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This simple and super delicious broccoli cauliflower salad is ready in under 20 minutes and loaded with all the goodies. This fun twist on a classic Midwest favorite includes lots of fresh broccoli and cauliflower, dried cranberries, sliced almonds, cheese, crispy bacon and more. Tossed in a tangy dressing and ready for the next barbecue in no time!

Broccoli cauliflower salad with cranberries, almonds, cheese and other ingredients in serving bowl.
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When the weather is warm and the produce is fresh, salads are on repeat in our house. This broccoli cauliflower salad is our new favorite and hopefully it will be yours as well!

Simple salad recipes make for the best addition to any meal or great meals by themselves with the right ingredients. This salad is going to be a hit this year at all of the grill outs and barbecues, so enjoy it!

If you love this salad, then definitely check out some of our other favorites: Apple Arugula Salad, Spinach Mandarin Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing, Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad or this Chickpea Avocado Salad!

Why You Will Love This Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

  • It’s a delicious twist on a classic salad and it’s far from boring.
  • Super simple to vary.
  • Can be made a day in advance.
  • Naturally gluten free, easily made vegan and can be adjusted to make allergy friendly!
  • Perfect for family gatherings, potlucks and summer barbecues.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Bacon, mayo, almonds, broccoli florets, cauliflower and other ingredients for recipe arranged on surface with labels.
  • cheese: gruyere cheese is the BEST in this salad in my opinion but a white cheddar is also great. Currently I am obsessed with my local Kroger’s Private Selection block cheese that is a Cheddar Gruyere combo. I can’t get enough of it. I also find that cutting the cheese into very small cubes is better than shredded for this salad.
  • If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, you can use a white wine or red wine vinegar, although the apple cider is really the best in my opinion.
  • I don’t blanch the broccoli or cauliflower when making this recipe. I know that some people do when making broccoli salad, but I don’t find it necessary.
  • You can use sour cream instead of the Greek yogurt if desired.
  • You can certainly opt to make this recipe with just broccoli or just cauliflower.

Recipe Variations

  • add some protein by adding some cubed chicken. I love using leftover rotisserie chicken in this salad. Some grilled shrimp would be great as well as chopped hard boiled eggs for some other ways to add protein.
  • add other veggies: toss in some shredded carrots, diced bell peppers, chopped mushrooms and more
  • other possible add-ins: chopped figs or dates, golden raisins, sesame sticks,
  • use sunflower seeds or pepitas (pumpkin seeds) in place of the almonds if there is an allergy. You could also use chopped pecans or walnuts instead
  • vary the cheese–feta or goat cheese crumbles are great options
  • make the recipe plant based by using 1 cup plant based mayo in place of the Greek yogurt and regular mayo and a plant based cheese, or omit the cheese

How To Make It

Bite sized broccoli, cauliflower, bacon, cubed cheese, and other ingredients arranged in glass bowl.

Step 1: Chop and prepare all of the ingredients. You can cook the bacon to your liking, we bake on a parchment paper lined sheet pan at 400°F for about 15-20 minutes until extra crispy. Make sure to chop the broccoli and cauliflower down to small bite-sized pieces.

Tossed broccoli cauliflower salad in glass bowl with spoon before adding dressing.

Step 2: Toss all of the ingredients to combine in a large bowl.

Creamy dressing in bowl with whisk.

Step 3: In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together until smooth, adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Salad dressing poured over top of broccoli and cauliflower salad ingredients.

Step 4: Drizzle about 3/4 of the dressing over the salad mixture and toss to combine. Add more as desired, or reserve the remaining dressing for tossing just before serving.

Salad in large mixing bowl with spoon propped in the bowl.

Step 5: Chill for about 30 minutes before serving for the flavors to start to soak in, but this salad can certainly be eaten immediately!

