This Broccoli Cranberry Salad is everything you could want in a salad. Crisp, creamy, and busting with flavor, this recipe makes a a great lunch or side salad with dinner.
If you love broccoli, then you should try this Broccoli Salad With Bacon and Cheese or Crispy Air Fryer Broccoli.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
As the weather gets warmer, a cool, crisp salad is just the thing. I love this Broccoli Cranberry Salad recipe because it’s nice and simple, but packs a lot of vitamins and nutrients into one tasty package. This salad works great as a side salad or you can enjoy it as the main meal.
- TASTE: With a mix of earthy, slightly bitter veggies and sweet cranberries, this salad has the perfect balance of flavors. And the dressing is both rich and tangy.
- TEXTURE: This Broccoli Cranberry Salad has all the things you want: crisp broccoli and slaw, crunchy sunflower seeds, chewy cranberries, and a creamy vinaigrette. This salad is absolutely delicious.
- TIME: It only takes 10 minutes to make.
- EASE: This recipe is so easy, you’ll want to make this salad again and again. It’s made with simple kitchen ingredients that make it a breeze to whip up.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Broccoli- You’ll want to use florets here. If you cut them yourself, make sure to chop off as much stem as possible as they can be very fibrous and hard to eat.
- Broccoli slaw- This adds nice texture to the salad and a little sweetness from the carrots.
- Mayonnaise- As the base for the dressing, this will give it a rich creaminess.
- Sour cream- Rich and tangy, this gives the dressing extra flavor.
- Dijon mustard- This zesty mustard is flavorful and acts as an emulsifier, holding the mayo and vinegar together.
- Apple cider vinegar- For extra tangy flavor.
- Sugar- To balance out the tanginess in the dressing ingredients.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Add meat- Bacon bits, Chicken Breast, Baked Shrimp, or Steak Bites can be added to this Broccoli and Cranberry Salad to make it a main dish.
- Substitute the cranberries- Make this salad with grapes, raisins, chopped apple, or pear for a flavorful variation.
- Add nuts- Toss it with some almond slivers, chopped cashews, walnuts, pecans, or pistachios.
- Substitute the sugar- If you’re avoiding refined sugars, then use maple syrup in place of the sugar in the dressing.
How to Make Broccoli Cranberry Salad
- Prepare the dressing. In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, dijon mustard, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, and sugar. Mix until the dressing has a creamy consistency.
- Put together the salad ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the broccoli slaw, fresh broccoli florets, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds.
- Dress the broccoli cranberry salad. Pour the dressing over the broccoli salad and mix just enough to combine. Plate and serve.
Pro Tip: If any of the florets seem too large, cut them into a more manageable size. This will make the salad easier to eat.
Recipe Tips
- Whisk the dressing well- The dressing will need a bit of whisking because the mayonnaise and vinegar will not want to mix. Given time though, they will come together.
- Chop any large broccoli into smaller pieces- Sometimes the bagged broccoli florets are on the large side, so trim them down to make this salad easier to eat.
- Don’t dress the salad until you’re ready to serve- Wait to add the dressing until you are about to serve. This way, if you have leftover salad without dressing, you can store it for longer than a dressed salad.
FAQs
This Broccoli Cranberry Salad is healthy because of the Vitamin C in the broccoli and the fiber, magnesium, and potassium in the sunflower seeds. To lighten up the dressing, substitute low fat, plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream and use a reduced fat mayo.
You can serve this Broccoli Cranberry Salad with so many different things: seeds, like poppy seeds or pumpkin seeds; fruit, like green apples, grapes, or orange slices; or cheese, like cheddar or blue cheese. The variations are endless.
Serving Suggestions
This Broccoli Cranberry Salad has versatile flavors that make it great alongside anything you serve it with. Enjoy it with meat dishes, soups, sides, and sandwiches.
- Meats: Enjoy this salad with Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, Ribeye Steak, Garlic Herb Crown Roast of Pork, or Baked Chicken Skewers.
- Soups: Pair it with a bowl of Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Potato Leek Soup, Clam Chowder Soup, or Chicken Tortilla Soup.
- Sides: Serve this Broccoli Cranberry Salad alongside Sauteed Garlic Asparagus, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Crispy Air Fryer Broccoli, or Super Creamy Mashed Potatoes.
- Sandwiches: Serve it with a sandwich or burger, such as this Brisket Sandwich Recipe, Caprese Sandwich, Classic BLT Sandwich, or Chipotle Burger with Avocado Sauce.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: Prepare the dressing ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to serve, assemble and dress the salad.
Storing: Store this Broccoli Cranberry Salad in an airtight container in the fridge for about 2 days if you’ve put on the dressing. If the dressing is stored separately, then it will stay fresh for about 4 days.
Freeze: I don’t suggest freezing this salad as the dressing will thaw with a grainy texture and the broccoli will be soft and mushy.
More Scrumptious Salads!
Full Recipe Instructions
Broccoli Cranberry Salad
Ingredients
- 18-20 oz fresh broccoli
- 3 cup Broccoli slaw mix
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 4 tbsp salted sunflower seeds
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 4 Tbsp sour cream
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 4 tsp granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and sugar until it becomes one creamy consistency.
- In a separate bowl, combine broccoli slaw, fresh broccoli, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds.
- Pour the dressing over the broccoli and mix just to combine.
Notes
Great recipes to have with broccoli cranberry salad
Grilled teriyaki chicken Ribeye steak in the oven Baked chicken skewersNutrition
This recipe was originally published on February 14, 2015, we have changed a few things since then to better improve it for our readers.
- Chewy Special K Bars - May 13, 2025
- Croissant Breakfast Sandwich - May 10, 2025
- Baked Chicken Tacos - May 6, 2025
Ruth says
This is delicious and so easy to make!
Dina says
Hi Ruth 🙂 Very happy to hear you enjoyed this salad recipe! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback! I hope you find more delicious recipes to enjoy from my food website! 🙂
Anna says
Our family has a culinary competition every year. We have 15 couples participate and different categories. For the “salad” category, I made this salad. And…..I won 1st place! It was good. I have some leftovers and I’m willing to bet it’ll still be good today. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
simplyhomecooked says
Anna that’s so exciting! Good job on winning the competition! Totally craving this salad now ????
Anastasia says
Made this salad for mothers day and it was all gone! By far the best broccoli salad I’ve had.
simplyhomecooked says
Nastya, I’m so glad you and your family loved the salad! Thanks for your feedback 🙂