This Loaded Broccoli Salad is a favorite all year round, but goes great with your summer BBQ’s. I have tried a lot of different broccoli salads and I took all my favorite parts of each salad and combined them.
Summer potlucks and parties are all about the food and I love that broccoli salad is a delicious alternative to the potato salads and jello salads that are served at BBQs.
I love broccoli salad because it’s loaded with nutrients and vitamins (it’s the only way I will eat fresh broccoli!) and the added flavor of the dressing makes this a crowd favorite!
I wanted to make a dish that could be thrown together in the shortest amount of time possible, so I am going to share some short cuts with you that make this such an easy dish!
My first time-saving tip is to use the fresh broccoli florets that you can purchase from the produce section at your local Kroger. This not only saves me time, but also the mess that happens when you are chopping up broccoli!
If you want, you can chop up the broccoli into even smaller pieces, but it is completely up to you.
Some broccoli salads will have you blanch the broccoli before making the salad (which means to cook it for a short time in boiling water and then cool it down in an ice bath), but that is not needed for this recipe.
I feel that raw, fresh broccoli is the best in this dish and with all the other ingredients that are added to compliment the broccoli, blanching is not a necessary step. Toss that broccoli in a bowl and move on to the next step!
My next time-saving tip is using these Kroger shredded carrots – all you have to do is dump them in! No peeling, no cutting, no dicing . . . using shredded carrots from the produce section at Kroger makes this salad so easy to throw together.
Ingredients needed for Loaded Broccoli Salad:
- Red Onion
- Gala Apple
- Craisins
- Chopped Walnuts
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese (cubed)
- Bacon
- Mayonnaise
- Plain Greek Yogurt
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Lemon Juice
- Sugar
Don’t forget these items too:
How to make loaded broccoli salad:
Combine the chopped apple, onion, cheese, and bacon into a large bowl. This salad will feed the masses, so you want to make sure you have a bowl big enough to hold all of it!
Now mix together the dressing ingredients. The dressing for this salad is simple – only 5 ingredients needed.
After trying a lot of different broccoli salad recipes over the years, I decided to mix it up by using equal parts mayonnaise and Greek yogurt.
I feel that the Greek yogurt makes the dressing a little tangier and not so mayonnaise-heavy.
I also added a little bit of red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, and a tiny bit of sugar.
Some broccoli salads use TONS of sugar in their dressing (up to 3/4 cup!), but it is just not necessary with the flavors that we have from the other ingredients.
Mix the dressing ingredients together and gently fold it into the broccoli salad. You can serve immediately, but I actually prefer to let it sit in the fridge for 1-2 hours before serving to really let the flavors meld together.
This salad will stay fresh 1-2 days in the fridge and I personally feel that the flavors get better after each day! If you have a favorite way to make Broccoli Salad, please share in the comments below!
Want even more broccoli? Try our Air Fryer Parmesan Broccoli Recipe!
RESTAURANT QUALITY COOKING IN YOUR VERY OWN KITCHEN!
Have you heard about our newest cookbook, Copycat Cooking? We took over 100 of our favorite restaurant recipes and simplified them so that you can make them right at home!
This cookbook includes copycat recipes from Wingers, Texas Roadhouse, Starbucks, Panera, Cheesecake Factory, Kneaders, and so much more. We have you covered from drinks, to dessert and everything in-between.
SIX SISTERS’ STUFF COPYCAT COOKING <—– CLICK HERE TO ORDER!
Looking for more salad recipes? Watch how we make some of our favorites!
Did you know we have a Youtube Channel? We created it just for you and wanted to show you how simple and delicious our recipes are.
Let us take you through each recipe, step by step, and show you exactly how to make it. We answer all your questions, and help you get the recipe, perfect, each and every time you make it.
If you are looking for more simple and delicious recipes, head over to our channel and check them out.
This Loaded Broccoli Salad is so easy. Get your kids involved in the kitchen. They’ll love it!
Here are some more great salad recipes for your parties and BBQ’s:
- The Best Creamy Pasta Salad
- Orange Fluff Jello Salad
- Barbecue Chicken Salad
- Spaghetti Salad
- Creamy Grape Salad
- Cucumber Dill Salad
- Santa Barbara Cobb Salad
Loaded Broccoli Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups broccoli florets chopped
- ⅔ cup shredded carrots
- ⅓ cup diced red onion
- 1 gala apple diced
- ½ cup Craisins
- ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese 1 block, cubed
- 8 bacon strips cooked and crumbled
Dressing Ingredients
- ½ cup light mayonnaise
- ½ cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice (fresh is best)
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together broccoli, carrots, onion, apple, Craisins, walnuts, cheese, and bacon.
- In a smaller bowl, combine dressing ingredients.
- Gently fold the dressing into the broccoli bowl until all ingredients are coated with dressing.
- Cover and chill in the fridge for 2 hours before serving.
- Salad will remain fresh for up to 2 days covered in the fridge.
Video
Notes
- To save time buy shredded carrots and chopped broccoli florets
Nutrition
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Small Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
Recipe Details
Be sure to not miss another recipe! Follow Six Sisters’ Stuff on Instagram|Facebook|Pinterest|YouTube
If you made our recipe be sure to tag us on Instagram so we can see your hard work using #sixsistersstuff.
Questions & Reviews