Summer Broccoli Salad- or Any Time Really
Summer broccoli salad- crisp chopped broccoli, salty bacon, sharp red onion, sweet golden raisins, shredded cheddar cheese, and a light creamy dressing. It’s so easy broccoli salad and comes together in just a few minutes.
Even better, you do not need to spend much time in the kitchen. Simply whisk together the dressing, chop the ingredients, stir everything together, and let the salad chill for about 30 minutes. That is it!
I especially love making this broccoli salad during the summer because it’s light and fresh while still giving you plenty of flavor. It tastes great with grilled meats, sandwiches, burgers, or a simple family dinner. Additionally, it makes a fantastic side dish to take along to a summer potluck, cookout, picnic, or party.
If you have ever picked up broccoli salad from the deli, you may have noticed one problem: sometimes the broccoli is practically swimming in dressing. Although a creamy dressing can be delicious, too much of it overpowers everything else in the bowl.
This homemade summer broccoli salad is different.
Instead of soaking the ingredients in dressing, this recipe uses just enough creamy dressing to coat the broccoli and other ingredients. As a result, you can actually taste the fresh broccoli, crispy bacon, sweet golden raisins, red onion, and cheddar cheese.
That balance makes this easy broccoli salad one of my favorite summer side dishes.
Why You Will Love This Summer Broccoli Salad
First, this broccoli salad comes together incredibly quickly. You can prepare the dressing while you chop the broccoli, and then everything goes into one large mixing bowl.
The combination of flavors makes every bite interesting. The broccoli provides a fresh, crisp texture, while the bacon brings salty, smoky flavor. Meanwhile, golden raisins add little bursts of sweetness, and red onion gives the salad a sharp bite.
The freshly shredded cheddar cheese adds creamy richness and plenty of cheesy flavor.
Finally, the homemade dressing brings everything together without covering up the other ingredients.
A Lighter Broccoli Salad
Traditional broccoli salad recipes contain a very heavy amount of mayonnaise. That can leave you with a salad that tastes more like dressing than broccoli.
This version keeps the dressing simple.
You combine mayonnaise with white wine vinegar, sugar, sea salt, and black pepper. The vinegar adds a little tang, while the sugar balances that acidity. The result is creamy, slightly sweet, and pleasantly tangy.
Because you use the dressing more lightly, the other ingredients get a chance to shine.
The crisp broccoli remains the main ingredient instead of becoming lost under a thick layer of mayonnaise.
That makes this homemade broccoli salad especially nice for summer. It feels refreshing enough for a warm day while still offering plenty of satisfying flavor.
Health Benefits of Broccoli
Of course, with every post I make, the nurse in me is always thinking about what’s healthy in the recipe.
Broccoli makes an excellent foundation for a summer salad because it provides plenty of nutrition along with its fresh flavor.
This green vegetable belongs to the cruciferous vegetable family, which also includes cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and kale. Broccoli provides fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, and folate, along with several other vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds.
The vitamin C in broccoli supports normal immune function and also helps your body absorb iron from plant foods.
Additionally, broccoli provides dietary fiber. Fiber supports digestive health and can help you feel satisfied after eating.
Broccoli also contains antioxidants and naturally occurring plant compounds that contribute to its nutritional value.
That is one reason I like serving this salad as a side dish rather than thinking of it as just another creamy deli salad.
Ingredients for Summer Broccoli Salad
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this easy summer salad.
Broccoli
Use about one pound of fresh broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces.
I recommend cutting the broccoli fairly small so you can get a little bit of everything in each bite. Include the florets and some of the tender stem as well.
Fresh broccoli gives this salad its crisp texture and fresh flavor.
Bacon
Cook and crumble ½ pound of bacon.
The bacon adds salty, smoky flavor that works especially well with the sweet raisins and tangy dressing.
For the best texture, allow the bacon to cool before crumbling it and adding it to the salad.
