Broccoli Salad With Bacon And Apple

Name: Broccoli Salad With Bacon And Apple
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 6 slices bacon (cut into small pieces); 1 tablespoon oil (for cooking); 2 heads broccoli ((small to medium)); 1 large apple; 1 lemon (juice only); ¼ red onion (chopped finely); 1 cup cheddar cheese (grated (sharp/tasty)); ½ cup peanuts (salted or unsalted (I prefer salted)); optional – 1 handful raisins or dried cranberries; freshly ground black pepper (to taste); ¾ cup Greek yogurt; 1½ tablespoons mayonnaise; 2 teaspoons mustard (I like Dijon (American works, too)); 1 tablespoon honey (or maple syrup)

By Helen Schofield

on Jun 15, 2014, Updated Oct 01, 2026

93 Comments

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Imagine crunchy, juicy apple, smoky bacon, tangy cheddar, sharp onion, salty peanuts, and of course crisp bites of broccoli all bound together with a creamy-but-light Greek yogurt dressing. With so many flavors and textures, this broccoli salad makes perfect party food, or even a quick and easy dinner served with grilled meat or fish.

Someone pouring dressing over a bowl of broccoli, apple and bacon salad on a green cloth and with serving spoons in it.

A lightened-up broccoli salad
📌Recipe snapshot
About the ingredients
How to make a broccoli salad with bacon and apple
Helen’s Top Tips
A few serving ideas
Recipe FAQs
A few more dinner salads
Broccoli Salad With Bacon And Apple Recipe

A lightened-up broccoli salad

I think of this broccoli salad a salad of contrasts. It’s simple and fresh and yet also hearty and comforting with the addition of smoky bacon, crunchy peanuts, crisp apple and cheese.

It’s also very versatile. Serve it for lunch by itself, perhaps with some bread or olive oil toasts on the side, or for dinner with meat or fish. It also makes interesting party food and it’s easy to prep it ahead if you want to.

I mostly cook broccoli, so I love that the broccoli in this salad is uncooked. It’s surprisingly delicious this way since the small pieces are combined with all the other delicious and interesting flavors.

As for the creamy-but-light Greek yogurt dressing, it pulls everything together wonderfully!

📌Recipe snapshot

Prep time: 15 to 20 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6
Key ingredients: bacon, broccoli, apple, lemon juice, onion, cheddar cheese, peanuts, black pepper, Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, honey
Why you’ll love this: ‘dinner salad’, side dish or party food; so many flavors & textures; creamy but light dressing

About the ingredients

You’ll find a full list of ingredients with amounts in the recipe card below. But here’s a summary of what you need to know.

Bacon: I like thick smoked bacon for the best flavor and texture, and pan-sized for convenience, but any kind of bacon will work. For a no-cook version, use tasty smoked ham instead!
Broccoli: Wash well and cut the uncooked broccoli into small pieces about 1 to 2cm wide.
Apple: You’ll only need one. Pick a juicy, crisp, tart one rather than one that’s very sweet or soft. Try a Granny Smith or Pink Lady! Apple season is the perfect time to make this salad, although it’s great any time of year.
Lemon: Don’t skip this. It serves two purposes – adding tart flavor, and also preventing the apple from browning.
Onion: A bit of finely chopped onion cuts through the richness of some of the other ingredients. You don’t need too much. It’s a background flavor rather than a main one. I like to use red onion, which is milder and sweeter. Shallots and salad onions would work, too.
Sharp cheddar cheese: A bit of sharp grated cheddar adds savory depth to the salad.
Peanuts: Using salted peanuts saves me from adding any salt to the salad, but use unsalted if you prefer since the bacon and cheese are also quite salty.
Raisins: These are optional, but they add welcome bursts of sweet chewiness. Dried cranberries would serve the same purpose.
Black pepper: Add this to taste. I don’t think you need any extra salt as a few of the ingredients are already quite salty.
Greek yogurt: I lighten up the simple dressing by combining three quarters of a cup of Greek yogurt with just a little bit of mayonnaise.
Mayonnaise: Just a tablespoon and a half adds just enough savory richness and creaminess.
Mustard: I like to add a mild French style mustard such as Dijon mustard to the dressing. American mustard would work well, too.
Honey: A tiny bit of sweetness balances out the sourness of the Greek yogurt-based dressing very nicely. You can use maple syrup instead if you like.

How to make a broccoli salad with bacon and apple

It will only take around 15 to 20 minutes to make this. While the bacon is cooking in a pan, you can continue prepping and chopping the other ingredients for your broccoli salad.

I usually start by cutting the bacon into small pieces (with kitchen scissors!) and pan-frying it for about 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp. If you have an air fryer, you can follow this 8-minute air fryer bacon recipe if you prefer.

Then it is just a matter of chopping all the other salad ingredients and placing them in a large salad bowl.

Collage of 4 images showing the process of making a broccoli, apple and bacon salad and the yogurt dressing for it.

Also mix together the few simple dressing ingredients.

Let the bacon cool slightly, then add that to the bowl too.

All the ingredients needed to make a broccoli, apple and bacon salad in a glass bowl on a black background.

Stir the dressing in really well.

Overhead of all the ingredients together in a glass bowl for a broccoli and bacon and apple salad before being mixed up.

Overhead view of the edge of a glass bowl with broccoli, apple and bacon salad in it.

Helen’s Top Tips

This recpe would also work very well using tasty smoked ham, sausage, or chicken pieces instead of bacon.
If you soak the apple in lemon juice before adding it to the salad, the apple doesn’t go brown and you can quite happily keep it in the fridge for a day (or two or three – speaking from experience!).
If you do make the salad ahead, note that it’s best to add the peanuts at the last minute. They don’t hold onto their crunchiness for too long.
You could easily switch the peanuts for another nut or seed such as crunchy walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, or even pistachios!

A few serving ideas

This broccoli salad with bacon and apple works as a side dish with so many mains! Here are just a few ideas:

with a homemade quiche such as this simple ‘impossible’ crustless quiche, or a classic quiche lorraine (this combination would work especially well as party food).
with air fryer chicken legs, panko chicken, salmon or another kind of simple grilled or air-fried meat or fish.
with meatballs (try these air fryer chicken meatballs!).

It’s also delicious as lunch leftovers, and perfect for taking along to a party!

Closeup of a fork on a white plate of broccoli, bacon and apple salad.

Recipe FAQs

How long does this salad last in the fridge?

You can keep this broccoli salad well covered or in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. The lemon juice will keep the apple fresh. Note that the peanuts may lose some of their crunchiness the longer they’re in the fridge.

Could I use something else instead of Greek yogurt in the dressing?

Yes, you can. The best substitute is probably sour cream. The dressing will be a little richer and less fresh-tasting than the yogurt version, but still very good. You could also use regular unsweetened natural/plain yogurt instead of Greek yogurt. Crème fraîche works, too, if it’s available where you live. Lastly, you can just use mayonnaise, although the salad will become considerably richer.