Low carb Broccoli Salad recipe with bacon, grapes, blue cheese, and walnuts, in a honey dijon vinaigrette. This sweet and savory salad is perfect for any occasion, any season of the year!
Broccoli Bacon Salad
I used to manage a gourmet deli here in Sonoma County.
One of the most fun things about my job was the ability to observe people’s behavior around food and act accordingly to give them what they wanted.
I paid close attention to things people didn’t care for, and even closer attention to the things they loved!
Broccoli salad with bacon was one of those things everyone lovvvvved!
Who doesn’t, right?
But, ours was unique, because it had red grapes in it.
This pretty much knocked it out of the park!
I mean, when you combine broccoli (strong bitter) with bacon and blue cheese (strong savory and salty), and you add red grapes (strong sweet), well, the planets pretty much align!
So, inspired by my love for all these textures and flavors, and the warmer seasons ahead, I’ve created my own spin of broccoli salad with bacon, blue cheese, and grapes.
How do you make Broccoli Bacon Salad
Step 1. Cook the bacon…make it crispy!
Step 2. Chop and steam the broccoli.
Step 3. Cut onions, grapes, and walnuts.
Step 4. Whip up that gorgeous honey Dijon vinaigrette (so easy!)
Step 5. Combine all ingredients, chill, toss in dressing, and devour!
* see full recipe below
Broccoli Bacon Salad Ingredients
For the salad:
- fresh broccoli
- bacon
- red grapes
- red onion
- blue cheese (or gorgonzola)
- walnuts
For the broccoli salad dressing
- extra virgin olive oil
- apple cider vinegar
- honey
- Dijon mustard
- salt and Pepper
Recommended tools
- chef knife and cutting board
- 3.5 qt pot and steam basket (to steam broccoli)
- mixing bowls
More scrumptious salad recipes
BLT Pasta Salad with Avocado and Ranch
Macaroni Salad Recipe with Greek Yogurt Dressing
Broccoli Bacon Salad
Ingredients
For the broccoli salad
- 4 cups Fresh Broccoli chopped
- 6 strips Bacon
- 1 cup Red Grapes rinsed, halved
- 1/4 cup Red Onion
- 1/4 cup Blue Cheese crumbled
- 1/4 cup Walnuts chopped
Broccoli salad dressing
- 1/8 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Honey
- 1 Tbsp Dijon
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/8 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
Ingredient prep
- Cook BACON according to package instructions until crispy; allow to cool, break into crumbles, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, steam the broccoli by placing a stainless steamer basket inside large pot; fill with 1” of water; place over a medium-high flame; add BROCCOLI, cover, and steam until slightly soft (3-5 minutes); remove, allow to cool, and set aside
For the broccoli salad
- In a mixing bowl, combine BROCCOLI, GRAPES, ONIONS, BLUE CHEESE, and WALNUTS; chill until ready to use.
Broccoli salad dressing
- Whisk together VINEGAR, HONEY, DIJON, SALT, and PEPPER; drizzle in OLIVE OIL and whisk rapidly to form creamy dressing; chill until ready to use.
- To serve, add BACON to salad, toss with the vinaigrette.
All salad components can be made in advance and stored separately up to two days.
RECIPE NOTES
Nutrition
Traci Antonovich
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Pam Reimer says
09/06/2019 at 12:34 pmThis beautiful and delicious salad is a regular at my house. It’s super easy to prep the ingredients and just assemble whenever you are hungry. It also tastes great with a store bought strawberry vinaigrette dressing.
Traci Antonovich says
09/08/2019 at 4:01 pmI’m SO glad to hear this, Pam! That dressing sounds amazing too 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to let me know…I appreciate you
Mel says
11/05/2018 at 2:06 pmBroccoli and blue cheese work so well together! Can I come for lunch? I’d love your salad!
Traci Antonovich says
11/05/2018 at 6:05 pmHaha thanks…grab a fork, Mel! 🙂
Karyn says
11/05/2018 at 9:19 amWhat a delicious combo of ingredients. I especially love that you added broccoli..it’s my favorite veg
Traci Antonovich says
11/05/2018 at 9:40 amThanks Karyn…right there with you on the broccoli love 🙂
Elaine Benoit says
11/05/2018 at 8:57 amI love everything about this broccoli salad! Love all the ingredients you’ve put together and can’t wait to make it!
