This colorful Small-Batch Broccoli Salad combines crisp-tender broccoli, smoky bacon, sharp Cheddar cheese, diced celery, toasted pecans, sweet dried cranberries, and a creamy homemade dressing.
It's the perfect side dish for everything from grilled chicken and burgers to sandwiches and holiday meals. Best of all, this recipe makes just the right amount for two to four people, enough to enjoy without ending up with a giant bowl of leftovers.
I originally created this Small-Batch Broccoli Salad to serve alongside my Mini Mushroom Gruyère Quiches. I wanted something cool and crisp to balance the rich, buttery pastry and creamy custard.
The combination worked so well that we had it for dinner two nights in a row. In fact, I ended up making a second batch because we had already eaten the first one before I could photograph it!
Quick Look at the Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 minute
- Chill Time: 1 hour
- Makes: 4 servings
- Difficulty: Easy
- Perfect For: Weeknight dinners, picnics, potlucks, and holiday meals
- Pairing: Serve with Mini Mushroom Gruyère Quiches or Mini Quiche Lorraine for an easy make-ahead lunch or light dinner.
Jump to:
Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need for the Broccoli Salad
- Dressing: The flavorful dressing is a combination of mayonnaise, sour cream, dijon mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, fresh lemon juice, Kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Salad: This colorful salad combines fresh broccoli florets, crumbled bacon, toasted pecans, diced celery, dried cranberries (Craisins), diced red onion, and shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese.
How to Make the Broccoli Salad: Step-by-Step
- Blanch the Broccoli Florets: Add the broccoli florets to boiling salted water and blanch for 45 seconds. Transfer the broccoli florets to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and lock in the bright green color.
- Drain and Dry Broccoli: Once cool, transfer the broccoli to a colander to drain. Then dry well on paper towels.
- Make the Dressing: Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. I like to use a measuring cup with a spout to make pouring the dressing easier.
- Assemble the Salad: Add the well-dried, blanched broccoli florets, crumbled bacon, toasted pecans, diced celery, dried cranberries, diced red onion, and shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese to a medium bowl. Pour on the dressing and gently toss to combine.
- Chill: Once the salad is assembled, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors meld.
PudgeFactor's Test Kitchen Tips
- Don't skip the blanching step. The quick 45-second blanch, followed by the ice bath, brightens the color, softens the raw bite, and keeps the broccoli pleasantly crisp.
- Be sure to dry the broccoli thoroughly. Any excess moisture will dilute the dressing and prevent it from coating the broccoli evenly.
- Toasting the pecans is important for bringing out their buttery flavor. In addition, it adds another layer of richness to the salad.
- Go the extra step of grating the cheese yourself using the large holes of a box grater. This size provides a better texture in the salad than a smaller shred. Also, I would advise against using pre-shredded cheese because the anti-caking coating dulls the flavor.
In Case You Were Wondering
I wouldn't recommend skipping the blanching for several reasons. First, without blanching, your broccoli will be raw, which is all right if you like raw broccoli, but blanching turns raw broccoli into a vibrant, green, crisp, tender broccoli. Second, blanching helps to eliminate any impurities or bugs hiding in the broccoli.
Absolutely. In fact, I think it's even better after chilling for a few hours. If making it a day ahead, reserve a few pecans, bacon crumbles, and a little Cheddar to sprinkle over the top just before serving to freshen the appearance.
Yes. Toasted walnuts or sliced almonds both work well. However, I think that toasted pecans pair especially nicely with the crumbled bacon and tangy dressing.
Yes. You can omit the nuts totally or replace them with additional dried cranberries.
The salad can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir gently before serving, and if desired, freshen with a few toasted pecans, bacon crumbles, and shredded cheese.
Final Thoughts
This Small-Batch Broccoli Salad has become one of those dependable recipes I find myself making again and again.
It's fresh, colorful, creamy, and full of contrasting textures, from crisp broccoli and crunchy toasted pecans to smoky bacon and tangy Cheddar. Whether you serve it with quiche, grilled meats, or your favorite sandwiches, it's the kind of side dish that quietly steals the spotlight. Yum!
Other Salads
Salads are perfect side dishes and also light entrées. Here are some of my favorites:
- Easy Publix Inspired Tarragon Chicken Salad
- Quick and Easy Pesto Chicken Caprese Pasta Salad
- Cucumber Dill Salad (Gurkensalat) - A Taste of Hamburg
- Easy Make Ahead Bacon Ranch Potato Salad
- Quick & Easy Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
- Classic Steakhouse Wedge Salad
- Watermelon Strawberry Caprese Salad
- Small-Batch Spinach Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
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Small-Batch Broccoli Salad
Equipment
- Medium to large saucepan
- colander
- Paper Towels
- Small Bowl
- whisk
- medium bowl
- Silicone spoon
Ingredients
Dressing
- ¼ cup (2 ounces, 57 grams) mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon (0.5 ounce, 14 grams) Sour cream (See Tip 1)
- 1 tablespoon (0.5 ounces, 14 grams) apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons (0.5 ounces, 14 grams) honey
- 1 teaspoon (0.18 ounces, 5 grams) Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon (0.18 ounces, 5 grams) Fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Salad
- 8 ounces (4 cups, 227 grams) broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 slices bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbled (0.5 ounces, 14 grams)
- ¼ cup (1 ounce, 28 grams) Pecan pieces, toasted (See Tip 2)
- ¼ cup (1.2 ounces, 24 grams, 1 stalk) diced celery
- ¼ cup (1 ounce, 28 grams) dried cranberries (See Tip 3)
- ¼ cup (1.2 ounces, 34 grams) finely diced red onion
- 1 ounce (28 grams, about ¼ cup) Freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (See Tips 4 and 5)
- Dressing from above.
Instructions
Dressing
- In a 1-cup measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Salad
- Bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and blanch for 45 seconds. Immediately transfer the broccoli to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain well; pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. (See Tips 6 and 7)
- In a medium bowl, add the broccoli, bacon, pecans, celery, cranberries, red onion, and cheddar cheese. Pour the dressing over the salad. Toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. (See Tip 8)
- Yield: 4 servings
Video
Tips/Notes
- I used light sour cream, but feel free to use full-fat sour cream.
- To toast pecans, place in a single layer in a 350°F oven for 8 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
- I used Craisins for the dried cranberries.
- I would avoid using pre-shredded cheese because of the anti-caking coating.
- For a more savory broccoli salad, substitute Gruyère for the cheddar cheese.
- Blanching the broccoli for just 45 seconds made a surprising difference. The broccoli stayed bright green, retained its crunch, and was noticeably easier to eat than completely raw broccoli.
- Be sure to thoroughly dry the broccoli. Dry broccoli helps the dressing cling to every bite rather than become watery.
- For the best flavor, chill for at least an hour. This salad can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance. If making a day ahead, reserve a small handful of the toasted pecans and sprinkle them over the salad just before serving to maintain their crunch.
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