Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad


Description

This creamy Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad is a healthy version of an old faithful church cookbook recipe I grew up on. It’s easy to make, the dressing can be prepped in advance, and it’s perfect for church potlucks or family gatherings! THM S, low carb, sugar free.

Broccoli salad is one of Ryan’s favorite foods and he had no complaints about this one, although he did say, “If we were having some friends over you could put in some shreds of sharp cheddar.” So feel free to add some shredded cheese if you like…haha.

The dressing can be made ahead and stored in the fridge, but wait to mix up the salad until soon before serving.

Not feeding a crowd? Just make a partial batch OR just assemble what you need for one meal. (It’s best fresh – leftovers will soften in the fridge but are still good the next day.)


Ingredients

DRESSING:

  • 2 cups mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons THM Super Sweet Blend (to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

SALAD:

  • 1012 cups chopped broccoli and cauliflower*
  • ½1 cup unsweetened dried cranberries
  • 1 2.5-ounce package bacon bits or ½ cup cooked and crumbled bacon (feel free to add more!)
  • 1/3 cup chopped onion

Instructions

*NOTE: You can also make this with just broccoli (as I did when I took these pictures). I chopped up broccoli florets by hand to the size I wanted them, then put the stems into my Tupperware Smooth Chopper to chop them pretty small and added those too so as not to waste them. It worked great!

DRESSING: You can prepare the dressing ahead of time. Whisk the ingredients together, then taste and adjust the sweetener and vinegar as desired. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

ASSEMBLY: Not long before serving, mix together the chopped broccoli/cauliflower, cranberries, bacon, onion, and dressing (to the desired wetness – you may not need it all). Feel free to add more chopped broccoli/cauliflower to stretch the salad and dressing if you don’t mind a drier salad. This dressing is plenty for the amount of broccoli/cauliflower listed.

This broccoli & cauliflower salad is like coleslaw in that it’s best the day of assembly but still good the next day – just not as fresh and crunchy,

Notes

You can add 1/8 to ¼ cup of mustard to the dressing and thin it out a little to make a honey mustard salad dressing! You might want to add a little extra sweetener as well.

Use reduced fat sour cream in place of some of the mayo for a lower calorie salad if you like! (not dairy free, obviously)

Additions: Chopped red onion, chopped pecans, roasted sunflower seeds, chopped hardboiled eggs, red wine vinegar or lemon juice in place of part or all of the ACV – these would all be great tweaks! Change things around as desired and leave the bacon out or sub with turkey bacon if you have dietary restrictions/preferences.

Sweetener: Feel free to use your favorite low glycemic sweetener to taste in place of the THM Super Sweet Blend.

Unsweetened dried cranberries: I wanted something to mimic the raisins sometimes found in broccoli salad. Unsweetened dried cranberries can be hard to find (and expensive), but you can purchase them online, at health food stores, or make your own. You can also just omit them if you prefer, or if you’re desperate and don’t mind something that’s not quite THM, soak the lower sugar Craisins in hot water to remove as much sugar as possible, then drain well before using….

Allergy info: Gluten free, dairy free, and nut free as written (use non-contaminated ingredients)

This recipe was updated on April 21, 2021. You can find the original recipe (published to the blog on November 25, 2015) on page 145 of Necessary Food, my first cookbook. If you have NF, you might want to pencil in the recipe changes from this post.

  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Category: Salads
  • Method: Stir
  • Cuisine: THM S, low carb, sugar free

Keywords: trim healthy mama, thm, gluten free, dairy free, nut free, low carb broccoli recipes, low carb cauliflower recipes