Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

Our Broccoli Cauliflower Salad is the dish you’re looking for if you want a new salad to add on to your tale, that doesn’t feel like a salad! It’s a dish that delivers crunch, color, flavor, and creamy all at once.  And you know what, NO ONE will ever guess it’s a cauliflowers broccoli salad! It tastes sweet, nutty, smokey, crunchy, creamy and everything TASTY!

Each time we make our Broccoli Salad, it’s such a HIT, even broccoli haters love it. So we thought of adding cauliflower florets and elevating the dressing. It was yet another HIT!  Nothing like the soggy, heavy mayo salads you would usually expect.

Fresh florets, crisp and vibrant are dressed paired with a creamy poppy seed dressing. Then we add sweet elements like apples and cranberries, some rich onions, and our Candied Walnuts for crunch.

This broccoli cauliflower salad is perfect for so many occasions! Great dish for Fall, the Holidays, summer cookouts, potlucks, light dinner or lunch, or a bright side on a weeknight. It’s make-ahead friendly, forgiving, customizable, and always SUPER satisfying.

What It Is Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

Broccoli and cauliflower salad is a salad recipe combining raw broccoli florets and cauliflower florets. Other complimentary ingredients that balance out the veggies are added, to your taste. They’re primarily crunchy add-ons (nuts and seeds), and aromatics (onion, scallions or garlic), fruit (apples, pears or any crunchy fruit).

Other add on that work really well include cheddar cheese, bacon and avocado.

The dressing is usually a creamy dreamy sweet coating of mayo, sour cream, honey or white sugar balanced with vinegar. We added poppy seeds here today for an extra crunch.

Unlike cooked veggie sides, this keeps its crisp texture and vibrant color, which many people love.

Why You’ll Love This Salad Recipe

• It’s really TASTY, and if it wasn’t, we wouldn’t be sharing it!
• The contrast of crunch,  creamy, tangy and sweetness is irresistible with every bite!
• It’s such a versatile salad. You can really add in whatever you prefer, so long as it’s not a watery ingredient. Bacon & cheese make it a hearty and filling meal.
• It gets better after chilling in the refrigerator and tastes better the next day. The flavors blend so well after chilling and the dressing is absorbed into the veggies without wilting whatsoever!
• It’s a great make ahead option for entertaining, Thanksgiving, the Holidays or just for lunch/dinner meal prep.
• This salad is made with humble simple ingredients. But it’s the combo of textures, flavors and creamy dressing that makes it unique.
• It pairs so beautifully with many meals so it’s the ultimate side dish.

Broccoli And Cauliflower Salad Ingredients

• Broccoli florets. Raw, well washed and cut into small florets, about a third to a half inch sizes.
• Cauliflower florets. Similarly as above.
• Red onion. Finely diced. You can use shallots or scallions instead.
• Apples. Cored and cut up into a similar size as the florets.
• Nuts/seeds.  We LOVE using our Candied Walnuts. In fact we use them on ALL fall salads! You can add in some sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans or hazelnuts.
• Sweet Dried Fruit: We love cranberries for this one. You can use raisins.  
• Other Add ons: Bacon (crispy & crumbled), optional and Cheese (shredded or cubed) optional.

Creamy Dressing Ingredients:

• Mayonnaise. We love adding in a tablespoon of Greek yogurt with the mayo to brighten the taste. It’s optional.
• Sour cream. Also to brighten the taste of mayo and add a tangy creamy taste to the dressing.
• Vinegar. We use apple cider vinegar for this recipe, you can use white or lemon juice if you prefer.
• Sugar or honey. White sugar is what we use.  
• Poppy Seeds. While not traditional, but this is our SECRET ingredient to the BEST broccoli and cauliflower salad!
• Herbs, Salt & black pepper. basic seasoning, and we love a touch of fresh thyme.
• Other flavorings: Always adding in Dijon mustard and some fresh herbs. The herbs are optional, the mustard is essential in our opinion.

