top with chopped bacon, cranberries, pecans and sunflower seeds. Serve immediately.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Toss before serving.
Note: Alternatively, all ingredients can be tossed together in the mixing bowl but the nuts and seeds stay crunchy longer if they are sprinkled on top rather than tossed in the dressing. Occasionally if bringing to a gathering, I will toss the salad ingredients together. I usually prefer to toss the broccoli and shallot in the dressing, store in a container, and then store the chopped bacon, dried cranberries, pecans and sunflower seeds in a separate container and mix in right before serving to retain the best texture.
Can I make this salad ahead of time?
Absolutely! This salad can be prepped ahead of time and store in an airtight container until serving. If doing so, I like to keep the chopped bacon, dried cranberries, pecans and sunflower seeds in a separate container and mix in right before serving to maintain that crunch.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Toss before serving. The salad will start to loose it's crunch when stored but you can add some addition nuts and seeds to give it a little something extra.
Serving Suggestions
Pair this broccoli crunch salad with almost any protein entree. It can complement pork chops, steak, grilled chicken, blackened salmon, burgers, or even babyback ribs. It works particularly well as a side to grilled entrees because it can minimize time in the kitchen.
Dietitian Notes
- This is a sweeter salad because of the cranberries, but 1 cup contains 4 grams of fiber and lots of healthy fat to make it more blood-sugar stabalizing.
- Each serving of salad contains 9 grams of protein, making it a high-protein addition to any meal.
- The broccoli, shallot, nuts and seeds give this salad a range of micronutrients like vitamin C, vitamin B6, magnesium, and iron.
Recipe Tips
- Because the broccoli is raw it helps to chop the pieces fairly small. This allows for more surface area to be in contact with the dressing helping it soften a little.
- If prepping ahead of time, I like to add the bacon, cranberries, pecans, and sunflower seeds right before serving to help retain the crunch.
- Because this salad contains mayo, avoid leaving it out unrefrigerated for an extended period of time.
Try These Other Great Healthy Recipes
Looking for other tasty recipes? Here are a few you might like:
Did you try this Broccoli Crunch Salad?
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📖 Recipe
Broccoli Crunch Salad
Equipment
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Rubber Spatula
- Salad bowl or platter
Ingredients
- 6 cups Broccoli, chopped into 1-inch florets about 4 small heads
- 1 Small shallot, diced about ¼ cup diced
- ½ cup Cooked bacon, chopped I used sugar-free bacon (about 4-5 slices)
- ½ cup Dried cranberries I used apple juice sweetened
- ¼ cup Pecans, chopped
- ¼ cup Roasted sunflower seeds
Dressing
- ⅔ cup Avocado oil mayo I used Primal Kitchen but use your favorite.
- 2 tablespoon Maple syrup or honey
- 1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon Sea salt or to taste depending on how salty the bacon is
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients by chopping the broccoli into small bite-sized florets, dicing the shallot, cooking and chopping the bacon, and chopping the pecans. If your pecans are raw, you can lightly toast them in a skillet with about ½ teaspoon of oil over low-medium heat until they smell lightly toasted (2-3 minutes). Set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the dressing ingredients and whisk until there are no lumps. Taste and adjust dressing tanginess/sweetness/seasonings as needed.
- Add the broccoli and shallot to the mixing bowl with the dressing and toss with a rubber spatula until everything is evenly coated and the diced shallot is distributed.
- Transfer to a serving platter or large shallow salad bowl and top with chopped bacon, cranberries, pecans and sunflower seeds. Serve immediately.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Toss before serving.
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