Broccoli, Cranberry & Bacon Salad

A sweet and juicy surprise in every bite this Broccoli, Cranberry and Bacon Salad recipe is always a winner!

Fresh, crunchy broccoli mixed with bacon and juicy dried cranberries makes a festive and delectable salad.

Broccoli Cranberry & Bacon Salad Recipe

We’re always looking for more easy ways to enjoy vegetables and this simple salad is the perfect side dish! Full of bright flavors this cold broccoli salad makes broccoli fun to eat!

This broccoli salad with cranberries and bacon is perfect for meal prep. Mix it up and enjoy along with a few meals throughout the week.

There are lots of variations of Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad, but the dried cranberries make this one unique!

Start with fresh, young, tender broccoli that is deep green. If broccoli is too mature, beginning to brown or dry out the quality of the salad with decrease. Quality ingredients will make a high quality salad for a lot of people to enjoy!

We also love broccoli in my mom’s Broccoli & Mushroom Casserole and our Jiffy Broccoli Cornbread.

Ingredients Needed:

• Broccoli – lots of fresh broccoli is so much easier to eat with this wonderful blend of flavors
• Dried Cranberries – A little sweet, a surprise burst of juice and a pretty color, dried cranberries make this salad unique.
• Bacon – Brings the savory flavor you crave. A little bit of freshly cooked and crumbled bacon goes a long way to accent veggies and make them more enjoyable.
• Red onion – Crunchy with a hint of spiciness, onions provide great contrast to the other flavors in this cold salad.
• Half and half – Helps bring a richness to the dressing that lightly coats all of the ingredients
• Mayonnaise – Rich, creamy and makes veggies so much easier to eat when mixed in the simple dressing.
• Sugar – use just a little granulated sugar to sweeten the whole dish.

How to Make Broccoli Salad with Cranberries

Begin by washing fresh broccoli. Allow it to air dry and cut into small broccoli florets.

While broccoli is drying fry bacon and crumble.

Chop red onion into small pieces.

Place broccoli in a large mixing bowl. Add cranberries, crumbled bacon and red onion to the mixing bowl.

Mix up half and half, mayonnaise and granulated sugar.

Using a small whisk to stir well. Keep mixing until the sugar no longer settles to the bottom.

Pour dressing over the broccoli salad mixture.

Use a large spoon to mix everything together.

Storage & Serving

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Stir again before serving.

Enjoy within 2 to 4 days for best texture and flavor!

If serving in warm weather place serving bowl on a layer of ice to help ensure food safety.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• Sunflower seeds or walnuts would also be great mixed in this meal
• Red onion can be thinly sliced, but we prefer to finely chop the pieces as we find it easier to cut and eat with small pieces of broccoli
• Use fresh broccoli that is bright green and has not become seedy
• Small pieces of broccoli allow for more flavor from the dressing and other ingredients to be enjoyed
• We have several recipes for a crowd and you can make several batches of this for a party

More Easy Cold Salad Recipes:

Linguine Salad uses a flavorful salad seasoning to make a great combo of veggies and pasta.

Cucumber Salad is light, refreshing and has a super delicious dressing made of mayo and sour cream.

Angel Hair Pasta Salad uses a slaw dressing with a few veggies to create a dish that is always cleaned out at a party!

Old Fashioned Grape Salad is a classic side dish for parties and picnics.

Big Batch Macaroni Salad and Pasta Salad for a Crowd are perfect for graduation parties, family reunions and other big events.