Broccoli Salad With Bacon And Apple
on Jun 15, 2014, Updated Oct 01, 2026
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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.
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.
Also mix together the few simple dressing ingredients.
Let the bacon cool slightly, then add that to the bowl too.
Stir the dressing in really well.
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!
Recipe FAQs
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.
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.
A few more dinner salads
Broccoli Salad With Bacon And Apple
Ingredients
For the salad
- 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
For the dressing
- ¾ cup Greek yogurt
- 1½ tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons mustard, I like Dijon (American works, too)
- 1 tablespoon honey, or maple syrup
Instructions
- Fry the bacon in the oil until cooked through and crispy if you like (around 8 to 10 minutes), then set aside.6 slices bacon, 1 tablespoon oil
- Separate the broccoli heads into small florets. Chop them into smaller 1 to 2cm pieces if you like. Put the broccoli into a large salad bowl.2 heads broccoli
- Slice the apple (no need to peel) into small pieces and put them into a small bowl. Squeeze the juice of the lemon all over the apple, then add the apple and any extra juice to the large bowl with the broccoli.1 large apple, 1 lemon
- Now add the onion, cheese and peanuts. Also add the raisins or cranberries if using.¼ red onion, 1 cup cheddar cheese, ½ cup peanuts, optional – 1 handful raisins or dried cranberries
- Stir all of the dressing ingredients together well in a medium-sized bowl, then add to the salad. Add black pepper to taste. Mix really well.freshly ground black pepper, ¾ cup Greek yogurt, 1½ tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons mustard, 1 tablespoon honey
OMG, I love this salad. Looks so delicious especially with the apples and raisins!!
Thanks so much, Olivia. I loved it! 🙂
I’ve just discovered your blog and I’m loving all the Greek recipes you have here, being a lover of Greece myself. Everything looks so yummy! I’m actually gearing up to start a food blog myself (just trying to think of a good name at the moment…) so it’s great to see how you have put together such a lovely website in just six months or so. Very inspiring! I’m definitely going to be a regular visitor here!
Hi, Rebecca! So great to ‘meet’ you! It sounds like you’re at the point I was at about last year when I did a lot of thinking, researching and ‘gearing up’ to start. Around December time I decided on a theme and just went for it. I still feel like I’m at the beginning stages of things but really enjoying it and learning all the time. I wish you all the best with your blog planning and if you would like to email and ask me any questions then you are very very welcome. I know the basics at least!
Thanks so much for the compliments – they mean a lot! – and I’m looking forward to getting to know you a bit better. 🙂
P.S. Another Greek recipe coming soon!!
Secret agent or chef? Who knows!? What a funny story and what a wonderful salad. Beautiful, fresh, and crisp. Perfect for a warm day!
Glad you enjoyed the story and recipe, Monet! I wouldn’t say I was either just yet. Chef-in-training and secret-agent-in-training, maybe? 🙂
This story is hilarious, and so glad you eventually got to pull off the surprise. I was cracking up at “talked to the cat, talked to himself” oh boy. You guys are determined and it paid off. This salad looks so good and the pictures are stunning by the way! Pinning for sure 🙂
Thanks so much, Jessica! It was pretty funny listening to him chattering away by himself. Thanks for the piccy compliments … and for the pin. 🙂
Positively full of the kinds of flavours that I like Helen. I have mastered raw sprouts so now I need to master raw broccoli.
Raw sprouts sounds like a great alternative. I’ll have to try that! 🙂
This is the perfect summer salad. Hurry to light meals!
I think you’re right, Layla. Shame it’s winter here in Perth, Australia. Oh well! Glad you liked the salad!
Hahhaha that is so funny! I was picturing 007 scenes as I was reading this lol! I am glad your family was surprised in the end and you both had a great time. I am going to try to surprise my mother and the rest of my family in Africa this fall with a visit. So far only my sister knows..so hopefully it goes well! (shhhh don’t tell)
Awww, that will be wonderful, Zainab! Well, hopefully you got some tips from this post, then. We can exchange notes afterwards. Your mum is going to be sooo happy to see you!
