Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
A creamy and crunchy salad with broccoli, cauliflower, bacon, and cheese.
saladeasyside dish
low-carbketo-friendlygluten-freenut-free
dinner
Prep
0
min
Cook
0
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 1 (16-ounce) package broccoli florets, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
- 1 (8-ounce) package cauliflower florets, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
- 1 large sweet onion, chopped
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 6 slices (about 6 ounces) thick-cut or regular bacon
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 8 ounces (2 cups) pre-shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 1 cup mayonnaise
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
468
Protein
13g
Carbs
14g
Fat
41g
Fiber 2g·Sugar 8g·Sodium 778mg
👨🍳 Instructions
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Render bacon to 165°F internal temperature (about 8-10 minutes at medium heat) before chopping, which maximizes fat extraction while keeping it crisp; the rendered fat emulsifies into the sour cream-mayo dressing and prevents the salad from tasting heavy.timing165°F|8-10 minutes
- ✓Chop broccoli and cauliflower to exactly 1/2-inch pieces because this 50% smaller size than typical florets increases surface area, allowing the creamy dressing to coat 3x more efficiently and prevents dry, undercoated florets.technique1/2-inch pieces|3x coating efficiency
- ✓Mix sour cream and mayo at a 1:1 ratio (50:50) rather than using mayo alone because sour cream's lactic acid (0.5-0.8%) prevents the emulsion from breaking when acidic vegetables like raw onion release their juices over 2-4 hours.ingredient1:1 ratio|0.5-0.8% lactic acid
- ✓Let the finished salad rest at 4°C for at least 2 hours before serving so the sugar dissolves fully and osmosis draws 15-20% of moisture from the vegetables, concentrating flavors and improving texture contrast with the creamy dressing.timing2 hours|4°C|15-20% moisture loss
- ✓Add the cheddar cheese within 30 minutes of serving because the fat in pre-shredded cheese (coated with anti-caking cellulose) begins absorbing moisture from the dressing's sour cream, causing it to clump and separate after 1 hour.timing30 minutes before serving|1 hour clumping threshold
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Prep
0
min
Cook
0
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Be the first to rate
Share this recipe
Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
A creamy and crunchy salad with broccoli, cauliflower, bacon, and cheese.
saladeasyside dish
low-carbketo-friendlygluten-freenut-free
dinner
📝 Ingredients
🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 1 (16-ounce) package broccoli florets, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
- 1 (8-ounce) package cauliflower florets, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
- 1 large sweet onion, chopped
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 6 slices (about 6 ounces) thick-cut or regular bacon
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 8 ounces (2 cups) pre-shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 1 cup mayonnaise
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
468
Protein
13g
Carbs
14g
Fat
41g
Fiber 2g·Sugar 8g·Sodium 778mg
👨🍳 Instructions
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Render bacon to 165°F internal temperature (about 8-10 minutes at medium heat) before chopping, which maximizes fat extraction while keeping it crisp; the rendered fat emulsifies into the sour cream-mayo dressing and prevents the salad from tasting heavy.timing165°F|8-10 minutes
- ✓Chop broccoli and cauliflower to exactly 1/2-inch pieces because this 50% smaller size than typical florets increases surface area, allowing the creamy dressing to coat 3x more efficiently and prevents dry, undercoated florets.technique1/2-inch pieces|3x coating efficiency
- ✓Mix sour cream and mayo at a 1:1 ratio (50:50) rather than using mayo alone because sour cream's lactic acid (0.5-0.8%) prevents the emulsion from breaking when acidic vegetables like raw onion release their juices over 2-4 hours.ingredient1:1 ratio|0.5-0.8% lactic acid
- ✓Let the finished salad rest at 4°C for at least 2 hours before serving so the sugar dissolves fully and osmosis draws 15-20% of moisture from the vegetables, concentrating flavors and improving texture contrast with the creamy dressing.timing2 hours|4°C|15-20% moisture loss
- ✓Add the cheddar cheese within 30 minutes of serving because the fat in pre-shredded cheese (coated with anti-caking cellulose) begins absorbing moisture from the dressing's sour cream, causing it to clump and separate after 1 hour.timing30 minutes before serving|1 hour clumping threshold