This fresh take on classic Crunchy Broccoli Salad is loaded with 2 kinds of broccoli, plump strawberries, sweet dried cranberries, tart green apples and a simple homemade dressing that is both creamy and tangy. Perfect for making ahead, you’ll love serving this salad side dish at holidays, brunches, cookouts, potlucks, tailgates and fish fries!
It’s no stretch to say that this broccoli salad with strawberries does it all. It’s gorgeous for Easter dinner, sits perfectly next to burgers at a cookout, is always the first to go at potlucks and even complements brunch with its hearty crunch.
Hey, I’ve been known to just stand in front of the open fridge and eat it out of the bowl with a fork. It’s bold crunch is everything and once you get one bite… you’ll crave that crunch too!
RELATED RECIPE: Broccoli Slaw with Apples & Brussel Sprouts
Refreshing and crisp, this recipe for broccoli salad includes broccoli florets and broccolini. Using both only amps up the bold textures, colors and savory flavors of what you might expect in broccoli salad.
Plus the addition of plump, red strawberries and buttery roasted pecans make this a can’t miss salad side dish you’ll find yourself making all the time!
Ingredients for This Fresh Broccoli Salad
I’ll walk through an overview of ingredients & steps in this section along with helpful tips!
Look for specifics at the end of the post in the recipe card.
- broccoli florets
- broccolini
- strawberries
- green apples
- dried cranberries
- toasted pecans
- crumbled feta cheese
- heavy whipping cream
- mayonnaise
- powdered sugar
- red wine vinegar
- salt & pepper
How To Make Crunchy Broccoli Salad
- Toast the pecans. Toast the pecans first, so they will have time to cool before adding them to the salad.
- Use a whisk or mixer to whip the dressing. Whip the cream 3-5 minutes, adding the sugar, then folding in the mayo and the vinegar.
- Toss & dress the salad. Make sure the dressing coats the raw broccoli well so that it can soak in the dressing and soften as it chills.
- Cover & chill. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving so that the salad has a little time to marinate in the dressing and the flavors can develop.
Tips for Making The Best Broccoli Salad
- Don’t skip the chilling time. This salad genuinely gets better with time because the broccoli has time to soak up some of that yummy, creamy dressing and all the flavors marry and meld. 1 hour is the minimum chilling time, but 24 hours is primo!
- Cut your broccoli florets into smaller bite-size pieces. This gives your dressing more to cling to (and therefore will make the raw broccoli softer as it marinates), makes the broccoli easier to eat and allows you to eat a little of everything in one bite!
- Soak your dried cranberries. When I have time, I cover my cranberries with water and allow them to soak about 20-30 minutes. This plumps them up and makes them less chewy in the salad.
Recipe Variations & Add-Ins
I like to mix it up, so I might not make my broccoli salad the same way twice in a row. Here are a few of the ingredients I love to add 1 or more of from time to time to keep things fresh and yummy. Talk about loads of punchy flavor and crunchy texture!
- sunflower seeds (Toast these with your pecans!)
- thinly sliced red onion
- chopped raw cauliflower
- blueberries
- chow mein noodles
- bacon pieces
What to With Serve Broccoli Salad
This salad goes with just about anything! We love it with:
Other Easy Salad Side Dishes
- Strawberry Asparagus Salad
- Spicy Strawberry Watermelon Salad
- Classic 7 Layer Pea Salad
- Broccoli Slaw with Apples & Brussel Sprouts
- Southern Tomato Cucumber Salad with Vinegar Dressing
- Confetti Frito Corn Salad
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Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Strawberries
Ingredients
- 4 cups chopped. broccoli florets
- 2 cups chopped broccolini
- 2 cups chopped green apple
- 16 ounces strawberries quartered
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
- ¼ cup feta cheese crumbles
Easy Homemade Dressing
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ¼ cup real mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 ℉ to toast pecans.
- Arrange pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast until browned and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, whip heavy cream with a whisk or mixer for approximately 3-5 minutes or until stiff peaks begin to form. As cream whips, sprinkle in the powdered sugar. When cream is fully whipped, gently fold in the mayonnaise and red wine vinegar until fully incorporated. Salt & pepper to taste and set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss together the two broccolis, chopped apple, strawberries, cranberries and cooled toasted pecans and feta cheese. Pour dressing over salad. Toss again, dressing the salad well.
- Cover salad tightly and refrigerate 1 hour before serving.
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