Mayonnaise
One cup of mayonnaise forms the creamy base of the dressing.
Because the dressing contains vinegar and sugar, you do not need to add a long list of ingredients to create plenty of flavor.
White Wine Vinegar
White wine vinegar adds acidity and brightness.
It also helps balance the richness of the mayonnaise.
Sugar
Two teapoons of sugar add just enough sweetness to balance the vinegar and complement the golden raisins.
Sea Salt and Black Pepper
Sea salt and black pepper bring the dressing together and enhance the other flavors.
Red Onion
½ cup of diced red onion adds color and a little sharpness.
The onion also provides a nice contrast to the sweet raisins and creamy dressing.
Golden Raisins
One cup of golden raisins adds natural sweetness and a chewy texture.
They also provide beautiful color throughout the salad.
If you have never added raisins to broccoli salad before, give them a try. They work surprisingly well with the salty bacon and sharp red onion.
Cheddar Cheese
One cup of shredded cheddar cheese adds richness and a delicious cheesy flavor.
You can shred the cheese yourself or use pre-shredded cheese when you need to save a little time.
How to Make Summer Broccoli Salad
The preparation could not be easier.
Start by adding the mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, sugar, sea salt, and black pepper to a large mixing bowl.
Whisk everything together until the dressing becomes smooth.
Next, add the chopped broccoli, crumbled bacon, diced red onion, golden raisins, and shredded cheddar cheese.
Stir everything together until the dressing lightly coats the ingredients.
You do not need to aggressively mix the salad. Instead, gently stir until everything distributes evenly throughout the bowl.
Once the salad comes together, cover it and refrigerate it for 30 minutes before serving.
That short chilling time gives the flavors a chance to blend while keeping the broccoli fresh and crisp.
Why I Prefer Homemade Broccoli Salad
There are plenty of convenient deli salads available at the grocery store. However, making broccoli salad at home gives you control over the amount of dressing and the quality of the ingredients.
When you buy a prepared deli broccoli salad, you may find yourself eating a lot of creamy dressing in every bite. Sometimes the dressing drowns the flavors of the broccoli, bacon, raisins, onion, and cheese.
This homemade recipe keeps things more balanced.
The dressing coats the ingredients without completely covering them. Therefore, you get the flavor and texture of the broccoli along with the salty bacon, sweet raisins, sharp onion, and cheddar cheese.
You can also choose the ingredients that go into your bowl.
Fresh broccoli provides better texture than broccoli that has been sitting in a prepared salad. Likewise, freshly cooked bacon gives you crisp, savory flavor.
Most importantly, making your own food at home lets you decide exactly what you want to include.
Do You Need to Cook the Broccoli?
No. This recipe uses raw chopped broccoli.
Raw broccoli gives the salad its crisp texture and fresh flavor. You do not need to blanch or steam it before adding it to the bowl.
Simply wash the broccoli, dry it thoroughly, and chop it into bite-sized pieces.
Keeping the broccoli raw also makes this recipe especially quick because you can skip an entire cooking step.
Can You Make Broccoli Salad Ahead of Time?
Absolutely.
In fact, broccoli salad works very well as a make-ahead side dish.
You can prepare the salad earlier in the day and refrigerate it until dinner. The 30-minute chilling time in the recipe allows the flavors to come together, while a little additional refrigerator time can make the salad even more flavorful.
If you are preparing it for a party or potluck, make sure you keep it refrigerated until it is time to serve.
Because the salad contains mayonnaise and other perishable ingredients, do not leave it sitting at room temperature for long periods.
What to Serve with Broccoli Salad
Summer broccoli salad makes a wonderful side dish for grilled foods.
Serve it alongside grilled chicken, hamburgers, steaks, pork chops, brats, or grilled vegetables. It also works well with sandwiches and wraps when you want something fresh and crunchy on the side.
For a summer dinner, serve this salad with grilled chicken and fresh corn on the cob.
