Best Broccoli Salad Recipe

If you want a salad recipe that's as delicious as it is nutritious (or vice-versa, as healthy as it is tasty, depending on where your primary interests lie) you have found it with this one, courtesy of chef, recipe developer, and dietician Jaime Shelbert of Wholly Nourished. The salad takes broccoli, one of the healthiest veggies out there, and adds an immensity of flavor thanks to a beautiful blend of healthy ingredients — and yes, there's even some turkey bacon in there.

"Broccoli salad is a side dish that tends to be popular at summer potlucks and barbecues," Shelbert says. "Since this is a popular barbecue side dish it can be served alongside burgers, grilled chicken, and the like." But, of course, it will also be welcome on the table in any season beside other eats. You could even enjoy this salad on its own, or over some cooked barley, brown rice, or another staple grain to make a complete meal.

Don't be afraid to dive in here, even if you're an amateur chef, as Shelbert says there are "no real mistakes to [watch for] in this easy, straightforward recipe."

As shown here, this recipe calls for turkey bacon, chopped small, Greek yogurt (2% or full fat), rice vinegar, water, honey, salt, pepper, garlic powder, about 5 cups of broccoli florets (which is about 1 pound of broccoli or two medium heads), diced red onion, sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries (or raisins).

"This is a fun one to change up according to preferences," Shelbert notes. "You can add cheddar cheese, you can sub out the sunflower seeds for pumpkin seeds or almonds, or the cranberries for raisins. It also traditionally uses mayonnaise in the dressing but I used Greek yogurt here."

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the chopped bacon, allow it to cook, and stir often. Meanwhile, if you haven't already, rinse and chop the broccoli into bite-sized pieces, then set aside. Cook the bacon until it is crispy, then take the pan off of the heat, remove the cooked pieces from it, and set them aside.

Once you finish up with the bacon, you can focus on making the dressing. Add the yogurt, vinegar, water, honey, salt, pepper, and garlic to a small bowl, and whisk until these ingredients are all well combined. Next, add the broccoli to a large bowl, then add the dressing and mix to coat and combine it.

To the bowl with the dressed broccoli, add the onion, sunflower seeds, cranberries, and bacon, and mix to combine all of these. You can now either serve the salad immediately or cover and chill it for two hours before serving, to let the flavors meld. And if you have extra, Shelbert says, "This salad keeps in the fridge in an airtight container for up to four days." Healthy with the perfect hit of flavor — this broccoli salad really does have it all!