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 - it's made without mayo!
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
- Nut free - made without nuts
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
Here's a list of what you need to make this whole30 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 Paleo Broccoli Salad
This healthy broccoli salad with bacon 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 Paleo Salad Recipes
Looking for more easy paleo salad recipes? Here are some great ideas:
Enjoy!
PrintPaleo Broccoli Salad with Bacon (Whole30)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: serves 4-6 1x
Description
This light and easy Paleo broccoli salad is made with blanched broccoli, crispy bacon and coated in a honey mustard dressing. Grain free, dairy free, healthy and easy to make!
Ingredients
Salad
- 10 oz package raw broccoli (about 5 cups), blanched*
- ½ package cooked bacon, cut to bite-sized pieces
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
- 2 Tbsp raw sunflower seeds
- 2 Tbsp raw pumpkin seeds
Dressing
- 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
- ½ Tbsp olive oil
- ½ Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp honey (omit for Whole30)
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine all salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl. This includes the blanched broccoli, cooked bacon, cranberries, red onion, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.
- Make the dressing: combine all dressing ingredients in a small mixing bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and combine using tongs, a spatula or large spoon.
- Serve immediately, or cover and store in the fridge.
Notes
Serves 4-6 as a side salad.
*You do not have to blanch the broccoli (can serve it raw) but I prefer it blanched for this recipe. To blanch broccoli, first bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice and water, enough to cover the cooked broccoli. Trim the broccoli, removing most of the stems and cutting them into small bite-sized pieces. Place the broccoli in the boiling water for about 1 minute, then drain the water and place in the ice bath. Dry the broccoli on a dish towel or paper towels, removing as much of the water as possible.
Katie
Probably the best way to eat broccoli!