Likewise, it makes an easy addition to a backyard barbecue. You can prepare the salad ahead of time, refrigerate it, and then bring it out when everyone is ready to eat.
Because it travels well when kept properly chilled, it also makes a great choice for potlucks, family reunions, picnics, and summer parties.
Perfect for Summer Potlucks
If you need a simple dish to bring to a potluck, this broccoli salad is a good choice.
First, it requires very little preparation. Second, you can make it ahead of time. Third, it does not require you to spend time standing over a hot stove.
That last part matters so much during the summer!
When the weather is warm, I would much rather spend my time outside with family and friends than standing in the kitchen preparing complicated side dishes.
This salad gives you a fresh vegetable side dish without much work.
Simply chop, whisk, stir, and chill.
Then grab your serving bowl and head to the party.
Tips for the Best Summer Broccoli Salad
Cut the broccoli into small pieces. Smaller pieces make it easier to get all of the ingredients in every bite.
Dry the broccoli well. Excess water can thin the dressing and make the salad less flavorful.
Cook the bacon until crisp. Crispy bacon holds its texture better once you mix it into the salad.
Do not overdo the dressing. The goal is to coat the ingredients rather than drown them.
Give the salad time to chill. Thirty minutes in the refrigerator helps the flavors come together.
Use fresh broccoli. Fresh broccoli provides the crisp texture that makes this salad so enjoyable.
Taste before serving. If you prefer a little more sweetness or tang, adjust the dressing to suit your taste.
Can You Change the Ingredients?
You certainly can make small adjustments based on what you have available.
For example, you could use regular raisins instead of golden raisins. You could also experiment with a different type of cheddar cheese. Sometimes, I like to sub in half of the broccoli with cauliflower.
However, I recommend trying the recipe as written first.
The combination of broccoli, bacon, golden raisins, cheddar cheese, and red onion creates a really nice balance of salty, sweet, creamy, tangy, and fresh flavors.
Once you have made it once, you can decide what changes you would like to make.
How Long Does Broccoli Salad Last?
Keep leftover broccoli salad covered in the refrigerator.
The salad is best when enjoyed within a few days. However, the broccoli may soften slightly as it sits in the dressing.
For the freshest texture, I prefer serving it within the first day or two.
If you are making it for a gathering, preparing it several hours ahead is fine.
A Quick and Easy Summer Side Dish
Summer should not require complicated recipes.
Sometimes you just need a bowl of fresh ingredients, a simple dressing, and a few minutes in the kitchen.
That is exactly what you get with this easy summer broccoli salad.
The fresh broccoli provides crunch and nutrition, while the bacon adds savory flavor. At the same time, golden raisins bring sweetness, red onion adds a little bite, and cheddar cheese gives the salad plenty of richness.
The creamy dressing ties everything together without drowning the ingredients.
That balance really sets this homemade broccoli salad apart from the heavily dressed deli versions. Instead of taking a bite and tasting mostly mayonnaise, you get a little bit of every ingredient.
Most importantly, this recipe makes it easy to get more fresh broccoli onto the dinner table.
Whether you are serving grilled chicken at home, preparing a summer barbecue, or bringing a dish to a potluck, this quick broccoli salad is ready to go with very little effort.
So grab a fresh head of broccoli, cook some bacon, and get chopping.
In just a few minutes, you will have a crisp, colorful, flavorful summer side dish that your family and friends will be happy to see on the table.
More Summer Side Dishes
Pickled Cucumber Salad
Seven Layer Salad
Broccoli Salad
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Ingredients
- 1 pound Broccoli, chopped
- 1/2 pound Bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup Mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp White wine vinegar
- 2 tsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Sea salt
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
- 1/2 cup Red onion, diced
- 1 cup Golden raisins
- 1 cup Shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, sea salt and black pepper until smooth.
- Add the chopped broccoli, crumbled bacon, diced red onion, golden raisins, and shredded cheddar cheese. Stir to combine.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