Traci Antonovich says
11/05/2018 at 9:40 amThanks Elaine! Hope you love it! 😉
Veena Azmanov says
11/05/2018 at 8:51 amSalads are my all time favorite. Love the healthy options like walnuts, broccoli, grapes and off course also love Bacon and Cheese. I am already craving for it. Love the combination of the Salad dressing too.
Traci Antonovich says
11/05/2018 at 9:40 amThanks Veena! Love hearing that 🙂
Cliona Keane says
11/05/2018 at 8:12 amThis looks like it has so much crunch and texture to it! A delicious salad!
Traci Antonovich says
11/05/2018 at 9:41 amThanks Cliona! Yes, all the crunch and texture is here 🙂
Wajeeha Nadeem says
04/01/2018 at 2:28 amI love all the textures going on in this salad. I’m actually not really into healthy eating, but I absolutely love broccoli. I love the addition of red grapes, they make the salad look gorgeous too. I’ll be trying this salad very soon. Do you think slivered almonds in place of the walnuts would be a good addition? Thanks! 🙂
Traci Antonovich says
04/01/2018 at 5:02 pmThanks so much Wajeeha! Yep, I think slivered almonds would be excellent in this salad, and they’d hold up well too (since they’re thicker than sliced almonds). Hope you get to try it out…and LOVE it 🙂
Elizabeth says
04/01/2018 at 12:35 amWhat a wonderful variety of textures and flavours in this salad! I’ll have to try it for myself soon!
Traci Antonovich says
04/01/2018 at 5:01 pmThanks Elizabeth…hope you do get to try it! 🙂
Sally - My Custard Pie says
03/31/2018 at 11:54 pmWhat a fabulous combination of ingredients. Trying this on my OH – I think he’ll be surprised.
Traci Antonovich says
04/01/2018 at 5:01 pmYay thanks Sally! Hope he loves it 🙂
jillian says
03/31/2018 at 10:28 pmI love, love salads and blue cheese is a definite fav. addition too!
Traci Antonovich says
04/01/2018 at 4:52 pmYay thanks Jillian! I’m pretty crazy about blue cheese too! 🙂
Sara Lehman says
03/31/2018 at 5:34 pmThis looks like a tasty salad! Can’t wait to try it!
Traci Antonovich says
04/01/2018 at 4:50 pmYay Sara! Hope you love it! 🙂
Veena Azmanov says
03/26/2018 at 11:14 amWow this salad looks very easy and delicious! I like that one of the ingredients is Broccoli. Because I love broccoli. I definitely want to try this salad! Thanks for the great recipe!
Traci Antonovich says
03/27/2018 at 6:56 amThanks Veena, I’m with you on the broccoli love! Hope you get to try this one out! 🙂
Rae says
03/26/2018 at 11:00 amYou’ve hit a home run with this salad, it’ll be absolutely perfect on a warm day when it’s too hot to cook.
Traci Antonovich says
03/27/2018 at 6:56 amThanks Rae…bring on those warm days and all the salads 🙂
Leslie says
03/26/2018 at 10:53 amI love the flavors here…smoky, salty, sweet, savory…so much going on in this salad. The colors are very appetizing, too!
Traci Antonovich says
03/27/2018 at 6:55 amThanks Leslie…you’re spot on about those flavors! One of my most favorite salads for sure 🙂
Ginny says
03/26/2018 at 10:13 amLove all those grapes and broccoli in that salad. Those little bits of walnut sound perfect too!
Traci Antonovich says
03/27/2018 at 6:54 amThanks so much Ginny! Yeah, this salad’s all about that texture…and I am crazy for walnuts too! 🙂
Shashi at SavorySpin says
03/26/2018 at 10:07 amYES – YES – the planets most definitely align with this combo of bitter, savory, salty, and delightfully sweet! What a delicious combo of flavors AND textures!!
Traci Antonovich says
03/27/2018 at 6:53 amThanks Shashi! I love your enthusiasm about this recipe! I feel the same way 🙂