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Broccoli Salad with Bacon, Almonds, and Orange

This classic Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Almonds recipe is as old as forever, but it never goes out of style. With a dressing that’s sweet and tangy and plenty of interesting bits, this salad is terrific all year long and everyone always gobbles it up!

Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Almonds in a black serving dish.

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There’s a reason this salad is served at holiday meals, potlucks, BBQs and more, and that’s because it’s simply delish! It’s the kind of salad that you can make ahead of time, and in fact, it tastes better after it’s had a few hours to sit. It’s also the kind of salad that everyone loves. It’s crunchy, creamy, tangy, and a bit sweet, and the oranges, almonds, bacon, and red onion on top add plenty of crunch, flavor, and interest.

What you’ll love about Broccoli Salad


  • There’s little cooking, and it’s an easy salad to prep ahead of time.
  • Everyone loves it!
  • You can change up the toppings to make the salad of your dreams.
Finished Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Almonds in a bowl.

Ingredients

  • Fresh broccoli – You’ll need about 8 cups of florets. That’s about 2 large or 4 small broccoli crowns and a wee bit of tender stems.
  • Bacon
  • Canned mandarin oranges – In the canned fruit section of your grocery store.
  • Sliced almonds – Toasted.
  • Red onion – Thinly sliced.

For the dressing

  • Eggs – 2 large eggs.
  • Sugar – Granulated white sugar.
  • White wine vinegar
  • Water
  • Cornstarch
  • Mustard powder
  • Mayonnaise – Whatever kind is in your fridge is fine.
Labeled ingredients to make broccoli salad with bacon and almonds.

How To Make The Best Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Almonds

  1. Wash and shake dry the broccoli, then cut the crowns into bite-sized florets and small chunks of the tender stems.
  2. Cook the bacon in a skillet until it is crisp. Drain it on paper towels, then chop it up.
  3. Toast the almonds until lightly golden brown. Toast them in a dry skillet or in the oven at 325-F but don’t walk away or they could burn.
  4. Drain the mandarin orange segments.

To make the dressing

  1. Add the eggs, sugar, white wine vinegar, water, cornstarch, and mustard powder, to a small skillet and heat it over medium heat, whisking constantly.
  2. Whisk the dressing until it is thick and bubbly. Remove it from the heat and cool on the counter for 30 minutes.
  3. Mix in the mayonnaise when the dressing is cool to the touch.

To assemble the salad

  1. Combine the dressing with the broccoli florets and refrigerate for about 2 hours before serving.
  2. Top the salad with the crumbled bacon, toasted almonds, mandarin orange segments, and red onion slices before serving.
  3. Enjoy!

Chef Jenn’s Tips

  • You can prep the broccoli, bacon, onion, almonds, orange segments, and even the dressing up to a few days in advance. Store everything in the fridge until ready to use it.
  • This salad really does benefit from marinating a few hours before serving, so toss the broccoli with the dressing and pop it back into the fridge about 2 hours before serving.
  • Don’t care for nuts? Skip them.
  • Sliced mushrooms, raisins, toasted pecans, and sunflower seeds can all be mixed and matched in this salad.
  • To make this a vegetarian broccoli salad, omit the bacon.

Recommended

Make It A Meal

This Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Almonds recipe goes fabulously with so many other dishes! Pair it with smoked pork, lamb chops, anything off the grill, seafood, and more. It’s a great addition to BBQs and gatherings, or serve it at your next Easter or holiday buffet. I also love it as a side dish to simple eats, like this canned chicken salad sandwich.

Storage

Store any Broccoli Salad leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. Enjoy fresh; this salad recipe will not freeze.

Step By Step Process

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Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Almonds in a black serving dish.
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4.72 from 7 votes

Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Almonds

This timeless classic salad is sweet, tangy, crunchy, and more! It's also easy to prep in advance, and is a great addition to BBQs, gatherings, buffets, and more.
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword broccoli, broccoli salad with almonds, broccoli salad with bacon, easy salad, salad
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 238kcal
Author Chef Jenn

Ingredients

  • 8 cups broccoli florets from 2 large or 4 small broccoli crowns
  • 6 slices bacon crisped and crumbled
  • 1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds
  • 10 ounce canned mandarin orange segments drained
  • 1/4 cup sliced red onion

For the dressing

  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise

Instructions

  • Wash and shake dry the broccoli, then cut the crowns into bite-sized florets and small chunks of the tender stems.
  • Cook the bacon in a skillet until it is crisp. Drain it on paper towels, then chop it up.
  • Toast the almonds until lightly golden brown. Toast them in a dry skillet or in the oven at 325-F but don't walk away or they could burn.
  • Drain the mandarin orange segments.

To make the dressing

  • Add the eggs, sugar, white wine vinegar, water, cornstarch, and mustard powder, to a small skillet and heat it over medium heat, whisking constantly.
  • Whisk the dressing until it is thick and bubbly. Remove it from the heat and cool on the counter for 30 minutes.
  • Mix in the mayonnaise when the dressing is cool to the touch.

To assemble the salad

  • Combine the dressing with the broccoli florets and refrigerate for about 2 hours before serving.
  • Top the salad with the crumbled bacon, toasted almonds, mandarin orange segments, and red onion slices before serving.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

Chef Jenn’s Tips

  • You can prep the broccoli, bacon, onion, almonds, orange segments, and even the dressing up to a few days in advance.
  • This salad really does benefit from marinating a few hours before serving, so toss the broccoli with the dressing and pop it back into the fridge about 2 hours before serving.
  • Don’t care for nuts? Skip them.
  • Sliced mushrooms, raisins, toasted pecans, and sunflower seeds can all be mixed and matched in this salad.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 139mg | Potassium: 394mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 1101IU | Vitamin C: 94mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 1mg

A Note on Nutritional Information

Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.

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