Bacon Cashew Broccoli Salad

This easy and light bacon cashew broccoli salad is the best, filled with such fresh flavors you will love! Crunchy with a slight amount of sweetness, this hearty and healthy salad is made with nutty cashews, flavorful broccoli, sweet raisins, and savory and crunchy bacon that are all tossed together in a subtly sweet homemade dressing that all come together within minutes. The perfect easy side dish, or heck, make a meal out of it!

If you’re looking for something refreshing, healthy, easy, and perfect for summer– then this broccoli salad recipe is just for you. Perfect to enjoy on its own or paired with your main course, this simple broccoli and cashew salad contains an amazing amount of flavor that is perfect for not only those warmer days, but makes a fantastic side dish at the holidays, too!

A classic salad recipe that is perfect for outdoor BBQs, easy dinners, lunches, and so much more, this broccoli salad is super versatile and so easy to make on summer days when you’re looking to keep things minimal and easy. The sweet and salty flavors from this salad create a perfect balance that truly makes this vegetable salad recipe stand out. Who doesn’t love a raw broccoli salad filled with the perfect amount of crunch? 

Why You’re Going to Love This Broccoli Salad

• Effortless: This recipe is oh, so easy and perfect for when you’re not wanting to spend a lot of extra time in the kitchen. When you’re needing to prepare a salad for your next potluck or dinner, then this simple broccoli salad definitely comes in handy as it comes together in less than 30 minutes!
• Healthy: Filled with healthy cashews, fresh broccoli, and raisins (or cranberries!), this colorful and flavorful salad contains healthy ingredients that you can feel good about. Gluten-free and nutrient-dense, this salad recipe is a great wholesome option for when you’re looking to keep things healthy, but delicious.
• Perfect for entertaining: Great as a side dish or appetizer, this broccoli cashew salad is perfect enough to enjoy outside around the pool or at a picnic. The crowd will love the crunchy, sweet, and savory flavors this easy salad has to offer.

Broccoli Salad Ingredients

Broccoli: Fresh and crunchy broccoli is what you will need for this refreshing salad. I would not recommend using anything other than fresh broccoli for this recipe. 
Onions: You will need a small bunch of fresh green onions for this recipe. You will love the flavors they bring to the salad! 
Raisins: Craisins, cranberries, or any colored raisins will work. The perfect fruity addition to this savory recipe.
Nuts: Depending on your taste, you can use salted or unsalted cashews. I buy the whole cashews, but you can use pieces if you prefer. 

Broccoli Salad Dressing Ingredients

Mayonnaise: The main base for the dressing. You can buy storebought mayonnaise or simply make your own.
Sugar: Regular granulated cane sugar is what gives the dressing its subtle sweetness.
Apple cider vinegar: You just need a little bit for the dressing! The cider vinegar adds a tangy effect to the dressing that is just incredible and worth it.

How to Make Broccoli Salad

This broccoli salad recipe with bacon is so easy and stress-free! When you’re short on time, this recipe is definitely for you! For the full steps and measurements, scroll down to the recipe card.

Step 1

First, place the chopped broccoli in a large bowl. Then, add the onions, cashews, and cranberries or raisins.

Next, toss all the ingredients together. 

Step 2

After that, in a small bowl, mix the sugar, mayonnaise, and vinegar.

Next, pour the dressing over the salad. 

Step 3

Next, add the cooked bacon to the salad and mix until combined.

Finally, serve immediately.

LOVE IT? PIN IT!

Make sure that you save this yummy raw broccoli salad so that you can find it easily when you want to make it next time! Then, Pin this recipe to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go!

Tips for Broccoli Salad with Cashews

• Store the leftovers in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to four days. 
• Feel free to use your choice of sweetener for the dressing.
• To make this broccoli salad vegetarian, then simply omit the bacon. 

Best Summer Salads

I don’t know about you, but I love a good salad, and in the summertime, I love them even more.  Something about a cold salad on a hot summer day just works.  Sometimes when it’s hot, I feel like my appetite just isn’t there, and a salad is a perfect solution.

This broccoli cranberry cashew salad has so much going for it, it even makes a great main dish, as well as a side for your barbecues and picnics. 

There is plenty of protein with the bacon and the cashews, you get your veggies with the fresh broccoli, and your fruit with the dried cranberries.  

Other Great Summer Salads 

I have loads of salad recipes on my blog.  Anything you could imagine, lettuce salads, vegetable salads, fruit salads, and pasta salads.  Next time you’re headed to a potluck and need some inspiration for a great salad recipe, then maybe you could try one of my other favorites, besides this broccoli salad, I mean.

Best Salad Recipes:

• Tomato Cracker Salad – Pictured Above
• Pea Salad with Cauliflower
• PF Changs Lettuce Wrap Salad
• Picnic Potato Salad
• Summer Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Poppyseed Dressing
• Mom’s Macaroni Salad
• Little King Hoagie Salad
• Sauerkraut Salad
• Snicker Apple Salad
• Peg’s Salad – Italian Raw Veggie Salad

Let’s grab the recipe, shall we? 

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Print Recipe

Bacon Cashew Broccoli Salad

This is truly the BEST recipe for Broccoli Salad! A delicious raw broccoli salad filled with smoked bacon, tangy Craisins, and crunchy cashews, all covered in a sweet homemade dressing.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time7 minutes mins

Total Time17 minutes mins

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Bacon Cashew Broccoli Salad, best broccoli salad recipe, broccoli salad with Craisins, cashew salad, Sweet mayo dressing for broccoli

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 314kcal

Author: Michaela Kenkel

Equipment

• Zyliss Comfort Utility Knife
• 12-Piece Black Sharp Knife Set with Covers, Cutting Board and Sharpener

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

For the Salad

• 8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
• 3 bunches fresh broccoli chopped (about 8 cups of flowerets)
• 6 green onions sliced
• 1 cup Craisins or raisins work, too
• 1 cup cashews

For the Sweet Dressing

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2-2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

Instructions

• Place broccoli in a large bowl. Add onion, raisins and nuts, toss.
• In a small bowl mix dressing ingredients until sugar is dissolved.
• Pour dressing over the salad, toss to combine. Add in bacon toss again. Serve room temperature.

Notes

Recipe from my sister in law, Sue. Adapted from food.com

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 314kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 346mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g

This recipe was originally posted on August 23, 2016. It was updated to improve user experience and re-shared on June 4, 2021.

This is truly the BEST recipe for Broccoli Salad! A delicious raw broccoli salad filled with smoked bacon, tangy Craisins, and crunchy cashews, all covered in a sweet homemade dressing.

My sister-in-law, Sue, the one who is famous for that taco salad you all are crazy about, made this super yummy Bacon Cashew Broccoli Salad when we visited them at their lake home in Tablerock one summer.  I fell in love with it at first bite, and quickly put some in a bowl (before I ate it all myself) and took a picture of it.