Broccoli and cauliflower salad starts with “I’ll just take a little spoonful” and ends with somebody scraping the last bite out of the bowl. Some salads get politely scooped onto a paper plate and pushed around with a plastic fork. This is not one of them.
This creamy broccoli and cauliflower salad is loaded with crispy bacon, sweet grapes, crunchy pepitas, and a simple dressing that somehow turns ordinary vegetables into the first bowl emptied at the party.
It’s colorful, make-ahead friendly, and perfect for cookouts, graduation parties, church suppers, and summer weekends at the lake. Even people who “don’t really like broccoli” (like Papa) tend to come back for seconds.
Looking for more easy summer favorites? Try these reader-loved recipes too:
The salty crunch of bacon is what takes this broccoli salad from good to unforgettable. I like to bake bacon in the oven because it cooks evenly, stays flat, and frees me up to work on the rest of the salad.
Hint: Make some extra and keep the cooked bacon in the fridge. Zap it in the microwave for a few seconds for BLTs or bacon cheeseburgers in a flash!!
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the bacon in a single layer. Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes, checking after 10 minutes since thickness varies.
For this salad, cut the cooked bacon into bite-sized pieces while it’s still slightly warm. You want a little bacon flavor in every bite.
For this recipe, use eight slices (about one-half pound) and cut them into pieces between one-half and one inch long while they're still warm. Set them aside while you prepare the rest of the salad.
Start by cutting the broccoli and cauliflower into small, bite-sized florets. I like the pieces about the size of the grapes, so you get a little of everything in each bite.
Add the grapes, chopped red onion, bacon, and pepitas to a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, and white vinegar until smooth and creamy. Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss gently to coat. Hint: For best results, use real, full-fat mayonnaise. Dukes is a favorite, but Great Value Mayonnaise ranked highly in a Southern Living survey.
For the best flavor, cover and refrigerate the salad for at least an hour before serving so the flavors have time to mingle. Overnight works very well, too.
This salad is especially good for cookouts, potlucks, graduation parties, and summer holiday meals because it can be made ahead and served cold.
Add the bacon pieces and use a rubber spatula to combine the tasty ingredients with the dressing. Put this pretty salad into a serving bowl and lavish on the pepitas for garnish. I love using a simple glass bowl to serve this recipe because it is a treat for our eyes.
See how cutting the ingredients into evenly sized pieces makes each forkful a delightful combo?
Pepitas are a perfect garnish for this broccoli and cauliflower salad! They are the roasted seeds from specific hull-less pumpkin varieties.
They are packed with flavor, a bit of salt, and are extremely nutritious. Plus, pepitas are bigger and prettier than sunflower seeds (and much more fun to say!)
This recipe is for a beautiful, crunchy, colorful, nutritious salad. It keeps well in the fridge and will change the minds of your broccoli and cauliflower haters!
Yes! In fact, this salad tastes even better after it has chilled for a few hours. It’s a great make-ahead recipe for cookouts, potlucks, and holiday gatherings.
Stored covered in the refrigerator, this salad is best enjoyed within 2–3 days. The vegetables will gradually soften as they sit in the dressing.
Absolutely. Sunflower seeds work beautifully in this salad; they just don't have as much crunch.
No, but the crisp grapes add a wonderful sweet contrast to the salty bacon and creamy dressing. Red grapes also make the salad especially pretty for serving. Your mouth will love all the flavors having a party in there.😉
This salad pairs well with burgers, grilled chicken, pulled pork sandwiches, brats, hot dogs, baked beans, and almost anything cooked on the grill. My husband does not enjoy cooked broccoli or cauliflower. He will eat them raw, and this broccoli and cauliflower salad is one of his very favorites.
Here are three other salads our whole family loves:
Amish Macaroni Salad - The best macaroni salad is easy to make. It consists of lots of crunchy vegetables in a creamy dressing with just the right amount of sweetness.
Marinated Vegetable Salad - This is a recipe for a delicious marinated vegetable salad that you can modify according to your taste and the ingredients you have on hand. It keeps so well and holds up well at a picnic-- no mayo!
Cottage Cheese Salad - An iconic salad bar favorite from the golden age of steakhouses. Still a favorite today. Cherished by the locals here who smuggled the recipe out when the steakhouse closed.
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Love, GB (Betty Streff)
Real food. Real kitchen. Real easy.
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