Broccoli Salad with Feta and Cranberries

Broccoli Salad with Feta and Cranberries is the perfect side dish for grill season, loaded with crispy bacon, sunflower seeds, craisins, feta cheese and a No Mayo dressing! It's great to feed a crowd or meal prep for healthy lunches. With a creamy yogurt and tangy vinegar dressing, this crunchy broccoli salad will have everyone asking for the recipe! Ready in 25 minutes!

Why we Love this Summer Favorite!

• Absolutely Delicious! - You will love this creamy crunchy broccoli feta salad for so many reasons! It's colorful and full of fresh flavor! Super healthy but full of rich taste from that crispy bacon and feta cheese! A bit of sweetness from the honey and cranberries balance the sharp red onions and bright vinegar!

• Easy to Throw Together, and great to make ahead or meal prep! - Perfect for the backyard grill season, Broccoli Feta Cranberry Salad is the best side dish with burgers, brats or grilled chicken! You can make it up ahead of time and keep it in the fridge, bring it to a cabin weekend or use as a healthy meal prep lunch. The prep is very minimal with the bacon being the only cooking involved. If you need a summer salad side dish, try this Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad or my Tomato Feta White Bean Salad!

• Broccoli Salad - No Mayo Dressing! - The best part, this is Broccoli Salad with Honey Yogurt Dressing! No mayo here, this simple dressing is made with plain yogurt, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard and honey. I've seen broccoli salad recipes adding gobs of mayo, and it's just not necessary! This salad is creamy, crunchy, and so full of flavor, you will not miss the mayo at all! Try this Blue Cheese Apple Walnut Salad too!

Ingredients

• Fresh Broccoli - Fresh raw broccoli gives you that fresh classic crunch! A really healthy side dish, I use about 1 bunch of broccoli cut into small florets. If you love broccoli, try my Broccoli Au Gratin, Tuna Broccoli Pasta Bake, and my Cheesy Broccoli Zucchini Soup.

• Red Onion - Red onion gives you a nice sharpness, but if you aren't an onion person, leave it out! You could also sub chives, shallots or sliced scallions for a milder flavor.

• Sunflower Seeds - The sunflower seeds add great protein and crunch, I like to use roasted and salted. You could also use pumpkin seeds or chopped pecans, almonds or walnuts.

• Craisins - Dried cranberries give a touch of sweetness and a pop of color! Other dried fruit would also work, or substitute chopped apples or halved grapes.

• Feta Cheese - I love broccoli salad with feta cheese crumbles. It feels a little fancier, but subbing shredded or diced cheddar is fine too. I always find the best quality and flavor in a block feta cheese that comes in a tub of liquid.

• Bacon - You could leave it vegetarian, but the crispy bacon really is delicious! This recipe only needs a few strips of bacon, but I like to cook the whole package. Chop up the unused bacon and freeze it. It is so handy to throw in a pasta, add to a salad, or toss in eggs. And, if you have frozen chopped bacon in your freezer, you can use it in this recipe. It's fine to add frozen, or even throw in the microwave for a few seconds to get it back to a sizzle.

• Plain Yogurt - Plain yogurt replaces the need for mayo in the salad dressing. If you aren't a plain yogurt user, give it a try as a substitute for sour cream. Swap out your flavored yogurt and flavor your parfait yourself with honey, berries and Homemade Granola. I use plain yogurt all the time in Protein Pancakes, Mediterranean Hummus or Parmesan Herb Veggie Dip, Stovetop Mac & Cheese for the kids, and to top Beef Vegetable Chili, Grilled Steak Fajita Tacos, or Loaded Baked Potatoes. It's a must-have ingredient in my kitchen!

• Red Wine Vinegar, Dijon Mustard & Honey - The tangy sharp elements from the vinegar and mustard are balanced with a touch of sweetness from the honey. The creamy yogurt brings this quick dressing all together!

Instructions

Step 1 - Cook the bacon on a sheet pan in the oven at 400° for about 20 minutes, flip it and check on it until it is perfectly crispy but not burnt. Remove to a plate and chop.

You don't need the whole package for this recipe but I like to cook extra. You can chop and freeze it to throw into eggs or pasta.

Step 2 - Chop the broccoli into bite sized pieces. The stalk can be used as well, just remove the bottom end of it, and peel the tough outside of it with a knife.

Add all ingredients to a large bowl and whisk together the dressing in a small bowl.

Step 3 - Toss the salad well with the dressing and serve or keep in the fridge.

Recipe Tips

• Wash Broccoli Well - Broccoli is one of those veggies, whether it's from your garden or from the store, that you really have to check! Bugs or bad spots can hide in those florets pretty easily.

• Storage - This broccoli cranberry salad with yogurt dressing can be made up to 1 day in advance and kept in an airtight container in the fridge. Leftovers should be eaten within 2 days.

• What to Serve with - Broccoli salad is the perfect side dish for summer cookouts, but it's a hearty fresh side dish year round too! It's even great for the holidays and works well for Thanksgiving and Easter!

If you made this recipe, I'd love to hear how you liked it!  Be sure to leave a star rating by clicking the stars in the recipe card, or leave a comment below!

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