How to Make Broccoli And Cauliflower Salad

Prep The Salad

1. Prep the veggies: chop broccoli and cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Also dice the apples, and finely dice the onions.
2. Have your Candied Walnuts ready and cooled.
3. If using bacon, make sure to cook until crispy, crumble and allow to cool.
4. Likewise if you’re adding cheese, cut or shred it to your taste.
5. Add them all to a large bowl.

Mix the Dressing

1. Make the dressing: In a small bowl whisk all ingredients together until smooth.

Dress The Salad

1. Pour the creamy dressing over the salad ingredients in a bowl.
2. Toss thoroughly to coat every bite with the creamy dressing.
3. Serve or best to place in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours for the flavors to meld.
4. Right before serving, add more of the candied walnuts on top.
5. Then toss and stir the salad once again.

Tips for Success

1. Cut the florets into small and uniform sizes, especially for picky eaters, cut them even smaller! This allows every bite to be a blend of veggie, nuts, cranberries and apples. And also allows the dressing to coat the florets well.
2. Remove any thick stems as they are tougher to chew.
3. Make sure veggies are washed and dry, excess water dilutes the dressing. Drain the washed veggies on paper towels before using.
4. Avoid adding watery fruits such as peaches or strawberries to the salad as they don’t make it last too long. Apples and pears are our favorites. Blueberries are another good option.
5. If you want a less sugary dressing, use less amount and use honey. Taste as you go and adjust it.
6. Don’t over dress the salad to drown the veggies. Ideally every bite should be laced in the dressing but not drenched.
7. Crunchy elements are the BEST texture enhancer to the veggies and creamy dressing so don’t skimp!
8. Make extra of the dressing and use it on other salads!
9. Keep extra walnuts and seeds on hand to top the salad with right before serving so they maintain their crunch.
10. Leftovers are always so welcome with this salad! They taste great for 4 days!

Can I make this salad ahead of time?

Yes! The salad taste and texture actually improves if made a few hours in advance. Chill in an airtight container. Add nuts, seeds or cheese and extra dressing right before serving. You can make it up to 4 days in advance!

Does it freeze well?

Not really. The texture of the raw veggies and the creamy dressing end up being too watery and not appealing anymore.

Can I use frozen vegetables or cooked Vegetables?

It’s possible to use frozen, but they must be completely thawed and very well drained. Raw frozen often lacks the crispness and can get soggy. Similarly cooked veggies tend to be too soft and mushy. While it may be hard to believe, but RAW florets are truly unbeatable here!

What can I substitute for bacon?

You can leave it all together! Use extra of the other crunchy ingredients to compensate. If you want smokey vegetarian options, try smoked tofu bits or tempeh bacon.

What are good dressings besides creamy?

Frankly it’s a taste thing of course so use your favorites. However for raw veggies like this salad we felt the creamy dressing was a MUST! Use a lighter version like the yogurt herb one we use in our Creamy Cucumber Salad.

How do I keep the salad from getting watery? 

Use fresh veggies and fruits and drain them well after washing. Also avoid over dressing the salad, and avoid using watery fruits.

What to serve with broccoli & cauliflower salad?

• As IS!! Perfect lunch or light dinner especially with added protein from cheese and bacon or any meats.
• Chicken: Hot Honey Chicken, Chicken Fingers, Buffalo Chicken Wrap, Grilled Chicken Wings, Air Fryer Chicken Legs.
• Meat: Air Fryer Meatballs, Reverse Sear Steak, Ribeye Steak, Lamb Chops, Lamb Loin Chops, Lamb Steaks.
• Seafood: Salmon Burgers, Maple Glazed Salmon, Grilled Shrimp, Pan Seared Cod, Halibut Recipe, Sardines On Toast.
• Roasts: Roast Boneless Leg of Lamb, Lamb Shoulder Roast, Air Fryer Whole Chicken, Lamb Shanks with Skyr.
• Turkey: Spatchcock Turkey, Ultimate Turkey Tenderloin Recipe, BEST Turkey Breast Recipe On the Stove, Dry Brine Turkey Breast.
• Sandwiches: Turkey Sliders, Philly Cheesesteak Sliders, Portobello Mushroom Burger, Mushroom Swiss Burger

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