Broccoli Salad For One

Savor a classic Broccoli Salad that is perfect for a light lunch or side dish. Hearty & delicious!

This fresh and flavorful single serving broccoli salad is loaded with plenty of fresh broccoli, bacon, dried cranberries, and a tangy dressing that will leave your taste buds craving more. If you’re craving a wholesome dish for yourself, this delightful salad is the perfect choice to brighten up your day and nourish your body.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Incredibly delicious: This broccoli salad is designed to provide you with a satisfying meal or side dish that is perfectly portioned for one person.
• Versatile recipe: This salad is easy to customize and can be adapted to your tastes and preferences.
• Quick and easy to prepare: This vegetable salad comes together quickly and is ideal for a busy lifestyle.
• Recipe doubles well: Our recipe yields one generous serving of the best broccoli salad. If you’d like to make a second bowl or simply have some leftover, just double the ingredient amounts.

What Is A Broccoli Salad?

Broccoli salad is a delightful combination of fresh broccoli florets, mixed with other colorful vegetables, dried fruits, and sometimes nuts or seeds. It is typically tossed with a tangy and slightly sweet dressing, creating a refreshing and crunchy salad that’s both delicious and packed with nutrients.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.

• Broccoli: Use fresh broccoli florets for the best texture and flavor. There is no need to blanch the broccoli first. Frozen broccoli is not recommended for this salad.
• Cheese: I prefer using shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Look for thick shredded cheese and stay away from the finely shredded variety.
• Dried cranberries: Or use raisins if preferred.
• Bacon: I use 1 strip of cooked and chopped bacon. Pre-cooked bacon will save you time but make sure you are using real bacon pieces and not imitation flavored “bacon bits”.
• Sunflower seeds: This ingredient adds a delicious crunch to the salad.
• Chopped red onions: Gives the salad extra crunch and flavor.
• Dressing ingredients: Mayonnaise, sour cream, white wine vinegar, olive oil, sugar, salt, and black pepper. For a lighter version, substitute the mayonnaise and/or sour cream with plain Greek yogurt or a mix of Greek yogurt and mayonnaise.

This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why I used them. For the full recipe please scroll down to the recipe box at the bottom of the post.

Effortless Guide To Cutting Broccoli Florets

Prepping broccoli florets for your single serving broccoli salad couldn’t be easier; here’s a quick guide to help you get those bite-sized pieces perfect every time.

Slice off the broccoli crown near the stem, breaking it into large florets. Then, snip the stem of each floret to create bite-sized portions.

This simple method ensures you get the ideal broccoli pieces for your solo salad experience.

How To Make Broccoli Salad

These step-by-step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make a small batch of broccoli salad. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.

1. Combine the broccoli florets, cheese, dried cranberries, cooked and crumbled bacon, onions, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl.

2. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, white wine vinegar, olive oil, sugar, salt, and pepper.

3. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir well. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
4. Enjoy chilled!

Expert Tips

• Read through the entire recipe and the Ingredient Notes section of the post and gather your ingredients. This small broccoli salad comes together quickly so it’s a good idea to have everything ready before beginning.
• Cut your broccoli small. Because this recipe calls for using fresh broccoli, you want to make sure the pieces are small enough to become fully coated and soften slightly with the dressing.
• Adjust the dressing ingredients to suit your taste preferences, adding more vinegar for tanginess or more sugar for sweetness.
• Let the salad chill. This salad is great right after it’s made, but it’s even better after an hour or more so that the flavors can develop.

Serving Suggestions

Enjoy this small batch broccoli salad as a light and refreshing lunch or as a side dish to complement grilled or broiled chicken, fish, or a burger.

Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients

Chicken and Rice For One

Chicken Spaghetti For One

Chicken Enchiladas Verde For One

Chicken Chili For One

• Broccoli: Use leftover broccoli in stir-fries, soups, pasta dishes, or any of these recipes: Cashew Chicken, Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Pasta Salad, Vegetable Casserole, Pasta Primavera, Chicken Divan
• Red onions: Incorporate leftover red onions into salads, sandwiches, or as a topping for burgers or tacos. Try it in these recipes: Pickled Onions, Spinach and Orzo Salad, Steak Fajitas, Chicken Caprese, Cowboy Caviar
• Bacon: Coq au Vin, Pasta Carbonara, Bacon, Egg and Cheese Cup, Cauliflower Casserole, Baked Stuffed Fish
• Cheese: Cheese Grits, Macaroni and Cheese, Scalloped Potatoes, Breakfast Casserole, Creamed Spinach, Jalapeño Poppers
• Sunflower seeds: Add to yogurt or enjoy in Morning Glory Muffins, Peanut Butter Toast
• Mayonnaise: Pineapple Lime Jello Salad, Potato Salad, Mexican Corn Dip, Ranch Dressing, Reuben Sandwich
• Sour cream: Hot Spinach Dip, Mushroom Casserole, Corn Muffins, Chicken Tetrazzini, Butter Chicken
• White wine vinegar: Cucumber Salad, Poppy Seed Dressing, Goat Cheese Dressing, Black Bean Hummus, Fish Tacos
• Olive oil: Chicken Marsala, Philly Cheesesteak, Shrimp Fried Rice, Baked Black Bean Tacos, Split Pea Soup