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Cold Broccoli Salad

This delicious Cold Broccoli Salad with Bacon recipe is a combination of broccoli, bacon, red onion, dried cranberries, sharp cheddar cheese, and sliced almonds. It’s coated with a creamy mayonnaise dressing. It’s super easy and durable because it won’t wilt.

This is a small batch recipe for two that is a great light and refreshing side dish.

To store broccoli salad – If you have leftovers and the dressing is mixed in with the veggies, you can keep it in the fridge for about 2 days. If the salad and dressing is kept separate, it should last about 4 days.

a bowl filled with broccoli, red onion, bacon, cranberries and shredded cheese coated in a white creamy sauce and text reading recipe at zonacooks.com cold broccoli salad
Cold Broccoli Salad with Bacon

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How to make Broccoli Salad with Bacon

Cut the bacon into 1-inch pieces.

Cook the bacon in a frying pan over medium heat until crisp.

1 inch bacon pieces cooking in a frying pan

Drain the bacon on a paper towel and set aside.

bacon pieces cooling on paper towel

Chop the broccoli into bite-sized pieces and dice the red onions.

broccoli florets and diced red onions on a cutting board

Combine the broccoli florets, cheddar cheese, dried cranberries, almonds, and red onion in a medium bowl.

broccoli florets, diced red onion, dried cranberries, and shredded cheddar cheese in a bowl

In a separate, small bowl, whisk together the mayo, white wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper until smooth and well combined.

white creamy mayo mixture in a bowl with a whisk

Pour dressing over broccoli mixture and stir until well coated.

broccoli florets, diced red onion, dried cranberries, and shredded cheddar cheese coated in white creamy mayo in a bowl with a black spoon

For best flavor refrigerate for at least one hour with the bacon stored separately in a zipper baggie.

To serve, stir the bacon into the broccoli salad until well coated.

a close up front view of cold broccoli salad with a bowl filled with broccoli, red onion, bacon, cranberries and shredded cheese coated in a white creamy sauce
Small Batch Broccoli Salad for Two

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a close up front view of a bowl filled with broccoli, red onion, bacon, cranberries and shredded cheese coated in a white creamy sauce

Cold Broccoli Salad

This delicious Cold Broccoli Salad with Bacon recipe is a combination of broccoli, bacon, red onion, dried cranberries, sharp cheddar cheese, and sliced almonds. It's coated with a creamy mayonnaise dressing. Ready in 15 minutes!
4.41 from 10 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Side Dishes
Cuisine American
Servings 2
Calories 425 kcal

Ingredients

For the Salad:

  • 1 ½ cups raw broccoli florets
  • ¼ cup sharp cheddar cheese
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries
  • 1 slice bacon
  • cup sliced almonds
  • ¼ of a small red onion

For the Dressing:

  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • teaspoon table salt
  • teaspoon black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Cut the bacon into 1 inch pieces.
  • Cook the bacon in a frying pan over medium heat until crisp.
  • Drain the bacon on paper towel and set aside.
  • Chop the broccoli into bite-sized pieces and dice the red onions.
  • Combine the broccoli florets, cheddar cheese, dried cranberries, almonds, and red onion in a medium bowl.
  • In a separate, small bowl, whisk together the mayo, white wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper until smooth and well-combined.
  • Pour dressing over broccoli mixture and stir until well coated.
  • For best flavor refrigerate for at least one hour with the bacon stored separately in a zipper baggie.
  • To serve, stir the bacon into the broccoli salad until well coated.

Video

Notes

  • To store broccoli salad – If you have leftovers and the dressing is mixed in with the veggies, you can keep it in the fridge for about 2 days. If the salad and dressing is kept separate, it should last about 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 425kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 8gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 14gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 513mgPotassium: 334mgFiber: 4gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 590IUVitamin C: 62mgCalcium: 158mgIron: 1mg
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Hi and welcome. I’m Zona and I have a passion for recipes. I share recipes, tips, tricks, and resources to help you cook for two. Eat, drink, and enjoy!

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a bowl filled with broccoli, red onion, bacon, cranberries and shredded cheese coated in a white creamy sauce and text reading recipe at zonacooks.com cold broccoli salad for two
Broccoli Salad for Two
4.41 from 10 votes (10 ratings without comment)
Recipe Rating




Heather McLean

Sunday 17th of March 2024

HiYa Zona Just curious as to how you count your calories for this? I put all your ingredients into the My Fitness Pal tracker and at most only got 350 calories per serving. What am I missing? I counted in everything but the salt and pepper and then divided by 2 as you say it serves two.

Zona House

Sunday 17th of March 2024

Hi Heather, the nutrition on all posts is automatically calculated by a third party software called Nutritionix so I'm uncertain why it's different than the My Fitness Pal tracker but I definitely like your number better :)

Sharon

Saturday 15th of April 2023

I love this recipe. It is a go-to great to have in the fridge and ready for any meal that needs to be filled out. It is hardy enough to last in the refrigerator for three or four days, although it doesn’t unless it gets shoved to the back. It has a perfect blend of crunchy and creamy, sweet and tangy.

CJinUSA

Sunday 27th of March 2022

DH makes a similar salad, but instead of a sweet mayo dressing he uses ranch dressing. No almonds. No cranberries. 1/2 broccoli, 1/2 cauliflower. Delicious.