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Beautiful, colorful and crunchy, this Broccoli Crunch Salad is a blend of fresh broccoli, cabbage, carrots, crispy bacon and sweet dried cranberries, all tossed in a bright vinaigrette. An easy, delicious side that feeds a crowd and is perfect for potlucks and family gatherings.

Broccoli crunch salad in a large white bowl with serving spoons.

This is one of my favorite salads to bring to barbecues, potlucks and other get-togethers because it’s such a unique, tasty dish. It has a lot of the same flavors as a classic broccoli salad, but I find the finely chopped broccoli and shredded carrots and cabbage are a little more enjoyable to eat because of the fine texture.

It’s also easy to make, feeds a large group and is totally irresistible. In my opinion, this version of broccoli salad is the best one around – it’s got plenty of crisp bacon, a hint of sweetness from the cranberries, and a nice crunch from the veggies. I get rave reviews every time I serve this sweet and crunchy broccoli salad!

Why you’ll love this recipe

So tasty and fresh: This simple broccoli crunch salad is absolutely incredible – it’s the perfect combination of sweet, savory and crunchy.
Quick and easy: Do a little multi-tasking and prep the vegetables and dressing while the bacon cooks, and this will be ready to serve in a flash.
Versatile: Make this your own! We’re sharing ideas for adding in your own favorite ingredients, below.
Good-for-you: This salad is filled with wholesome ingredients for plenty of nutrients! Broccoli, cabbage and carrots are all rich in vitamins and fiber, making this a healthy addition to any meal.

Ingredient highlights

This healthy broccoli crunch salad recipe is filled with crisp veggies, savory bacon and a simple, light dressing. It’s also dairy-free and gluten-free and can easily be adapted to vegetarian or vegan, if desired! Here’s everything you’ll need:

Broccoli: Small pieces of broccoli provide that satisfying crunch.
Cabbage: I love the gorgeous color that purple cabbage adds to this dish! You could also mix in some green cabbage, if you’d like.
Carrots: Look for carrots that are firm and free of cracks or splits. Use multicolored or tricolored for a gorgeous presentation!
Bacon: Crispy bacon is the perfect contrast to the chilled veggies.
Dried cranberries: The dried fruit adds just enough sweetness. You can swap the cranberries with raisins, golden raisins or currants.
For the dressing: A simple blend of extra virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, garlic, honey, sea salt and cracked pepper tastes so fresh and delicious.

Recipe steps

This vibrant salad comes together with simple, quick preparation steps, making it perfect for busy weeknights or as a side dish for gatherings. Here are the step-by-step instructions:

Prep: Prepare the vegetables by finely chopping the broccoli, including the stems, and placing them in a large mixing bowl.
Combine veggies: Add the shredded purple cabbage and shredded carrots to the bowl with the broccoli.
Fry the bacon: Cook the bacon until crispy, then place it on a paper towel to drain excess fat. Dice the cooked bacon and add it to the bowl with the vegetables. Add the unsweetened dried cranberries to the bowl.
Make the dressing: Whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, finely minced garlic, honey, sea salt, and fresh cracked pepper in a small bowl until well combined.
Toss salad with dressing: Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and toss well to ensure all the ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.
Chill and serve: Let the salad sit for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to meld together. Serve chilled as a crunchy and refreshing side dish.

Substitutions/Variations

While I love this recipe as written, sometimes I change up the ingredients a bit depending on what I have on hand. Here are some options:

Veggies: You can certainly add extra vegetables to this salad like zucchini or thinly sliced bell pepper! Another delicious idea is to use 1/2 broccoli and 1/2 cauliflower florets for a different flavor. Or you can use all cauliflower florets, if that’s what you have!
Nuts or seeds: Add extra crunch with a sprinkle of pine nuts, sliced almonds, chopped walnuts or sunflower seeds.
Cheese: Crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese would also be a nice addition to this salad. Experiment with adding small cubes of cheddar cheese or mozzarella.
Vegan option: To make this salad vegan, use maple syrup instead of honey in the dressing and omit the bacon or use a plant-based protein like white beans, chickpeas, tofu or tempeh.

Helpful tips

This recipe calls for 6 cups of finely chopped florets with stems, which is the equivalent of 1-2 medium-sized heads, or 1 large head of broccoli.
Make sure you chop the broccoli florets very fine, so that you don’t end up with large pieces in each bite.
This crunchy broccoli salad can be made up to 24 hours before you plan to serve it. If you’re making your salad in advance, omit the bacon and toss it in the salad just before serving.

Storage tips

Store this broccoli crunch salad with bacon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 2-3 days.

Other salad recipes you’ll love

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