Broccoli Tomato Salad (Quick & Easy – Video Tutorial)
Broccoli Tomato Salad is a fresh, delicious, and easy-to-make recipe you’ll want to add to your regular rotation. This vibrant salad combines crisp broccoli and juicy tomatoes with a creamy homemade dressing for an incredibly tasty side dish. Finished with cubed cheddar cheese and savory bacon bits, it’s the perfect balance of textures and flavors – and one bite is all it takes to fall in love.
Salads are one of the healthiest lunchtime staples – they’re light, nourishing, and full of essential vitamins and minerals. Still, finding a recipe that’s both flavorful and quick to prepare can be a challenge.
This simple yet irresistible salad is guaranteed to impress at any table. Packed with fresh broccoli and juicy tomatoes as the star ingredients, it’s elevated with crisp red cabbage, sharp cheddar cheese, and a blend of creative flavors that make it truly stand out.
What is a Broccoli Tomato Salad?
Salads are one of the healthiest lunchtime staples – they’re light, nourishing, and full of essential vitamins and minerals. Still, finding a recipe that’s both flavorful and quick to prepare can be a challenge.
This simple yet irresistible salad is guaranteed to impress at any table. Packed with fresh broccoli and juicy tomatoes as the star ingredients, it’s elevated with crisp red cabbage, sharp cheddar cheese, and a blend of creative flavors that make it truly stand out.
Broccoli Tomato Salad Video
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This broccoli tomato salad is a fresh, flavorful, and easy way to add more vegetables to your meals. Made with broccoli, tomatoes, red cabbage, cheddar cheese, bacon, and a creamy dressing, it’s both nutritious and satisfying.
Perfect for meal prep or holidays, this salad can be made ahead and stays crisp and vibrant. A quick soak of the broccoli in lemon juice enhances flavor, preserves its bright green color, and keeps it crunchy. Best of all, it holds up well in the fridge without getting watery, making it ideal for leftovers or lunch boxes.
Key Ingredients
For the Salad:
- Broccoli: The star of this broccoli tomato salad, broccoli is packed with nutrients like fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, and potassium, making it both healthy and satisfying.
- Cherry tomatoes: These add a juicy, slightly acidic pop of flavor that perfectly balances the salad.
- Red cabbage: Crisp and crunchy, red cabbage adds texture and enhances the overall flavor.
- Dried cranberries: A touch of sweetness and tartness gives the salad a festive, well-rounded taste.
- Almond slivers: These bring a light crunch and subtle nutty flavor, adding both elegance and texture.
- Cheddar cheese: A key ingredient that boosts richness, flavor, and creaminess throughout the salad.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon helps keep the broccoli crisp, vibrant, and full of fresh flavor.
- Bacon: Broiled bacon adds rich, savory flavor and makes the salad more satisfying. For perfectly crispy results, check out my post on How to Broil Bacon for step-by-step instructions.
Salad Dressing:
- Ranch dressing: The base of the salad dressing, ranch adds classic flavor. I recommend using my homemade ranch recipe for the best taste.
- Greek yogurt: This adds extra creaminess while boosting the nutritional value of the dressing.
- Seasonings: A simple touch of salt and black pepper brings everything together and balances the flavors perfectly.
For a full list of ingredients and quantities, please check the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to Make Broccoli Tomato Salad
Broil the bacon: Start by broiling the bacon, then set it aside to cool. For step-by-step details, check out my guide on How to Make Perfect, Quick, and Easy Oven-Broiled Bacon.
Prep veggies: Next, rinse all the vegetables and the lemon. Cut the broccoli into bite-size florets, squeeze the juice of one small lemon over the broccoli, and set it aside to absorb the flavor.
Shred the red cabbage and soak it in ice-cold water to reduce color bleeding. Drain and pat dry before adding to the salad. Slice the cherry tomatoes, cube the cheddar, and chop the broiled bacon.
Assembling the salad: Combine the broccoli florets, halved cherry tomatoes, red cabbage, cubed cheddar, toasted almonds, dried cranberries, and bacon in a large bowl.
Make salad dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the ranch and Greek yogurt until smooth. I recommend using my homemade ranch recipe for the best flavor.
Dress the salad: Pour the dressing over the salad, toss everything together, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve: Your salad is ready to serve! If not serving right away, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This salad can be prepared a few hours in advance and stored in the fridge. Just keep it covered to maintain freshness.
Absolutely! While homemade ranch adds extra flavor, any ranch or creamy dressing will work.
How to Store Leftovers
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 – 3 days, though the salad tastes best when eaten fresh or within a day. For a make-ahead option, store the ingredients separately and toss with the dressing just before serving. Note: broccoli doesn’t freeze well, so freezing this salad is not recommended.
Check out all the salad recipes in the Salad Category.
Broccoli Tomato Salad (Quick & Easy – Video Tutorial)
Ingredients
- 3 broccoli heads
- 10 oz. cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup slivered Almonds (toasted)
- 4 oz. cheddar cheese
- Juice of small lemon
- 6 strips – broiled bacon
Salad Dressing and Seasoning Ingredients
- ½ cup ranch dressing (I used a homemade ranch recipe)
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
How to Prep Ingredients for Broccoli Tomato Salad
- Start by broiling bacon and then it set aside and let it cool. Check out the full instructions on How to Make Perfect Quick and Easy Oven Broiled Bacon.
- Next, rinse all vegetables and the lemon. Cut broccoli florets into bite-size pieces and squeeze the juice of one small lemon over the broccoli florets (see instructions here), and set aside to let it absorb.
- Shred one cup of red cabbage, place it into a small bowl, pour ice-cold water over it, and let the cabbage sit in the cold water while you’re preparing the rest of the salad. This will remove most of the color and prevent the purple cabbage color from dyeing the salad dressing.
- When ready to add purple cabbage to the salad drain the water from a bowl and place the cabbage in a dry bowl lined with a paper towel for the excess water to drain and dry the cabbage as much as possible.
- Slice cherry tomatoes in half, cut cheddar cheese into ¼” square cubes and cut broiled bacon into small pieces as well.
- Add all the ingredients: soaked in lemon juice broccoli florets, halved cherry tomatoes, red cabbage, cubed cheddar cheese, toasted slivered almonds, dried cranberries, and bacon into a large bowl.
- If you’re not ready to serve the salad cover it with a food plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
How to Make Salad Dressing for Broccoli Tomato Salad
- Combine and whisk together ranch and Greek yogurt with a small hand whisker. I've used my homemade ranch recipe.
- Pour dressing over the salad.
- Mix it all well and then season the salad with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Notes
- Fresh is best: Use crisp broccoli, ripe tomatoes, and fresh cabbage for the best texture and flavor.
- Boost broccoli flavor: Soak florets in lemon juice to keep them bright, crisp, and flavorful.
- Uniform pieces: Cut veggies and cheese evenly for balanced bites.
- Add texture: Mix crunchy ingredients like almonds and cabbage with soft cheese for contrast.
- Creamy dressing: Combine ranch with Greek yogurt for a rich, light dressing.
- Season gradually: Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Make-ahead tips: Store ingredients separately and toss with dressing just before serving.
- Leftovers: Keeps 2–3 days in the fridge, but broccoli doesn’t freeze well.
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This recipe was originally posted on December 7, 2017 (original picture below), and updated for a better user experience. The post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure.
