Enjoy the flavors of Cauliflower Broccoli Bacon Salad! Crisp veggies, bacon, dried cranberries, red onion and nuts, in a creamy vinaigrette.
If you’re looking for a delicious, fresh and COLORFUL salad to serve for dinner or take to a gathering, may I suggest taking a look at this recipe? I LOVE this salad, and can’t stay out of it when it is here in the house… it is so good!
Honestly, I feel like this cauliflower broccoli bacon salad has just about everything! It is crunchy, sweet and chewy, salty, creamy, and is a fantastic tasting salad that is a CINCH to make!
Here’s how to make the salad.
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Cook The Bacon
I always cook the bacon first before doing anything else with this recipe. I like to have it cooked, crispy, and ready to go! I’ve used a method for years to cook the bacon fairly quickly, and with minimal mess.
Stack 3 slices of bacon on top of each other, then cut them in small pieces, using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife. Cutting the bacon into smaller pieces before cooking will allow the bacon to cook faster.
Cook the bacon in a medium skillet on medium-high heat until completely cooked through, browned and crispy. Transfer the cooked bacon crumbles to paper towels to absorb excess grease. Set the bacon aside to finish cooling.
Make The Salad Dressing
Making the salad dressing is very EASY! Measure mayonnaise, granulated sugar, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper into a small bowl.
Stir these ingredients together well, until the sugar has dissolved and you have a bowl of creamy salad dressing. Set aside.
Time To Put It All Together!
Now it is time to put all the ingredients together and make this delicious salad! It only takes a minute or two to do this, which is awesome.
Put cauliflower florets, broccoli florets, dried cranberries, chopped red onion, chopped peanuts AND crispy bacon into a large mixing bowl.
TIP: When prepping and cutting the cauliflower and broccoli, try to ensure the florets are about the same size (small enough for a bite).
Pour the creamy salad dressing over the top, then toss the salad very well, until all the ingredients are combined and coated with the dressing.
Cover the cauliflower broccoli bacon salad with plastic wrap, and keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it. You can make the salad up several hours ahead of time if that is more convenient.
NOTE: For best Results I suggest chilling the salad at LEAST 30 minutes or so to give the flavors time to mingle.
Serve The Cauliflower Broccoli Bacon Salad
When you’re ready to serve the cauliflower broccoli bacon salad, remove it from the refrigerator. Give the salad another quick toss, then transfer the salad to a pretty serving bowl or platter (if desired).
Serve this cold, crunchy salad with a favorite meat dish, and enjoy the amazing flavors. I’m confident you’re going to like it!
We enjoyed the salad served along with Pan-Seared Creole Salmon, and some steamed white rice. YUM!
The crunch of raw broccoli, cauliflower, peanuts, bacon, and the chewy sweetness of the dried cranberries is wonderful! With the addition of the creamy dressing, this colorful salad is an amazing side dish!
I hope you have the chance to try this salad, and hope you’ll enjoy it like we do! Thanks for stopping by, and please come back soon for more family-friendly recipes.
Take care, may God bless you, and have a GREAT day!
Looking For More SALAD Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have quite a few delicious salad recipes to explore, including:
- Thanksgiving Salad
- Bacon Lover’s Spinach Salad
- Cranberry Pineapple Jello Salad
- Cannellini Bean Salad
- Fruit Feta Green Salad with Candied Pecans
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Recipe adapted from: “2010 Christmas with Southern Living” Cookbook, page 148, published in 2010, by Oxmoor House
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Enjoy the flavors of Cauliflower Broccoli Bacon Salad! Crisp veggies, bacon, dried cranberries, red onion and nuts, in a creamy vinaigrette.
- 3 slices bacon cooked until very crispy
- 2 cups cauliflower florets cut into SMALL florets
- 2 cups broccoli florets cut into SMALL florets
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup chopped salted peanuts
- 1½ Tablespoons chopped red onion
- ½ cup light mayonnaise can substitute regular
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Cook bacon in skillet on medium-high until cooked through, browned and crispy. Transfer bacon pieces to paper towels to absorb grease. Set bacon aside to cool.
Stir mayonnaise, sugar, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl until sugar dissolves. Set aside.
Put cauliflower, broccoli, cranberries, red onion, peanuts and bacon in a large mixing bowl. Add salad dressing; toss the salad until all ingredients are combined and coated with dressing.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until you're ready to serve. NOTE: I suggest chilling the salad at LEAST 30 minutes or so to give the flavors time to mingle. This also allows veggies time to become well-chilled, for best results.
To serve, remove salad from refrigerator. Give salad a quick toss; transfer salad to a pretty serving bowl or platter (if desired). Serve cold, and enjoy.
TIP: When prepping and cutting the cauliflower and broccoli, try to ensure the florets are about the same size (small enough for a bite).
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!