This easy Amish broccoli salad recipe (complete with a creamy dressing) is a simple and delicious side dish that’s perfect for family gatherings, potlucks, and summer cookouts. Crisp broccoli, cauliflower, and red onion, tangy mayo and sour cream, a little bacon, and shredded cheese create an incredibly flavorful salad everyone will love!
What Makes This Amish Broccoli Salad Recipe So Good
- It’s great for reunions, holidays, potlucks, summer cookouts, or any time you just need to feed a lot of people. You can easily double or triple the recipe without much extra effort.
- This recipe uses raw vegetables, so there’s absolutely no cooking involved! Just a little chopping, then some mixing, followed by some chilling – and that last step’s optional.
- Any leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 4 days, which makes this a terrific make-ahead or meal prep option!
Key Ingredients for Amish Broccoli Salad
Bacon – A lot of people are in the “bacon doesn’t need to be in everything” camp, and I hear you! BUT, I promise, it really adds an extra layer of flavor in this salad! The savory bacon is especially delicious with the tangy and slightly sweet dressing.
Shredded Cheese – We’re using cheddar cheese in this recipe, but you can use any kind of shredded cheese you like! Cheddar jack and parmesan are both solid options that go well with the other flavors in this Amish broccoli salad. Feta and goat cheese would also be great!
Chef’s Tips
- This recipe is fully customizable. If you like really creamy vegetables, feel free to add more mayo and sour cream. Likewise, you can cut back on the dressing ingredients and the raw veggies will shine through. Use any kind of cheese you like. Add nuts, seeds, raisins, bell pepper, or cranberries.
- If you’re making this more than a few hours in advance, store the bacon separately from the rest of the salad and fold it in just before serving.
- Not big on sour cream? Try the same amount of full-fat Greek yogurt instead. The flavor will be a little different but still great!
- Use fresh broccoli and cauliflower – not frozen – to get the brightest flavors and the crispest textures. Frozen vegetables just won’t work the same.
- As amazing as it is right away, Amish broccoli salad gets even better after a little time in the refrigerator. If you can, factor in 2 hours of chill time before serving, to let the veggies really soak up the dressing.
What Do We Mean By “Healthy?”
Our recipes focus on real ingredients and homemade elements. We try to avoid processed flour and sugar, like white flour or white sugar. Our recipes often swap less healthy options (like a commercial, deep-fried tostada) for an easy homemade version.
Our recipes are not necessarily low fat or low calorie, and we aren’t afraid of fat or carbs! Some of our recipes will be “skinny,” low carb, keto, paleo, dairy free, grain free, gluten free, Whole30, or vegan, and they will be labeled when they qualify for any of these diets. All our recipes are easy and family friendly!
Other Salad Recipes We Love
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Amish Broccoli Salad
Equipment
- Skillet
- Small bowl
- Large bowl
- Silicone spatula
Ingredients
- ½ pound bacon
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt plus more as needed
- 1 head broccoli chopped
- 1 head cauliflower chopped
- ½ cup red onion chopped
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Dice bacon into small pieces. Fry until crispy, then drain and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, and salt. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- In a large bowl, combine broccoli and cauliflower. Add mayonnaise mixture and stir all until veggies are well coated.
- Fold in red onion, cheese, and bacon.
- Serve immediately, or chill until cold.
Notes
- Make it Keto: Instead of sugar, use your favorite granulated sugar substitute, like Swerve. You can also leave out the red onion to shave off an additional 1-2 carbs per serving.
- Make it Vegetarian: Leave out the bacon completely, or use a vegan bacon.
- Make it Vegan: Use vegan versions of bacon, mayo, sour cream, and cheddar cheese.
