This Broccoli Cranberry Salad without bacon is a vibrant explosion of flavors and textures—crisp, crunchy, and chewy in every bite. It is a crowd-pleasing summer salad that might just convert even the biggest broccoli hater!
Looking for more summer salads for BBQ, try my carrot raisin salad or the chicken pesto pasta salad recipe.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Broccoli cranberry salad
🕒 Ready In: ~ 15 minutes
👪 Serves: 6
🧑🍳 Main Ingredients: Fresh broccoli florets, roasted cashews, dried cranberries, red onion, mayo and apple cider vinegar.
📌 Difficulty: No cook salad
Why you’ll love this broccoli salad recipe?
This isn't your average broccoli salad! Every bite is loaded with crunchy roasted cashews, chewy dried cranberries, crisp broccoli, and a little bite from red onion, all tossed in a creamy dressing. It's the perfect mix of sweet, savory, creamy, and crunchy.
It's the kind of salad that actually gets better as it sits, making it perfect for BBQs, potlucks, picnics, or meal prep. The creamy dressing comes together with just 3 simple ingredients, and since there's no bacon, it's completely vegetarian-friendly.
Even if you're not the biggest broccoli fan, this salad just might change your mind!
- maria doss
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Ingredients you'll need
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Broccoli - Use a fresh head of broccoli and chop it yourself for the best flavor. Just wash and drain well (a salad spinner can help ensure it’s dry).
- Cashews - Use roasted cashews for the best flavor and crunch. Swap other nuts and seeds to make this recipe your own.
- Cranberries - It's sweet, chewy with a hint of tartness. You can swap raisins or dried cherries instead.
- Red onion - The pink color makes it appealing and also adds a spicy pepperiness. Feel free to swap any onion you have around.
Substitutions & Variations
One of my favorite things about this salad is that you can customize it with any combination of ingredients you like.
- Swap dried cranberries with raisins or dried cherries.
- Toss in chopped fresh apple.
- Use toasted chopped almonds, slivered almonds, pecans or sun flower seeds instead of cashews.
- Toss in shredded carrots.
- We kept it vegetarian however, you can add crumbled cooked bacon if you'd like.
- Add shredded cheddar cheese
- Use plain yogurt instead of mayo and increase the amount of sugar.
- Use fresh lemon juice instead of apple cider vinegar and toss in some chopped apples to add a sweet crunch.
Tips for Success
- Wash and Dry Thoroughly: Rinse your broccoli crown well and pat it completely dry to avoid any excess moisture that could water down the dressing.
- Chop into Small Pieces: Since the broccoli is raw, cut it into small, bite-sized florets. This helps it absorb the dressing more evenly and makes it easier to eat.
- Let It Chill: While you can serve the salad right away, it’s best after chilling for at least an hour. This gives the florets time to soak up the sweet, creamy dressing and slightly soften for better flavor and texture.
- Toss Before Serving: The dressing may settle at the bottom, so give the salad a good toss before serving to evenly redistribute everything.
- Storage: You can make broccoli salad up to 3 days in advance. For the best texture, add cashews just before serving.
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How to toast cashews?
You can toast the cashews in the oven, air fryer or skillet.
Oven - Preheat the oven to 350°F, spread cashews on a baking sheet, and bake for 10–14 minutes until golden and fragrant, rotating the pan halfway through, then cool completely on a wire rack.
Air fryer - Preheat your air fryer to 300°F, spread cashews in an even layer, and air fry for 5–8 minutes until golden, shaking the basket halfway through.
Skillet - Heat a large skillet over medium, add cashews, and toast for 7–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant, then transfer to a plate to cool completely.
More salad recipes to try
Broccoli Cranberry Salad - No Bacon
Ingredients
- 4 cups chopped broccoli (about 2 small crowns or 1 large, about ¾ pound)
- 1 cup toasted cashews coarsely chopped
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
Dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 ½ tablespoons white sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 pinches ground black pepper
Instructions
- Chop the broccoli and stems into uniform, bite-sized pieces about ½-inch in size. Add them to a large bowl along with coarsely chopped toasted cashews, dried cranberries and red onion.
- In a separate, small bowl, whisk together mayo, sugar, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Pour the dressing over the broccoli combination and toss or stir well.
- It may be served immediately, but for best flavor, refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Make sure to toss the broccoli salad thoroughly again before serving. Keep refrigerated if not consuming right away.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
If you are looking for delicious broccoli side dish recipes, then try my cheesy baked broccoli or the crisp air fryer broccoli.
Frequently asked questions
No. There's no need to blanch the broccoli for this salad. In fact, I think it tastes best with crisp, raw broccoli.
The key is to chop the florets into small, bite-sized pieces. This helps them blend in with the other ingredients, soak up more of the creamy vinegar dressing, and soften just slightly as the salad sits—while still keeping that delicious crunch.
I don't recommend it. Frozen broccoli is blanched before it's frozen, so once it's thawed, it loses its crisp texture and can become soft and watery. Since the crunch is one of the best parts of broccoli salad, fresh broccoli really gives you the best results.
If frozen broccoli is all you have, thaw it completely and pat it very dry before using. The salad will still taste good, but it won't have the same fresh, crisp texture as one made with fresh broccoli.
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Hi, I’m Maria! I share easy, flavor-packed dinners, high-protein meals, and irresistible baking ideas. If you’ve ever asked, “Don’t know what to cook tonight?” you’re in the right place. And yes—there’s plenty here for breakfast, snacks, and dessert too. More about maria ->
