We call this the Christmas salad but it’s great any time of year. Broccoli Cauliflower Salad has only 4 ingredients with an easy honey lemon dressing that coats every delicious bite. It comes together quickly and is perfect for parties or dinner time. Make this and you will get recipe requests.
Most people think of Cauliflower as an ingredient that needs to be cooked into Cauliflower Soup or Roasted Cauliflower, but raw cauliflower is a real treat. It has the perfect taste and crunchy texture for salad.
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We love fresh broccoli salads like our Broccoli Apple Salad and Broccoli Grape Salad. If you are a fan of crisp fresh broccoli and cauliflower, you will make this creamy salad again and again. Broccoli and Cauliflower never tasted so good!
Broccoli Cauliflower Salad Video
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Good recipes travel fast and this creamy Broccoli Cauliflower Salad recipe is one of them! One of my readers, Margarita Storchevoy, wrote in with this Christmas salad recipe and said it was one of her favorite recipes for the holidays. That same day we bought the ingredients and recreated it; love at first bite! Make this and you will get recipe requests.
Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad Ingredients
- Broccoli – use a medium head, cut into small florets
- Cauliflower – 1 medium head, chopped into small florets
- Dried Cranberries – adds a sweet-tanginess to the salad
- Pine Nuts or Sliced Almonds – toast the nuts on a dry skillet until golden for a more intense nutty flavor and crunchier texture.
Shortcut: I love my food chopper for chopping broccoli and cauliflower. It makes this job way easier and faster.
How to Select Cauliflower
- Look for tightly packed heads of white cauliflower. The leaves should be green and fresh-looking.
- Avoid cauliflower heads with brown specks or wilted leaves which are a sign of aging.
Creamy Honey-Lemon Dressing
This dressing doesn’t get any easier and we love that it uses honey to sweeten and balance the tanginess of the dressing.
- Mayonnaise – use real mayo for the best flavor
- Lemon juice – be sure to use freshly squeezed lemon juice (not from concentrate)
- Honey – we use 2 Tablespoons but you can add it to taste. Liquid honey will incorporate easier into the dressing.
Once You have all of your ingredients prepped and you’re ready to serve the salad, just add the dressing to taste and toss to combine then enjoy. It’s so easy!
Common Questions
Nuts add a great crunch, but you can easily substitute them for sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds, and toast them for deeper flavor.
Craisins or dried cranberries can easily be substituted with raisins. You can also use fresh grapes if you prefer, but double the amount.
We do not recommend using frozen broccoli or frozen cauliflower for this salad since the crunch won’t be present and it won’t keep as well once broccoli is thawed. Using frozen is also likely to water down the dressing in the salad.
Yes, this salad is grain-free and naturally gluten-free.
Make Ahead
Besides the amazing flavor, what I love most about this salad is the “make-ahead” factor. This salad is just as good (if not better) after it’s been in the fridge melding with the dressing overnight.
Storing Leftovers: cover and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days, just be sure to stir and add more dressing to taste if needed.
Serve With
We love this creamy Broccoli Cauliflower Salad year-round for potlucks and BBQ’s. It pairs well with these main courses and sides:
- Baked Chicken Legs
- Juicy Burger Recipe
- Philly Cheesesteak
- Roasted Baby Red Potatoes
- Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Broccoli Cauliflower Salad Recipe (VIDEO)
Ingredients
- 1 medium broccoli head
- 1 medium cauliflower head
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries, craisins
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds or pine nuts, toasted on a dry skillet until golden
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, from 1 small lemon
- 1/2 cup real mayonnaise
Instructions
- Peel the broccoli stem and chop off the dry base. Chop broccoli into small florets and dice the stem if using.
- Remove and discard the cauliflower core and leaves and dice the rest into bite-sized pieces.
- Toast 1/2 cup pine nuts or almonds on a dry skillet over med/high heat, tossing frequently until fragrant and golden, then add to the salad bowl along with 3/4 cup craisins.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup mayo, 2 Tbsp honey and 2 Tbsp lemon juice. Add dressing to the salad and toss well to combine.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Made this for dinner tonight and paired it with the Cheeseburger Sliders! Both were easy to make and made for a delicious summer dinner.
That sounds wonderful!
OM This is so good!! I love your veggie salads and recipes ! I must say love your quirky up beat personality ! Very refreshing you bring a smile to my face Thank you !!!
