An easy make-ahead broccoli and cauliflower salad is a perfect side dish that's loaded with bacon, onion, cranberries, and pecans -- and just 15 minutes of prep!
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword broccoli and cauliflower salad, broccoli cauliflower salad
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 0 minutesminutes
Chilling Time 2 hourshours
Total Time 2 hourshours15 minutesminutes
Servings 8servings
Calories 306kcal
Author Blair Lonergan
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
4cupsbite-size broccoli florets(about 1 crown)
4cupsbite-size cauliflower florets(slightly less than 1 large crown)
Combine the broccoli, cauliflower, onion, cranberries, pecans and bacon in a large bowl.
4 cups bite-size broccoli florets, 4 cups bite-size cauliflower florets, ¾ cup diced red onion, ½ cup dried cranberries, ½ cup chopped pecans, toasted, ½ cup chopped, cooked bacon
In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper.
¾ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 ½ tablespoons vinegar, Salt and pepper, to taste
Spoon over the vegetables and toss to coat. Cover and chill at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
Swap out the dried cranberries for another kind of dried fruit -- regular raisins or golden raisins, dried cherries, dried apples, or even chopped dried apricots.
Instead of pecans, try walnuts, slivered almonds, crunchy sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds for that nutty crunch. You could also try salad toppers with candied nuts like glazed pecans or honey almonds for more sweetness.
Add cheese. Feta or goat cheese would be great in this salad, or try shaved Parmesan cheese, cubed cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, or Monterey Jack.
Swap out the sour cream for an equal amount of plain Greek yogurt in the creamy dressing.
Cut the broccoli and cauliflower into very small florets. This makes each bite easier to enjoy!
Cook your bacon until it's very crispy before adding it to the salad. You don't want limp, soggy bacon in the salad, so starting with really crisp pieces is key for flavor and texture.
Allow plenty of time for the salad to chill in the refrigerator after assembling (at least 2 hours). It just gets better as it sits, the vegetables soften, and the flavors come together.
If you want the pecans to be crunchy, wait to stir them into the salad just before serving.