Broccoli Salad with Bacon
Published 6/5/2023 • Updated 3/24/2024
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When it comes to mid-western families, sometimes they don’t like to branch out from the food they know. Whenever we host a holiday or an event we always try to add a dish that our Midwestern families will recognize.
This broccoli salad is that recipe! Uncle Jerry, Grandma, and even all of the kiddos devour this salad very single time.
Broccoli Salad with Bacon
Salads on Fit Foodie Finds are not your traditional green salad recipes. We love making salads that are packed with vegetables, but not just your average lettuce salad with dressing. This broccoli salad with bacon has a base of vegetables with a twist of protein fun- BACON.
The three of us grew up in the midwest where broccoli salad was a must have at any social gathering and almost every salad bar in Wisconsin and Minnesota will have their own version of broccoli salad.
Generally, it is packed with classic midwestern flavors and ingredients like mayonnaise and white sugar. Today we are sharing a healthier version of broccoli salad and we are kind of obsessed. You’d be surprised how delicious a broccoli salad can be. If you have extra broccoli after this recipe give this easy broccoli salad recipe a try, too!
How to Make Healthy Broccoli Salad
If you are in a pinch, this healthy broccoli salad can be ready in under an hour. If you are bringing it to a picnic, you may want to double the recipe. If you are meal prepping this healthy broccoli salad we recommend prepping one of the main dishes below as well.
- Caprese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
- Maple Ginger Baked Salmon
- Beer Can Chicken
- Super Simple Mac and Cheese
- Grilled Steak
Once you have you have decided on your BBQ menu or your meal-prepping menu for the week, mixing up this broccoli salad with bacon is super simple! There are two parts to this salad, the creamy broccoli salad sauce and the broccoli salad itself. Let’s dig a little deeper, shall we?
Creamy Broccoli Salad Sauce
We made this broccoli salad sauce nice and simple. There are different substitutions you can make in the sauce if you are dairy-free or would rather use honey as a sweetener.
The beauty of the sauce is that you can make it your own! If you’re feeling sassy, you can always add a teaspoon or two of hot sauce or sriracha for a little extra spice. The ingredients for the salad sauce are:
- Greek yogurt
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Maple syrup
- Salt
- Paprika
Broccoli Salad with Bacon Fixings
The broccoli salad is a classic recipe with a healthy twist. We stuck with traditional broccoli salad ingredients, but feel free to substitute any of the ingredients with your favorite nuts, seeds, or dried fruit. Here are the broccoli salad ingredients..
- Bacon
- Broccoli
- Red onion
- Sunflower seeds
- Raisins
- Cheddar cheese
- Pepper
- Salt
Substitutions and Variations
Don’t have all the ingredients you need for this broccoli salad at home? Or do you just want to add other ingredients? No problem. Below are some great options to add to your broccoli mixture.
Substitutions
- Raisins—> dried cranberries or cherries
- Greek yogurt—> mayo or Miracle whip
- Sunflower seeds—> walnuts
Add-Ins
- Chopped apples
- Sour cream
- Apple cider vinegar (gives the salad a little bite)
Storage
Store this broccoli salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. When you are ready to eat your leftovers, try tossing your salad in a bit of additional Greek yogurt or mayo if you find that the salad has dried out a bit.
Classic Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
Broccoli Salad
- 1/2 lb. cooked bacon, chopped
- 2.5 lbs. broccoli florets, chopped
- 1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- First, prepare bacon by following our Oven Bacon recipe.
- Then, place all ingredients for the dressing into a medium bowl and whisk until all ingredients are combined. Set aside.
- Next, place all ingredients for the broccoli salad into a large bowl and pour dressing over salad ingredients.
- Mix well and be sure that all ingredients are coated in the dressing.
- Eat immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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so yummy
Made this tonight…so good! You’d have thought there were mayo in it. Going to be a go-to to bring to BBQs this summer!
Hello, is the broccoli cooked or raw? Thank you!
Hello! The broccoli in this specific recipe is raw! However, it would be a delicious salad with roasted broccoli, too!