Our Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Apple is an upgraded version of the crowd-pleasing classic — with sweet-tart apples, smoky bacon, crunchy walnuts, and a creamy homemade poppyseed dressing.
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If you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing side to bring to a potluck, pack up for a picnic, or serve at a backyard barbeque, look no further than this recipe for broccoli salad!
Just like the version you grew up with, our version is made with a base of crispy-crunchy broccoli that gets tossed in a creamy dressing. But we upgraded the standard broccoli salad recipe by adding sweet-tart apples, salty, smoky bacon, and crunchy walnuts.
Not only does it come together quickly (if you’ve got 15 minutes, you’ve got time to whip it up!), but it holds up well in the fridge, so it’s still got that satisfying crunch even after chillin’ for a few days.
Looking for more veggie sides for your next barbeque or potluck? Try our delicious Spicy Watermelon Salad, Curried Green Bean Salad, Raw Fennel Zucchini Salad, or Strawberry Spinach Salad.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Crowd-pleasing recipe that’s sure to please!
- Ready in just 15 minutes
- Keeps well, and stays crunchy for a few days
Broccoli Salad Recipe Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need to whip up this easy broccoli salad recipe. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
For the salad:
- Broccoli – the base of this salad is 6 cups of broccoli florets, AKA 2 medium-sized heads
- Apple – you’ll need 1 small red apple
- Walnuts – we call for 1/2 cup
- Bacon – 5 slices, cooked and crumbled adds salty, smoky flavor
- Onion – you’ll use 1/2 diced purple onion
For the dressing:
- Mayo – we call for 3/4 cup of avocado oil mayo
- Lemon juice – you’ll need 2 tablespoons, which is the juice from 1 lemon
- Honey – use 2 tablespoons of honey (omit this ingredient for Whole 30 diets)
- Poppyseeds – 1 teaspoon of poppyseeds add color and crunch
- Sea salt – you’ll use 1/2 teaspoon of coarse sea salt
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
Don’t be afraid to mix it up! Here are some easy ways to make this salad recipe your own:
- Blue cheese – add some salty, creamy blue cheese to make this recipe extra decadent.
- Chilled pasta – for a yummy carbs boost, toss the salad with some chilled bowties, penne, or other short pasta shape.
- Herbs – fresh parsley, basil, or tarragon would all be great additions!
- Nuts – if you don’t have walnuts on hand, swap in pecans, hazelnuts, or pepitas instead
How to Make Our Best Broccoli Salad Recipe with Bacon
This broccoli bacon salad recipe comes together in just a few steps.
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, apple slices, walnuts, bacon, and purple onion.
Step 2: In a small bowl, whisk all of the ingredients for the dressing.
Step 3: Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture.
Step 4: Toss to coat and serve!
Recipe Tip
Store separately – this recipe holds up well and stays crunchy for a few days in the fridge. But if you want to make it a day ahead, store the broccoli mix and the dressing separately until ready to serve.
How to Serve
Serve immediately, or chill for a few hours to let the flavors marry.
How to Store and Reheat
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Obviously broccoli is the star of the show in this recipe. Our upgraded version on the classic broccoli salad recipe with bacon also includes apples, walnuts, purple onion, and a homemade creamy poppyseed salad dressing.
You don’t have to blanch broccoli to make this salad: leaving the veggie raw makes it extra crisp and crunchy.
But if you don’t mind the extra step, blanching makes the veggie crisp-tender, and makes the color more vibrantly bright green.
How do you blanch broccoli? Simply bring a big pot of water to a boil, leaving enough room to add the 6 cups of broccoli. Add the veggie, cook for 2-3 minutes, and then transfer to an ice bath to stop it from cooking more with residual heat.
Broccoli stems are delicious and nutritious, so they’re great to eat! You can include bite-size pieces of broccoli in this recipe, or save the stems for stir-fries or soups.
More Favorite Salad Recipes
If you tried this recipe for Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Apple, or any other recipe on the Fed & Fit website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Broccoli Crunch Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 heads broccoli, chopped into florets (about 6 cups florets)
- 1 small red apple, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 5 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1/2 purple onion, diced
For the dressing:
- 3/4 cup avocado oil mayo
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, about 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons honey, omit for Whole 30
- 1 teaspoon poppyseeds
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, apple slices, walnuts, bacon, and purple onion.
- In a small bowl, whisk all of the ingredients for the dressing, then pour over the broccoli mixture and toss to coat.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2-3 days.
Nutrition
Eyeing this to make for a tailgate … has anyone added shredded chicken to make it bit more like a meal?
Genius, Adrienne! Adding some shredded chicken sounds delicious!!
Amazing! So delicious! My kids devoured it! I was shocked!!! I mixed some full fat yogurt into the sauce to cut down on the mayo! Next time I may add a little less onion….half an onion was a bit too strong for my tastes personally.
Amazing! Great idea adding yogurt in place of some mayo! Thank you so much for taking the time to share, Csilla!
Yum!
This was the hardest part of dinner tonight – can of baked beans, and grilled chicken. Easy summer dinner.
We love an easy summer dinner! Glad you enjoyed. Thank you for taking the time to share with us. -Team F&F
This is SO good! It’s a healthier take on the mayo-heavy, cheese-laden southern style dish I grew up with. It’s fresh and full of flavor. I love that I can make a batch of this and that we can enjoy if over the course of almost a week.
Agreed!!! It seems to get better each day, too! We’re glad you love it!
One of my absolute favorite go to recipes! I make it at least every other week during the summer. Love to have a clean broccoli salad recipe!
That’s SO great to hear, Molly!!! We’re glad you love it!
Just made this after watching it get made on Instagram. I subbed chia seeds for poppyseeds because that’s what I had and it turned out so good! Pretty much like every recipe I have tried from y’all!!
That’s so great to hear, Sunny! Thank you for sharing this with us!
I made this salad today after watching your colleague on Insta stories yesterday. Wow, thumbs up from the whole family, it’s going to be a regular for us!
So glad you guys loved it! I had leftovers for lunch today…it’s so good!
Looking forward to trying this!
Definitely going to try this one! Thanks!
It’s a GOOD one!! Enjoy, Kelly!
This looks yummy!
I love broccoli salads and I think this is my new favorite!
Just made this without bacon and with red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice, because I didn’t have either of those things, and I blanched my broccoli for a minute… wow! So delicious. I’ll be making this one again. I’m not a huge fan of broccoli salads but had broccoli to use up and thought I’d give it a shot, and I don’t regret it! It’s salvaged my work lunch for the day, because I forgot that I brought some and then was pleasantly surprised!