Drizzled with an easy-to-make creamy dressing and flavored with crispy bacon pieces, and crunchy sunflower seeds, this broccoli cauliflower salad is just as versatile as my Greek Yogurt Coleslaw and No Mayo Coleslaw. Make a batch, and store it in meal prep containers for an irresistible salad you can enjoy throughout the week.
Ingredients
The cauliflower broccoli salad ingredients come together in two parts:
For The Cauliflower Broccoli Salad Dressing: Gather together mayonnaise, whole milk Greek yogurt, honey, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
For The Broccoli Salad Ingredients: All you need is raw broccoli florets and raw cauliflower florets, red onion, sunflower seeds, raisins, bacon, and shredded Cheddar cheese.
How to Make Broccoli Cauliflower Salad?
When making this cauliflower broccoli salad recipe, most of the work involves chopping up the raw veggies, but other than that, it is easy and quick. To be efficient, I like to do that while the bacon is cooking in the oven.
Mayo: I used my favorite light mayonnaise, vegan mayo (affiliate link), (made with avocado oil), but any mayo would work here.Vinegar: Any vinegar would work – raw apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar can be substituted in place of red wine vinegar.Sweetener: In my version of the broccoli cauliflower salad dressing, I used honey as the sweetener, but maple syrup would also work. Seeds: I love the crunch of sunflower seeds. Pumpkin seeds would be a good substitute and keep this recipe nut-free. That being said, sliced almonds or chopped walnuts, or pecans are great if nuts are not an issue.Dried Fruit: Raisins add that special pop of sweetness, but dried cranberries or super tart dried cherries would be exceptional, too.Fresh fruit: You can use fresh fruit, such as an apple or pear, instead of dried fruit in this recipe. I especially love making a broccoli apple salad using this exact recipe and swapping raisins with a thinly sliced apple.Cheese: I used shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, but mozzarella cheese, Colby Jack or Monterey Jack would also work.Bacon: I am currently obsessed with baked turkey bacon, but regular bacon cooked on the stove top can also be used for all bacon lovers! Go for a sugar-free version when shopping for bacon.
Variations:
All it takes is a few simple swaps to have a different broccoli cauliflower recipe any time the craving strikes:
Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad without Bacon: Simply omit the bacon, and you have a creamy and colorful vegetarian meal.Cauliflower Salad with Greek Yogurt (no mayo): I like the flavor combo of mayo and Greek yogurt, but feel free to omit the mayo and make the dressing entirely with Greek yogurt instead. If you are a fan of yogurt dressings, be sure to check out my Yogurt Salad Dressing recipe.Amish Broccoli Salad: Some people refer to this salad as Amish Broccoli Cauliflower Salad because Amish cooks and gardeners are known for being avid cultivators of broccoli and cauliflower. Their version is made with sour cream instead of Greek yogurt but is still very similar to this one.Make it a Keto Cauliflower Broccoli Salad: If you are on a keto diet, you can still enjoy this salad with a few ingredient adjustments. Simply swap honey with a keto-friendly sweetener such as Swerve and omit raisins. The rest of the ingredients should be okay to use.
How to Make Ahead and Store Leftovers?
What I love the most about this broccoli cauliflower bacon salad recipe is that it stores well, which makes it ideal for weekly meal prep or for when you need a salad you can make a few days in advance. Here is how I do it:
To Make ahead: Chop all the veggies, prepare the rest of the salad ingredients, and cook bacon. Store everything in individual airtight containers. Make the simple homemade dressing and keep it in a mason jar. When ready to assemble, place all the salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl and pour the dressing over it. Add the cheese on top, toss it, let it rest in the fridge (if you have the time), and serve.To Store leftover salad: Place the leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Other Veggie Packed Salad Recipes You Might Also Like:
Asparagus Salad with Lemon VinaigretteMexican Corn SaladCorn and Black Bean SaladSweet Butter Lettuce SaladTraditional Caesar SaladCan’t get enough? Check out our collection of Easy Salad Recipes for more inspiration.
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Cut broccoli & cauliflower into bite-size pieces: I find that it is much easier to eat when the large vegetables are cut into small pieces that are bite-sized. It is a bit of chopping work but totally worth it.Add the cheese at the end. If planning to make it a few days ahead, I recommend assembling the salad without the cheese, as the ingredients tend to get soggy. When ready to serve, sprinkle the cheese, toss, and enjoy!Shred or cube the cheese. Speaking of cheese – I prefer the texture of shredded cheese, but small cubes would work, too.Let it rest for the best results: I think this broccoli cauliflower raisin salad tastes better the longer it sits, so I recommend resting the salad in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. This also allows the broccoli and cauliflower to soften up a bit while sitting in the dressing.
