This Creamy Broccoli Salad With Bacon and Cheddar Is a Southern Potluck Icon

Broccoli is often treated as an afterthought—steamed next to chicken and rice, shaved raw into a salad, or left lurking on a crudité platter. But not here. In this Southern salad, broccoli gets fully dressed up with a creamy yet bright dressing, crunchy apples, crispy bacon, plump pickled raisins, and smoked cheddar.

This classic Southern salad is a celebration of contrasting flavors and varied textures, and Julia Levy, from our Birmingham, Alabama test kitchen, nails it with her recipe. The dressing combines creamy crème fraîche (or sour cream) and mayonnaise with fruity, crisp apple cider vinegar, and just enough sugar to add noticeable, but not cloying, sweetness. The salad’s signature sweetness is tempered by savory bacon and smoky, sharp cheddar, which keep the flavors balanced.

While she’s a longtime broccoli fan, Julia isn’t too keen on the large raw pieces of the vegetable that are found in many broccoli salads—she finds that they can be tough, fibrous, and unpleasant to chew. But here, both stems and florets are cut into small pieces, making every bite crisp, fresh, and easy to eat. Chopped apples add a sweet, juicy crunch that complements the broccoli and balances the richness of the cheese and bacon.

To save time and effort, Julia skips the skillet and cooks the bacon on a baking sheet—no fussing over the stove required. Once the salad is tossed with the dressing, it’s chilled for at least an hour to allow the flavors to meld and the broccoli to soften slightly.

This salad delivers contrast in every bite with crisp broccoli and apples, savory bacon, smoky shredded cheddar, a sweet-and-tart creamy dressing, and a double hit of texture from toasted almonds and sunflower seeds. It’s all finished with pickled golden raisins that bring just the right burst of tangy sweetness. Serve it alongside your cookout favorites or enjoy it as an easy make-ahead lunch.

Cook Mode
(Keep screen awake)