Broccoli Salad Recipe (One Bowl)

Quick and easy broccoli salad recipe, made with simple ingredients in one bowl in 15 minutes. Creamy, crunchy, loaded with mayonnaise, cranberries & pecans.

This simple salad is creamy and crunchy and I it make often for my family and friends. It's great for dinner parties, picnics and potlucks. It's a versatile recipe and you can make any changes you like to suit your preference. Another great, creamy salad to try is my Creamy Pea Salad (One Bowl).

Jump to:

• Key ingredients
• Variations
• How to make easy sweet broccoli salad recipe from scratch?
• What to serve with this salad?
• Tips and techniques
• Recipe FAQs
• Storage
• More homemade salad recipes
• Recipe

Key ingredients

• Mayonnaise- Makes a creamy, sweet and tangy sauce base.
• Sour cream- Adds to the overall creaminess.
• Vinegar- Adds a bit of tang.
• Granulated sugar- Compliments that tang with sweetness.
• Salt and pepper- Adjust according to personal preference.
• Parsley- Be sure to use fresh, finely chopped.
• Broccoli- Cut it up into small pieces.
• Red Onion- Chopped finely.
• Cranberries- Use dried, not fresh.
• Pecans- Make sure they are just roughly chopped.

Variations

• Add grapes- Mix in 1 cup green or red grapes.
• Mix in some pasta- Use 1.5 cups cooked pasta, such as mini shells or mini macaronis.
• Toss in some apples- Mix in 1 cup roughly chopped red apples.
• Substitute cranberries- With raisins of your choice.
• Broccoli Cranberry Salad- Use dried cranberries.
• Top it off with bacon and cheese- Add ½ cup cup cooked bacon bits and ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese.
• Add cauliflower- Replace half the broccoli with bite sized cauliflower pieces.
• Healthier version- You can lighten this salad by using low fat mayonnaise and low fat sour cream or even replacing it with Greek yogurt. However, please note that yogurt will make the salad a bit tangy.
• Omit mayo- You can omit mayonnaise and use only sour cream
• Add in some sunflower seeds- For an extra crunch and even more flavor.

How to make easy sweet broccoli salad recipe from scratch?

1. Mix together- Mayonnaise, sour cream, salt, pepper, sugar, and vinegar in a bowl.
2. Add in- Broccoli, onions, cranberries, pecans and mix.
3. Chill in the fridge- So flavors get soaked into the broccoli, then enjoy.

What to serve with this salad?

This goes best with Instant Pot Whole Chicken (Rotisserie Chicken) or Lemon Pepper Chicken. It also compliments seafood well as well as beef. Serve it alongside Loose Meat Sandwich or Perfect Roast Beef.

Tips and techniques

• Use full fat mayonnaise and sour cream- In order to get the maximum creaminess.
• You can prepare the dressing separately- And then mix that into the salad an hour before serving to keep the broccoli pieces crisp for longer.
• The longer this salad sits in the fridge- Keep in mind, the higher the likelihood for the broccolis to become limp and loose their "crispiness."
• Increase the amount of mayo and sour cream- If you want the salad to be even more creamy.
• Use roasted pecans- Because they have a deeper nutty flavor.
• Any type of vinegar can be used- I usually use regular white vinegar.

Recipe FAQs

Storage

• Make ahead- This salad is best the day of making it, but it can be placed in a sealed container and put in the fridge for a day before serving.
• Room temperature- This is not recommended for more than 1 hour to prevent bacteria.
• Refrigerate- Place in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 day. Don't allow to sit out.
• Freeze- I don't recommend freezing this dish because will get mushy upon thawing.
• Reheat- No heating necessary. Keep cold.

More homemade salad recipes

• Asian Cucumber Salad Recipe (One Bowl)
• Strawberry Spinach Salad With Poppy Seed Dressing (One Bowl)
• Waldorf Salad Recipe (One Bowl)
• Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint (One Bowl)
• Cherry Tomato Salad (One Bowl)

Recipe