Cauliflower Broccoli Salad

Simple to make and always a crowd favourite, this cauliflower broccoli salad recipe is undeniably delicious. It’s loaded with cruciferous veggies, cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, walnuts, cranberries and red onion all tossed in a creamy dressing. Make it once, and you’ll want to make it again and again!

Broccoli salad is a pretty popular salad recipe, and I adore it. No, I actually love it. My version of broccoli salad gets the addition of cauliflower. It’s a simple little twist, but equally as delish as just using broccoli, if you ask me.

Whenever I think of broccoli salad, I always think of my mother-in-law’s New Year’s Day cold plate (a traditional Newfoundland recipe). It’s also a pretty popular dish you’d enjoy at a potluck or family gathering. It’s just that kind of recipe. And when you are known for making it, you’re probably going to get requests to make it again and again, it’s that yummy.

Even if you aren’t a big fan of cruciferous veggies, like broccoli and cauliflower, chances are you’re gonna devour this salad (and go for seconds). I mean, you know it has to taste good when you have ingredients like cheese, bacon and walnuts.

Fan of broccoli and cauliflower recipes? Check out this broccoli cauliflower bake!

Ingredients

• Mayonnaise: I like to use full-fat mayonnaise, but you could sub some of it out with a lower fat version or some plain Greek yogurt.
• Apple cider vinegar: Adds a touch of acidity which helps to balance the richness of the salad dressing. White wine vinegar or regular white vinegar can be substituted here.
• Sugar: Regular granulated sugar adds a little sweetness without making the dressing overly sweet.
• Veggies: Includes the star of the recipe, cauliflower and broccoli, as well as red onion.
• Cheese: I used cheddar cheese, but mozzarella is another great option (or use a combination of both varieties).
• Cranberries: Adds a lovely sweetness, which contrasts beautifully with the savoury flavours of the veggies and bacon. Don’t have cranberries? Try raisins instead.
• Bacon: I love thick-cut bacon because it’s toothsome and substantial and really holds up well in the salad. Having said that, if you have regular bacon, that’s completely fine!
• Walnuts: Adds a nice texture, crunch and flavour to the salad. Other yummy options are pecans or sunflower seeds.
• Seasoning: Which includes salt and black pepper. If you want to use white pepper instead of black pepper, go for it! White pepper will blend into the creamy dressing, while black pepper will stand out. In making this recipe, I’ve used both and enjoy them equally. Just keep in mind that compared to black pepper, white pepper is milder in flavour, so you may want to add a little more.

How To Make Cauliflower Broccoli Salad

Here is an overview of how to make cauliflower broccoli salad (full details are in the recipe card below):

1. Cook some bacon until it’s nice and crispy. Once done, drain the bacon on some paper towels to remove excess grease. When it’s cool enough to handle, crumble or chop it.
2. In a small bowl, combine the creamy dressing ingredients.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the salad ingredients (including the cooked bacon).
4. Pour the dressing over the salad, and then give everything a good stir to combine.

What To Serve With It

This cauliflower broccoli salad pairs well with so many things (to be honest, I’ve even enjoyed it as is), but here are some of my favourites:

• Grilled or roasted chicken
• Hamburgers
• Ribs
• Baked ham

Leftovers

Properly store leftover cauliflower broccoli salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3 days.

Tips

• Size: Ensure the broccoli and cauliflower florets are cut into bite-sized pieces so it makes for easy eating. You can cut the florets as small or as large as you prefer, whatever works for you.
• Quantity: I used equal parts cauliflower and broccoli in this salad. In total, it was about 1.25 pounds of florets. This recipe is quite forgiving. For example, if you have a little more broccoli than cauliflower, use that. Or, if you want to use all broccoli, that’s completely fine too!
• Dry well: In preparing the cauliflower and broccoli, make sure it is spun dry of excess water after washing. That way, you won’t water down your dressing.
• Save time: To save time, you can buy store-bought cooked bacon. For optimal taste, use real bacon, not bacon bits or imitation bacon. Another time saver (especially on the day you are making the salad) is to cook the bacon a day before you want to make the salad. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, then the next day when you want to make the salad it’s just a matter of combining all the ingredients.
• Lighten things up: As mentioned, you could sub out some of the full-fat mayonnaise for a lighter variety or plain Greek yogurt. The creamy dressing won’t be as rich, but it will still taste delicious.
• Let the flavours meld: Once made, I find that this cauliflower broccoli salad is best refrigerated for up to an hour to allow the flavours to mix together and for the dressing to slightly tenderize the veggies. Don’t forget to give the salad another good stir before serving to ensure an even distribution of the ingredients.

More Easy Salad Recipes

• Chef’s Salad
• Lobster Pasta Salad
• Blueberry Spinach Salad

If you try this recipe for cauliflower broccoli salad, be sure to leave a comment below!