Well I’m certainly glad you guys pulled off the surprise in the end!! I’m sure it was a bunch of fun. This salad looks so tasty! Perfect for bbq season here in the US.
Thanks, Joanne! Ooh, jealous about the BBQ-season (winter here in Oz of course). Never mind, at least it’s still quite sunny!
This salad looks so appetizing with all these flavours and textures! Looks like a meal in itself! Bookmarked!
Thanks so much, Ami. I ate it by itself and you’re right, it didn’t really need anything else! 🙂
You pulled it off!!! What a fun surprise…and an adventure you won’t soon forget. Your salad sounds terrific and would be a perfect addition to our 4th of July gathering.
Oh yes, you have 4th of July coming up! I felt like this was quite an ‘American’ salad as I was making it, so it’s good to hear that I was right. Glad you like it!
Ahah, this is hilarious! You are so brave, I love to do surprise but I just can not keep my mouth shut… I get so exited like a little girl that I just tell… I have made a few though but it takes all my energy so to spoil it!
Your salad is on my list, I got tired of green salad at work and I need to change it up! So thanks for the idea, I just need some broccoli 🙂 !
So glad you like this enough to have a go at it, Melanie. It would be a great work lunch because it stays fresh pretty well. Maybe just take the peanuts to add when you’re ready to eat so that they don’t go soggy. 🙂
This sounds amazing Helen! I love the flavours- so delicious!
Thanks, Jess! It was preeety tasty! 🙂
That is hilarious!!! I would love to do that sometime to my family…
That salad looks lovely!
Hello, Anne! You should try to find an excuse to do this some time. It’s the first time I’ve done it and it was so much fun. So glad you like the salad!
This salad sounds great! I am so glad your surprise worked as well as it did. Hope the winter weather is not too bad for the rest of your stay 🙂
Thanks so much, Tandy. I’m just watching footage of those two huge tornadoes in Nebraska, so I certainly can’t complain about the slightly stormy weather we have here today. Glad you like the salad – I’ll definitely be making that one again!
This salad salad looks delicious! I love broccoli salads and this sounds like a great combination. I also love that you used greek yogurt in the dressing 😀
Glad you were able to pull off your surprise. i wouldn’t have been able to be quiet for so long. It would be at that moment I sneeze or get the giggles. Haha
Well, I definitely nearly did both (sneeze and giggle) several times, but just about managed to hold back. Happy that you like the salad. I’ll definitely be using that dressing in other salads, too, as it worked really well. 🙂
Pretending to be like giggly ten year old spies is AWESOME. 🙂 and so is this salad
Haha! Thanks, Kathy! Glad you approve (of both the spying and the salad!)
Helen, winter or no winter you do seem to have so much more fun in Australia! Haha with your great story you made us giggle too and your refreshing salad hungry as well. Enjoy Perth and yyour lovely family 🙂
J+C
Glad to have made you smile, girls! Happy that you liked the salad, too, and thanks for the good wishes. At the moment the weather is a bit wild with dark skies and heavy rain, but as winters go it’s what I would call very warm! It’s certainly absolutely nothing compared to that awful tornado damage in Nebraska I’m watching on the TV news right now!
i will definitely try that salad. it sounds really delish. and your story is so funny. your poor blue feet:)
Hi, Sherry! Thanks so much for paying me a little visit and I really hope you do get around to trying this salad. It was so tasty and went a really long way as well. I ate little bits over a few days and it was just as nice on the last day.
Glad you enjoyed the story! 😉
That made me giggle, it sounds like a lot of fun! The salad sounds fab and not too dissimilar to something I already make, lovely!
Glad to have made you smile! What do you put in your salad, Sian?
hahahaha!!!!!!! This is SOOOOOOOO CUTE!!!!!!! I can’t believe you both stayed that way for an hour and a quarter! :O It must have been such an awesome feeling – nervous and funny all at the same time!!!! Just TOOOO cute!!!! <3 This salad looks AMAZING!!!! I loveeee apples in salads for their crunch and cheddar cheese just makes everything better! Yummmm!!!!!!
Hi, Samina. Has the monsoon arrived yet? Glad I entertained you with the story. It was definitely a fun day. Never mind that it was a bit childish!
Glad you like the salad! 🙂