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Cauliflower Broccoli Salad

Cauliflower broccoli salad is a refreshing, healthy way to get in veggies as well as a healthy dose of protein. The best part might be the creamy homemade salad dressing that’s drizzled over the entire recipe!

If this salad is making your mouth water, you’ll also love some of my other favorite salad recipes. Try this beet and feta salad, my copycat Cheesecake Factory BBQ ranch chicken salad, or this incredible Greek salad recipe.

Cauliflower broccoli salad in a wooden bowl before it's tossed together.

Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

I try to eat a salad every day. I have to admit it though…sometimes I get a little sick of lettuce. To replace it and still get a nice crunch with each bite, I make salads with hard veggies as the base. Broccoli and cauliflower are two of my favorite options that are full of health benefits, have a good crisp taste, and are not a leafy green!

If you only like one of these two vegetables, this broccoli cauliflower salad is easy to customize! You can double the broccoli and omit the cauliflower, or vice versa. But, I highly encourage you to give it a try—this combination of flavors is excellent!

The key to making this salad excellent is to keep the ingredients bite-sized. An overly large floret is nowhere near as appealing as a small bite-sized one. Each forkful should have an explosion of flavor, rather than just a single veggie.

Broccoli cauliflower salad tossed together in a wooden bowl with utensils in background.

Homemade Salad Dressing

Let’s chat about this homemade salad dressing. For some reason, homemade salad dressing always gets a bad rap. People often think it’s overly complicated to make, but this is a super easy recipe that I can whip up in just minutes.

This homemade salad dressing has just four simple ingredients…and one of them is pepper! The other three are all common pantry staples you likely have at home already: white vinegar, mayo, and sugar. Trust me, this dressing is way better than anything you can get in a bottle.

Homemade salad dressing in the background of a salad bowl.

Perfect make-ahead Broccoli Salad

Because this broccoli salad isn’t lettuce-based, it’s a lot easier to make ahead of time. I often make this for parties, potlucks, or even in the mornings to enjoy later for dinner.

To make this ahead of time, cut up all your vegetables and place them in the bowl without the dressing. I’d also leave the chicken separate. Once it’s time to eat the salad, toss the veggies, dressing, and chicken together, then enjoy.

Do I Need to Cook the Broccoli?

Wondering if you need to cook the broccoli (or cauliflower) in this salad? You don’t! This salad is made with raw veggies – hence the broccoli crunch salad name!

Broccoli crunch salad made in a bowl with utensils in background.

How to Make Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

*For detailed recipe instructions see the recipe card bottom of the post. 

Making this salad is simple. You can throw this cauliflower broccoli salad together in literal minutes – including the dressing! This recipe is perfect to make for either a side dish or a main meal.

First, grab your ingredients for this broccoli cauliflower salad.

  • broccoli florets– raw, chopped broccoli that are bite sized
  • cauliflower – raw and chopped
  • onions – I’ve tried this with both red onion and green onion. Both are good, but I prefer the green.
  • dried cranberries – if you are watching sugar, you can omit these, but I highly recommend you give them a try. They add the perfect sweet pop!
  • sliced almonds – I’ve also made this broccoli cauliflower salad with walnuts or even pistachios, but again…almonds are my favorite.
  • sliced chicken – I like to use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, then slice the breast to add to this salad.
  • cheese – I recommend either sharp cheddar or medium

Close up of broccoli and cauliflower salad with cheese and dried cranberries.

Make the Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

  1. Prep your veggies by chopping the onion into rings. Then cut off the florets from the cauliflower and broccoli into bite-size pieces.
  2. Slice the chicken into thin pieces.
  3. Cube your cheddar into 1/4 inch or smaller pieces.
  4. Put all of the veggies, chicken, and cheese into a large bowl or platter. Set aside.
  5. Mix all ingredients for the dressing. Make sure it’s smooth, then add the dressing into the salad.
  6. Enjoy!

Close up of cauliflower broccoli salad in a wooden bowl.

More Salad Recipes to Try:

Cauliflower Broccoli Salad

5 from 1 vote

This cauliflower broccoli salad is easy to throw together and tastes incredible! Each bite has a satisfying crunch with the perfect balance of savory and sweet.

Author: Marina | Let the Baking Begin
Course: Salad
Keyword: cauliflower broccoli salad
Calories: 460 kcal
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 3 cups broccoli florets 1 medium head of broccoli = about 3 cups of florets
  • 3 cups cauliflower florets 1 medium head of cauliflower = about 4 cups of florets
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 3/4 cups dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds
  • 1 rotisserie chicken breast, sliced (Note 1)
  • 1 cup sharp or medium cheddar, cubed

Cauliflower Broccoli Salad Dressing

Instructions

How to make the Cauliflower Broccoli Salad

  1. Chop 1/2 an onion into quarter rings, then cut off enough florets from broccoli and cauliflower to make 3 cups of each . Make sure the florets are bite sized.

  2. Cut 1 rotisserie chicken breast into 1/4" inch slices.

  3. Cut cheddar into cubes about 1/4 inch or smaller. You will need enough cubes to fill 1 cup.

  4. Arrange all ingredients on a plater, alternating colors and adding 1/2 cup of almonds and 3/4 cup dried cranberries.

Make the Homemade Salad Dressing

  1. Mix 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp of sugar, 1.5 tbsp white vinegar, and 1/2 tsp of black pepper together until smooth.

  2. Add only 3/4 of the dressing into the salad and mix. Taste, and add more if more is needed.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Chicken breast can be replaced with the same amount of sliced turkey breast, cubed ham, or 1/2 cup of crispy, chopped bacon.

Nutrition Facts
Cauliflower Broccoli Salad
Amount Per Serving
Calories 460 Calories from Fat 297
% Daily Value*
Fat 33g51%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Cholesterol 56mg19%
Sodium 347mg15%
Potassium 468mg13%
Carbohydrates 25g8%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 17g19%
Protein 18g36%
Vitamin A 490IU10%
Vitamin C 65mg79%
Calcium 201mg20%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Marina | Let the Baking Begin

Welcome to Let the Baking Begin! I'm Marina and my love and passion for eating only the most delicious foods drive me to share that love here on Let the Baking Begin (since 2009). With over 20 years of experience in the kitchen, you know the recipes are tested and retested until perfect. I'm so happy to have you here. Enjoy! Read more...

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  • Maya

    This salad was absolutely delicious! I added some pieces of bacon to it too. Thank you for another wonderful recipe.

    · Reply

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