This is an easy broccoli cauliflower salad that can be made ahead of time. Made with a slightly sweet and tangy homemade creamy dressing that won’t make the salad go soggy.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- In this salad the broccoli and cauliflower are cooked until just tender. unlike some other salads where these are used raw. It just make it easier for the body to digest, especially if you suffer from gas, bloating and pain when eating these raw.
- This recipe can be made vegetarian or vegan by swapping some of the ingredients with suitable alternatives.
- Great for meal prepping because it will last 3-4 days in the fridge without going soggy, making it great for easy weekday work lunches.
- And because it can be prepared ahead of time, it’s the perfect salad to take on summer picnics, to potlucks and for sharing at BBQ’s.
- This salad can also be served as a side dish or can be enjoyed as a light meal on its own.
Ingredients
Broccoli and cauliflower – you will need an average size head of broccoli and about half ahead of a small/medium cauliflower for this recipe. Choose broccoli that is firm and green and pick a cauliflower that is firm and white looking, use a sharp knife to trim away any blemishes that may be present on the cauliflower.
Bacon – Any cut of bacon can be used, if it’s very fatty trim away and discard the excess fat. We used short-cut bacon because it has very little fat on it.
Leave out the bacon if you are making it vegan or vegetarian or replace the bacon with a vegan alternative.
Red salad onion – this is great for salads as they are mild in flavor and can be eaten raw. If you can’t get red onion use another mild onion like spring onions.
Cheese – use a hard-firm cheese like cheddar. The cheese can be cut into cubes or grated.
Replace the cheddar cheese with a suitable alternative to make it vegan or vegetarian.
Sunflower seeds – these add texture to the salad. Finely chopped toasted nuts could also be used.
Mayonnaise – use your favorite mayo, so if it Miracle whip use that, ours is Hellman’s. If you want to make a no mayo salad you can use Greek yogurt with some sour cream for the salad dressing. Just keep in mind that if you make a no mayo salad dressing it won't keep as well and is best consumed within 24 hours.
Red wine vinegar – this will give additional flavor to the salad. It also thins down the mayonnaise, making it easier for it to seep into the little openings in the broccoli and cauliflower, for a burst of flavor in every bite. If you don't have red wine vinegar you can use some lemon juice.
Sugar – a little sugar balances out the sharpness from the vinegar.
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1 – Cut the broccoli and cauliflower into bite-sized pieces, wash well and drain.
Place the broccoli and cauliflower with about 1 tablespoon of water into microwave-safe containers and cook, covered on high until just tender.
If you don’t have a microwave oven, boil or steam them until just tender.
Step 2 – Once cooked drain well and place onto a baking tray and allow to come to room temperature before making the salad.
Step 3 – Cook the bacon until it becomes nice and crisp and cut into small pieces.
Step 4 – Cut the cheese into small cubes, and thinly slice the red onion.
Place the dressing ingredients into a small bowl and whisk until it becomes smooth and lump-free.
Step 5 – Place all the salad ingredients into a large bowl. Pour the dressing over salad tossing well to combine.
Recipe Notes
The salad dressing: If you like a salad with lots of salad dressing the quantity for this recipe may not be enough for you but, you can easily double the recipe to make more.
Leftovers or for advanced meal prep: Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Variations
- Make this broccoli cauliflower salad vegetarian by replacing the bacon and cheese with vegetarian friendly alternatives.
- You could also throw in a handful of dried cranberries and or chopped walnuts.
Serving Suggestions
What to Serve with This Salad?
This broccoli cauliflower salad will go well with most BBQ or grilled meats and even oven-baked chicken such as butterflied roast chicken. It would also go well with spaghetti Bolognese.
FAQ
Yes, this recipe is gluten-free, but always remember to the labels on the products you are buying to ensure that they are 100% gluten-free.
This salad is at its if you make it ahead of time and leave it to sit in the fridge for several hours or overnight before serving.
No, this salad does not freeze well.
Leftovers or for advanced meal prep: Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
More Veggie Recipes
If you like cauliflower you might also like to try my cauliflower potato mash recipe. It's a light and healthy alternative to mashed potatoes, or try this meat-free broccoli and cauliflower soup or this recipe for buttered vegetables or these easy recipes:
If you do make this cauliflower broccoli salad, I would love to hear from you. Please come back and leave a comment below and tell me how you went.
Recipe
Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
Equipment
- Saucepan or steamer pot or microwave oven
Ingredients
Salad
- 120 grams (4.23 ounces) bacon * see notes below
- 300 grams (10.6 ounces) broccoli
- 300 grams (10.6 ounces) cauliflower
- 60 grams (2 ounces) red onion
- 100 grams (3.5 ounces) cheddar cheese or a similar hard cheese, * see notes below
- 30 grams (1 ounces) sunflower seeds
Dressing
- 70 grams (2.46 ounces, ⅓ cup) mayonnaise or to taste * see notes below
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- Salt for seasoning optional
Instructions
- Prepare the Broccoli and Cauliflower Cut broccoli into bite sized pieces, wash well, place into a microwave safe container and cook on high until the broccoli becomes tender. This will take about 3-4 minutes on high in an 850-watt microwave. Allow to come to room temperature.Cut the cauliflower into bite sized pieces, wash well, and microwave for about 5 minutes until just soft and tender. Allow to cool to room temperature.Note: The broccoli and cauliflower can also be blanched. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the broccoli and cauliflower (they can be blanched at the same time if the pot is large enough), bring back to the boil and cook for 1 minute, drain and allow to come to room temperature.Or the broccoli and cauliflower can be steamed until just tender.
- Fry the bacon until it becomes crisp, drain on absorbent paper, cool then cut into tiny pieces.
- Slice the onion thinly and cut the cheese into small cubes, place into a large bowl.
- Once the broccoli and cauliflower have cooled, place into the large bowl with the onion and cheese. Add the bacon and sunflower seeds.
- Make the dressing. Into a cup add the mayonnaise, sugar and wine vinegar mix well. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight before serving.
Notes
- Leave out the bacon or replace it with a vegan alternative.
- Use a vegan cheese instead of regular cheese.
- Use an egg free and dairy free mayonnaise.
- Don't use bacon or replace it with a vegan alternative.
- Use a vegetarian friendly cheese.
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