Thank you for your good comments and feedback, we appreciate it!
i will try this substituting mayo with yoghurt though! i don’t eat mayo and it makes the salad healthier and lighter for summer too! truly a winner
I hope you love it, Ingrid!
I made this tonight and it was a hit! This will make a great summer salad! It is quick and easy to make!
So happy to hear that! I agree, it is an excellent summer salad! Very fretting and simple to put together.
I’d like to make this for a family get together, but my sister-in-law won’t eat anything with mayonnaise. What would you suggest as a substitute?
PS: I really like your recipes, and have made several and each and every one of them turned out fabulous!
Hi Ronnie, I haven’t personally tried any substitution but I think you could make it work with yogurt, although it will change the flavor profile and you may need a little more honey to offset the added tanginess from the plain yogurt.
BEST cauli/broccoli salad EVER!!! dressing delightful! I had previously made similar with cheese and bacon but this salad so much better and EASIER! Thank You for this recipe and Merry Christmas!!!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Kathy! Merry Christmas!
This was so so easy. Nuts with broccoli and creamy salads in general is the best. I once tried and never went back. I love broccoli. But I’ve never tried dried cranberries, neither raw cauliflower. I’ll check on the combination. And yes, since I love express way, I’m totally sold on the creamy sauce too. Great one. Xx
Sounds good Isa, I hope you love this combination too!
Love the broccoli cauliflower salad. I add bacon. Yum, the guys love it!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Sounds yummy! Natasha! What do you think about blanching the broccoli & cauliflower prior to putting the salad together?
Hi Linda, I haven’t tried that but several of my teachers have blanched and enjoyed it. I prefer the fresh crunch. I hope you love this recipe!
I love this broccoli and cauliflower combo salad – so tasty! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Lana, I’m so happy you love the cauliflower salad! Thanks for the wonderful review.
I just made a batch to keep in the fridge for lunch for the week. Thank you!
Sounds perfect, Lauren. Enjoy!
Colorful salads mean they are delicious! And, this is! The dressing is light & super tasty!
Thank you for your good comments and review, Kristyn!
Loved the ease of making this salad and the simple ingredients. Being diabetic I feel like I am always trying to find new creative ways to get my veggies. This was a perfect compliment to my burger. Thank you. This will be made again for sure.
You’re most welcome, Julia. Great to hear that it was a success!
Hi Natasha,
I haven’t made this recipe yet but I’m wondering if I could sub nf yogurt for the mayo without it making a huge difference in the taste? Thank you for your excellent recipes and simple directions!
Hi Robyn, I haven’t personally tried that substitution but I think you could make it work, although it will change the flavor profile and you may need a little more honey to offset the added tanginess from the plain yogurt
Hi Natasha. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I am not a big fan of broccoli or cauliflower especially raw but decided to give this recipe a try. OMG!!! This recipe is a perfect combination of ingredients and incredibly delicious. It was a big hit with my family. It deserves more than 5 stars for sure. Thank you very much!
Yay, so glad you made the decision to try it! Thank you for your review, Alla.
I’m planning to make this salad for a family BBQ. Can I add other veggies and maybe even bacon?
Hi Helene, I think you can and that will be a good idea too! Please share with us how it goes if you try that.
I just made this again to go with our burgers tonight. It is so easy to make and so delicious.
That’s a perfect combo! Thanks for your wonderful comments and feedback, Marian.
My husband and I loved this recipe! So delicious and flavorful! This salad is on the remake list now. Such a tasty salad.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Beth!
Delicious dressing! Loved the pinenuts in here. I usually use sunflower seeds but the pinenuts, after toasting, really added a lovely roasted nut flavor! Delicious and perfect for potlucks! On my list for summer activities!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I used some roasted/salted sliced almonds, and I loved the combo of the salty with the sweet of the craisins. Such a fresh and yummy salad!
The perfect balance! I’m so glad you thought so too, Kara! Thank you for sharing your lovely review with me.
Why does the video for making this salad show adding sour cream to the dressing but looking at the ingredients…there is no sour cream!
Hi Brenda, this recipe doesn’t call for sour cream. Are you possibly mistaking the mayonnaise for sour cream?
I posted your video and you do put sour cream, Mayo and squeezed lemon in the dressing, no honey either.
There is no sour cream in the recipe