This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure form more information.
This easy Broccoli Cauliflower Salad Recipe with a homemade creamy dressing is the perfect side dish for family gatherings or a potluck dinner. A delicious side salad that goes well with almost any main dish!
Easy Broccoli Salad Recipe
My easy broccoli salad is perfect for summer cookouts, holidays or family dinners anytime. Here in Arizona, we eat salads all year long! This easy salad has the most delicious homemade dressing, and it pairs well with just about anything.
Table of Contents
Unlike other broccoli salads, my broccoli and cauliflower salad has no bacon. I love bacon, but it’s nice to have a vegetarian side salad as well as a meatless lunch with the leftovers the next day. Since one of my kids doesn’t like bacon, I like to keep this classic salad as simple as possible. Sometimes, less is better, right?!
I like to serve this floret salad as a side dish with grilled chicken, onion burgers or smash burgers or grilled pork chops.
Ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients to make this easy recipe. You can get them at your grocery stores if you don’t already have them in your fridge or pantry. Here’s a quick overview — full amounts are in the printable recipe card below.
- Head of broccoli — about 5 cups raw broccoli florets
- Head of cauliflower — about 5 cups raw cauliflower florets
- Colby jack cheese — cubed
- Red onion — for flavor and crunch
- Mayonnaise — I recommend regular mayo, such as Best Foods, Hellmanns’ or Dukes over Miracle Whip, as the flavor will be different
- Sour cream — I use regular sour cream, but light is fine
- Red wine vinegar
- White sugar — a little sugar is necessary unless you want a very tangy dressing.
- Dried parsley flakes
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
How to Make Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
First, cut up the broccoli and cauliflower into bite sized florets. Then, chop up the onion and cheese.
Place broccoli, onion, cheese cubes and cauliflower in a large bowl while you make the dressing in a separate bowl.
Just whisk the mayo, sour cream and vinegar together in a small mixing bowl. Give it a taste to see if it needs sugar.
I only use 2 teaspoons of sugar here, so it’s not a super sweet salad dressing. You can add more sugar if you want or leave it out completely.
Then, season the dressing with a pinch of sea salt, pepper and dried parsley for added flavor. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir until the salad is nice and creamy.
How to Store Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and place in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
For best results, make this creamy salad an hour or two before serving to let the flavors blend.
Store any leftover broccoli salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where it’ll keep for 3 to 4 days. It does not freeze well.
Recipe Tips
Cut the cauliflower and broccoli into small pieces with as much stem removed as possible.
Prepare the salad a couple of hours before serving so that the flavors have time to blend.
You can buy pre-cut fresh veggies to cut down on prep time!
If you want to cut down on the sugar, taste the dressing before adding any, as it is very tangy. You can add more sugar or another sweetener, to taste, before mixing in veggies.
Variations
Instead of a combination of mayo and sour cream, make the dressing with sour cream and Greek yogurt. Or, for a super healthy version, use only Greek yogurt as dressing.
Add fruits for different flavors of broccoli-cauliflower salad. Throw in some dried cranberries, raisins or your favorite type of apples.
For more crunch, add sunflower seeds, crisp green onions, and crispy bacon pieces.
Instead of Colby, use a different cheese. Cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, or pepper jack cheese are all good here.
Easy Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
Ingredients
- 1 head broccoli chopped into bite sized florets
- 1 head cauliflower chopped into bite sized florets
- 1 cup colby jack cheese cubed
- ½ small red onion chopped
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- ½ teaspoon sea salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add broccoli, cauliflower, cheese and onion to a large mixing bowl
- In a small mixing bowl, mix the mayo, sour cream and vinegar until smooth. Add sugar. You can add more if you think it needs it
- Add salt, pepper and parsley and stir until well blended
- Pour dressing over salad, and stir until well combined. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour before serving
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
For more easy recipes, subscribe to the newsletter and follow me on social media!
Had this for dinner last night since it is so hot here! Great and very easy to make!
This is great! Made it for the church potluck and it was a huge hit! Great for spring too!
Top with candied pecans, added cayenne to ours, totally addictive
I really liked this salad! I made mine with cheese cubes and bacon, and it was absolutely delicious. I will definitely be making this more often now that it’s summer time!