Broccoli Cauliflower Salad — Healthy Raw Crunch Salad Recipe
This broccoli cauliflower crunch salad is one of those recipes I keep coming back to all year long. Crunchy, colorful, and tossed in a homemade Italian dressing, it's a healthy side dish that takes about 15 minutes to throw together and genuinely gets better the longer it sits. Perfect for summer BBQs and potlucks, but honestly good enough to meal prep for lunch all week.
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What's in This Broccoli Cauliflower Salad?
Start off by making the homemade Italian dressing.This dressing is lighter than a bottled Italian - if you prefer a bolder flavor, double the garlic powder, add an extra splash of vinegar, or let the dressed salad marinate overnight rather than just 2 hours. The flavor develops significantly the longer it sits. Here is what you will need to make it:
- Olive Oil
- White or Red Wine Vinegar
- Honey
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Parsley
- Basil
- Thyme
- Sea Salt
- Pepper
- Red Pepper Flakes
For the salad you will need these ingredients:
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Zucchini
- Green Onion
- Carrots
- Olives
- Bacon
- Parmesan Cheese
As a registered nurse, I love building meals around ingredients that actually do something for your body - and this salad delivers. Broccoli is loaded with vitamin C, vitamin K, and powerful antioxidants. Cauliflower is high in fiber and contains choline, which supports brain health. Together they're two of the most nutrient-dense vegetables you can eat, and serving them raw preserves more of those vitamins than cooking does.
How Do I Make This Broccoli Cauliflower Crunch Salad?
Step One: Make the Dressing
Add all the dressing ingredients to a jar with a tight-fitting lid - the olive oil, vinegar, water, honey, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, basil, thyme, salt, pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Seal the lid and shake vigorously until everything is well combined and emulsified. Set aside.
Step Two: Prep the Vegetables
Roughly chop the broccoli and cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Chop the celery, slice the zucchini and green onions, dice the carrot, and halve the cherry tomatoes. Add everything to a large bowl along with the sliced olives.
Step Three: Dress and Marinate
Pour the homemade Italian dressing over the vegetables and toss well to make sure every piece is coated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours - or overnight for the best flavor. The vegetables soak up the dressing beautifully as they sit.
Step Four: Finish and Serve
Just before serving, toss in the cooked, crumbled bacon. Sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan over the top and serve straight from the bowl.
Tips for the Best Crunch Salad
- Cut the broccoli and cauliflower into similar-sized pieces so every bite has a balanced ratio
- Don't skip the marinating time - 2 hours minimum, overnight is better
- If making for a party, dress it the night before but hold the bacon and Parmesan until you're ready to serve
- The dressing separates as it sits in the jar - give it another shake right before pouring
How do I store the Salad?
It can be stored in a covered container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. One thing to note is that it will lose it's crunchiness the longer it is stored. If you are making a large batch to last throughout the week, (I often do this so I have an easy healthy lunch) add the dressing to the portion you would like a few hours before serving instead of to the entire salad all at once.
What else can I add?
I've experimented with lots of additions over the years - here are my favorites:
- Sunflower seeds or pecans - add just before serving for extra crunch
- Roasted bell peppers - adds a smoky sweetness that works really well with the Italian dressing
- Feta or goat cheese - a great swap for the Parmesan, or use both
- Fresh strawberries - sounds unusual but the sweetness is a wonderful contrast to the tangy dressing
- Salami and Swiss cheese - a reader favorite that turns this into more of an antipasto-style salad
- Sunflower kernels - another reader tip, great for added texture without the chopping
Broccoli Cauliflower Crunch Salad FAQ:
Yes - this is one of the best make-ahead salads you can make. Toss everything with the dressing and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for the best flavor. The vegetables soak up the dressing beautifully. If you want to keep the crunch longer, add the bacon and Parmesan just before serving.
Stored in a covered container, this salad keeps well for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Keep in mind it will soften slightly over time as the vegetables continue to marinate. For meal prep, add the dressing to each portion a few hours before eating rather than all at once.
Absolutely - a good quality store-bought Italian dressing works great as a shortcut. Use about ½ to ¾ cup to dress the full batch, then taste and adjust. Several readers have done this with great results.
It's one of the more nutrient-dense salads you can make. Both broccoli and cauliflower are high in fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants. Serving them raw preserves more of those vitamins than cooking does. The homemade Italian dressing uses olive oil as its base, which adds healthy fats. To lighten it further, reduce the olive oil slightly or use less bacon.
Absolutely - just leave out the bacon. The salad is genuinely delicious without it. When I skip the bacon I sometimes add a pinch of smoked paprika and a little extra salt to make up for that savory depth. You could also try smoked almonds or roasted chickpeas for a satisfying substitute.
Looking for more delicious salad recipes? Give these reader favorites a try!
This post was originally written on January 28, 2020. It was updated on March 29, 2026 with new tips and answers to questions.
Broccoli Cauliflower Crunch Salad
Ingredients
Homemade Italian Dressing:
- ⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
Easy Broccoli Cauliflower Crunch Salad:
- 2 cups broccoli roughly chopped
- 2 cups cauliflower roughly chopped
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup sliced zucchini
- ¼ cup sliced green onion
- ½ cup pitted olives sliced
- ¼ cup carrot diced
- 6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
Dressing:
- Measure all ingredients into a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
- Shake vigorously until well-blended and emulsified.
Salad:
- In a large bowl combine broccoli, cauliflower, celery, tomatoes, zucchini, green onion, olives, and carrot.
- Pour the dressing over top and toss so that all the vegetables are coated.
- Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, turning occasionally.
- Toss with bacon just before serving.
- Serve with grated parmesan cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
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