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!

Cauliflower Broccoli Salad

Dawn | Girl Heart Food

Simple to make and always a crowd favourie, 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!

Print Recipe Save RecipeSaved!

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Chilling Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Course Salad, Side Dish

Servings 8 servings

Awake ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

 

• ½ pound bacon, I like to use thick-cut bacon (you want about ½ cup of crumbled, cooked bacon for this recipe)
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste (optional)
• 4 cups broccoli florets, florets should be on the smaller size so they're bite-sized
• 4 cups cauliflower florets, florets should be on the smaller size so they're bite-sized
• 1 cup cubed cheddar cheese
• ½ cup sweetened dried cranberries
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ⅓ cup diced red onion

Instructions

• Cook the bacon: Preheat the oven 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Arrange the slices of bacon in a single layer on the sheet pan (ensure there is a little space between the slices). Bake until cooked through and crispy, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the bacon from the sheet pan and drain on some paper towels to remove excess grease. Once cool enough to handle, crumble or chop the bacon. Set aside while you prepare the dressing.

  Note: Cook time for the bacon may vary, depending on how thick your slices are (e.g. regular slices or thick-cut slices). Bake until it's cooked through and crispy.
• Make the creamy dressing: In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt and black pepper (if using).
• Make the salad: In a large bowl, combine the broccoli and cauliflower florets, cheese, cranberries, walnuts, red onion and the cooked bacon.
• Combine everything: Pour the dressing over the salad and stir until the ingredients are nicely coated in the dressing and the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout. Cover and chill for 30 to 60 minutes before serving to allow the flavours to mix. Stir again before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

• 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: 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: You can certainly enjoy the salad once it’s made. However, I find that it’s 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.

A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

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Keyword bacon broccoli salad, broccoli salad with bacon, broccoli salad with cranberries, cauliflower salad

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