Paleo Broccoli Salad with Bacon (Whole30)

This Paleo Broccoli Salad is made with blanched broccoli, bacon, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. It is tossed in a light honey mustard dressing (no mayo) and perfect for a summer cookout or make-ahead side dish for the week.

Broccoli salad never really interested me because it's typically smothered in mayo...which I can't stand. But not this Paleo Broccoli Salad recipe!

This light and easy broccoli salad is made with blanched broccoli and tossed in a homemade honey mustard dressing. It is the best broccoli salad - one I'll be making again and again.

Recipe Highlights

• Paleo and Whole30 approved
• No mayo - coated in a honey mustard dressing
• Easy to make
• Stores well - makes great leftovers

This super healthy broccoli salad truly is an excellent Paleo side dish. It's great alongside grilled chicken or a slice of rosemary bread and makes wonderful leftovers. Even my kids love this recipe for broccoli salad!

Ingredients in Paleo Broccoli Salad

Here's a list of what you need to make this easy broccoli salad recipe:

Broccoli Salad

• blanched broccoli - or raw if you prefer
• cooked bacon - use an uncured, no sugar added bacon (my favorite is Nature's Rancher bacon)
• dried cranberries - for Paleo and Whole30, make sure you use dried cranberries without added sugar or oil
• raw pumpkin seeds - no added oils, salt or sugar
• raw sunflower seeds - no added oils, salt or sugar
• red onion

Honey Mustard Dressing

• Dijon mustard - no added sugar
• olive oil - preferably organic, extra virgin, cold pressed, unrefined in a dark glass bottle
• balsamic vinegar
• honey - omit for Whole30
• salt and pepper

For this recipe, I prefer blanched broccoli as I find it tastes better and is easier to digest. However, raw broccoli will work too.

All of these ingredients are paleo and whole30 approved (except honey - omit that for Whole30) so long as you use ingredients without added sugars and oils. For instance, many dried cranberries and roasted seeds are made with vegetable oils (like canola oil) and have added sugar. Instead, look for Paleo dried cranberries (sweetened with apple juice) and raw seeds.

How to Make Broccoli Salad

This broccoli salad is quick and easy to make. You can cook the bacon ahead of time and use it whenever you're ready to make the salad.

Blanch the Broccoli

First, boil a large pot of water. Make an ice bath to submerge the broccoli after blanching. To do this, add ice and water in a large mixing bowl, set aside.

Next, trim the broccoli, cutting off most of the stalk and cutting it into small, bite-sized pieces.

Once the water is boiling, add the broccoli and cook for about 1 minute. Drain the water and pour the broccoli in an ice cold water bath. This quickly cools the broccoli and stops it from continuing to cook.

Dry off the broccoli on a dish rag or paper towels, removing as much of the water as possible.

Combine Salad Ingredients

Next, combine all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. This includes the broccoli, cooked bacon, red onion, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and dried cranberries.

Make Dressing

Next, make the dressing by combining all of the dressing ingredients in a small mixing bowl.

Pour the dressing over the salad and mix with tongs, a spatula or large spoon.

You can eat this salad immediately, or cover and store it the fridge for later. In fact, this salad tastes even better after sitting for a couple hours. It absorbs more flavor and holds up well.

How to Store Broccoli Salad

Keep this Paleo broccoli salad in a sealed, air-tight container in the fridge up to one week.

More Easy Salad Recipes

Looking for more Paleo salad recipes? Here are some great ideas:

• Strawberry Spinach Salad
• Paleo Pasta Salad
• Blueberry Walnut Salad

Enjoy!

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