Recipe Tips

  • If planning to serve this broccoli cauliflower salad recipe the day after preparing, wait to add the almonds. Feel free to prep everything else and then toss the sliced almonds in the salad about 15 minutes before serving for best results.
  • For best results, chop the broccoli and cauliflower into small pieces. Not only will this make the salad easier to eat, but it also allows the dressing to coat more of each veggie. If using pre-chopped veggies, just break them down a bit more if needed.
  • Time saving tips: ways to cut down on time when making this recipe include buying pre-cooked bacon, bags of already washed and chopped broccoli and cauliflower, and in a major pinch, buying a creamy cole slaw dressing instead of making it homemade!
Serving dish with salad topped with chopped bacon, cranberries, almonds and more.

Storage

Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. I have eaten this on day 4 and find that everything is still great as far as texture but the almonds tend to become a bit soft.

I do not recommend freezing this salad! It will not work out after thawing.

Other Salad Recipes

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5 from 1 vote

Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

By: Lorie Yarro
This simple and super delicious broccoli cauliflower salad is ready in under 20 minutes and loaded with all the goodies. This fun twist on a classic Midwest favorite includes lots of fresh broccoli and cauliflower, dried cranberries, sliced almonds, cheese, crispy bacon and more. Tossed in a tangy dressing and ready for the next barbecue in no time!
Broccoli cauliflower salad in bowl tossed with cheese, cranberries, bacon and more.
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients 

  • 4 c broccoli florets, chopped to bite sized pieces
  • 4 c cauliflower florets, chopped to bite sized pieces
  • 8 slices bacon*, chopped
  • ½ red onion, small diced
  • ¾ c dried cranberries
  • 1 c slices almonds, lightly toasted if preferred
  • 6 oz. small cubed white cheddar or Gouda cheese, cut in about ¼ – ½ inch cubes

Dressing

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Instructions 

  • Chop and prepare all of the ingredients. Make sure to chop the broccoli and cauliflower down to small bite-sized pieces. (You can cook the bacon to your liking, we bake on a parchment paper lined sheet pan at 400°F for about 15-20 minutes until extra crispy.)
  • Toss all of the ingredients to combine in a large bowl.
  • In a separate small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together until smooth, adjust salt and pepper to taste.
  • Drizzle about ¾ of the dressing over the salad mixture and toss to combine. Add more as desired, or reserve the remaining dressing for tossing just before serving.
  • Chill for about 30 minutes before serving for the flavors to start to soak in, but this salad can certainly be eaten immediately!

Notes

Cooking the bacon: Everyone has their preference. We cook the bacon for this recipe by preheating the oven to 400°F and laying the slices of bacon on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, depending on how crispy you like it. Thicker bacon can take more time to cook. Allow it to cool on paper towels to absorb some of the grease before chopping or crumbling.
Storage: Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. I have eaten this on day 4 and find that everything is still great as far as texture but the almonds tend to become a bit soft. I do not recommend freezing this salad! It will not work out after thawing.
If planning to serve this broccoli cauliflower salad recipe the day after preparing, wait to add the almonds. Feel free to prep everything else and then toss the sliced almonds in the salad about 15 minutes before serving for best results.
For best results, chop the broccoli and cauliflower into small pieces. Not only will this make the salad easier to eat, but it also allows the dressing to coat more of each veggie. If using pre-chopped veggies, just break them down a bit more if needed.
Time saving tips: ways to cut down on time when making this recipe include buying pre-cooked bacon, bags of already washed and chopped broccoli and cauliflower, and in a major pinch, buying a creamy cole slaw dressing instead of making it homemade!

Nutrition

Calories: 420kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 32g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 38mg, Sodium: 589mg, Potassium: 470mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 15g, Vitamin A: 515IU, Vitamin C: 65mg, Calcium: 227mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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5 from 1 vote

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1 Comment

  1. Lorie Yarro says:

    5 stars
    Can’t get enough of this salad. Hope you love it as much as we do cause it’s on repeat in our house!!

    Reply