Broccoli Salad Keto Recipe

This broccoli salad keto recipe is modified from a classic recipe, but to keep true to a low carb diet followers there is nothing light in this recipe. No Greek yogurt or lite sour cream. Nope! Just a handful of stocked ingredients; broccoli, cheddar cheese, red onion, and bacon with a mayonnaise based dressing. Add some texture with nuts or chewy dried fruit for a delicious variation.

Serve with any main dish or enjoy as a light side salad for lunch! It’s filling enough be be quite satisfying.

Keto Broccoli Salad

You have probably had a variation of this salad at some point in your life. For quite awhile, I switched up the traditional recipe for a Broccoli Slaw, and served it at potlucks.

However, I always seem to go back to this classic broccoli salad. It’s a salad that is always gobbled up and inevitable someone asks for the recipe.

Once you take a bite, you’ll say, “Oh, yeah! Broccoli salad. I remember this dish!”

This is the reason I wanted to have this on my site, for a handy reminder to grab this delicious crowd pleasing recipe for all the summer gatherings I hope to have!

Also, as I mentioned, this one is perfect for anyone keeping a low carb or keto diet, and very nutritious with all that broccoli; minerals, fiber, and even natural protein.

Freaky Friday Blog Hop

Before we go any further, I’m excited to share that today is reveal day for the blog hop that I have participated in for years!

Michaela from An Affair From The Heart organizes this event and over the years she has included a variety of food bloggers to participate in a virtual blog hop. I always look forward to learn who I’m assigned to. We secretly poke around another blogger’s site and pick a recipe to share on our own site.

To learn more about this event, check out the previous recipes I have introduced you to:

• Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread – the most recent event I participated in. This quick bread is fun to make. Delicious with some Irish butter.
• Southwestern Black Bean Salad – Another great potluck recipe. This has a cilantro dressing that you’ll want to eat by the spoonful.
• Cauliflower Rice Salad – A Greek style salad with vegetables and feta cheese adding an authentic Mediterranean flavor.
• Search Freaky Friday on The Foodie Affair site for all the recipes from this event.

The person I was assigned to is a new friend and I won’t keep it to myself any longer! Especially since I got this broccoli salad recipe from her site.

In the the last month I made this salad three times! Ha – it’s definitely a favorite side dish around here, and now I get to share it with YOU!

The Culinary Compass

If you aren’t already following Sam from The Culinary Compass, then head on over and get acquainted! You are going to find so many fabulous recipes to try.

Sam has paired her passion for experiencing a variety of cultures through foods, and creates recipes as if she traveled to where the foods originated. There is something for everyone on Sam’s blog. She does an excellent job sharing a variety of foods and drinks!

Before deciding to share this broccoli salad, I kept going back to her Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice dish and her bowl recipes, which are all so great for meal prep ideas! She even has a breakfast bowl dish!

The Barbacoa Burrito Bowl is delicious (made it!), and pairs perfectly with her cauliflower rice. Enjoy with her Orange Crush Cocktail. Ok, there is a complete meal for you to try this weekend!

But first, Make this keto broccoli salad recipe! This one is a keeper. Promise.

Ingredients needed

For this broccoli salad, you don’t need a lot of ingredients, but you can build on from the basic recipe and create something with a variety of add-ins.

For a basic salad you will need:

• Broccoli Crowns – You will need just the broccoli florets for this recipe, so you have the option to purchase the whole broccoli or some stores offer just the crowns. I buy the crowns if they are available.
• Cheddar Cheese – I like sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese for this broccoli salad. Not only is the taste more prominent than regular cheddar, it also holds its shape when the dressing is added. I shred my own cheese, but feel free to use pre-shredded cheese. If you prefer, you can also cut the cheese into cubes.
• Bacon – Use pork or turkey bacon. Cook up to a pound, cool before adding to the rest of the ingredients. If you decide to add nuts and dried cranberries, then 1/2 pound (about 8 slices) of the bacon is plenty for this recipe.
• Red Onion – To mellow the pungent flavor when using raw onions in salads, dice the onion and then rinse under cool running water. Dry with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel before adding with the other ingredients.

Broccoli Salad Dressing

The key to this tasty salad is in the creamy salad dressing. Super flavorful when all mixed together and there isn’t a lot of ingredients. Mostly stocked items.

I like to slowly add the dressing to the copped ingredients while folding through the salad to get the perfect coating over the broccoli crowns.

For this salad dressing you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Mayonnaise – Pick up your favorite brand or check out this video how to make your own mayonnaise at home.
• Sweetener – You will just need 1/4 cup. I like to use confectioners sugar free type of sweetener. This whisks up into a silky smooth texture. No granular texture is left behind.
• White Vinegar – A staple for salad dressings. This recipe is no exception. Just a little amount intensifies the tang flavor, then mellowed with the sweetener.
• Salt and Pepper – to taste.

Optional Add-In Ingredients

Consider adding a 1/4 cup of extra ingredients. You can get creative for sure:

• Nuts – Pepitas (pumpkin), sunflower seeds or walnuts – healthy fats are perfect addition for a keto and low carb followers.
• Dried Fruit – cranberries, raisins or cherries – use in moderation, but boy does it a add nice naturally sweet flavor. At the last minute I tossed in some dried unsweetened cranberries. This added 10 carbs to the whole recipe.

How To Make Keto Broccoli Salad

The first step is to whisk together the ingredients for the dressing. I like to put this in the refrigerator while prepping the salad so the flavors can meld together.

Next, cook the bacon and let it cool. In fact, that can be done several days in advance. In addition, chopping and shredding the broccoli and cheese will only take about 10 minutes, but those steps can also be done ahead of time too.

After you have your ingredients prepared toss the salad and fold in the dressing. Start with half of the recipe, then add more as you incorporate the dressing. You want all the broccoli to be lightly coated.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

I hope you add this salad to your next cookout. Tell me if you added any ingredients and what you served it with will you?

Be sure to follow Sam at The Culinary Compass, and sign up for her email updates!

Broccoli Salad Keto Recipe

Easy keto broccoli salad recipe with chopped broccoli, onion, cheese and bacon with a creamy dressing. Tasty side dish for any potluck or enjoy as a light meal on its own.

5 from 15 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Broccoli Salad, Broccoli Salad Keto Recipe, Keto Broccoli Salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 Servings

Calories: 482kcal

Author: Sandra Shaffer

Ingredients

Broccoli Salad

• 1/2-1 pound bacon cooked until crispy and dice
• 8 cups broccoli chopped about 2-3 heads of broccoli
• ½ cup diced red onion about ½ of a red onion
• 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese shredded

Broccoli Salad Dressing

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sweetener confectioners style
• 2 tsp. white vinegar
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Broccoli Salad Dressing

• In a small mixing bowl whisk together mayonnaise, sweetener, vinegar, salt and pepper.
• Place in the refrigerator until ready to dress the salad.

Broccoli Salad

• Cook bacon, cool, and dice into small pieces.
• Clean broccoli crowns and chop into bite size pieces.
• Dice onion into small pieces.
• Shred cheese.
• Place broccoli, bacon, onion, and cheese in a large bowl. Mix ingredients together.
• Add prepared dressing and fold into broccoli salad.
• Add additional ingredients, 1/4 cup each of nuts or dried fruit (optional).
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.
  

Notes

If you are adding 1/4 cup of nuts and dried fruit, use 1/2 pound of the bacon.

Macronutrients are calculated with regular granulated sugar. Sugar free version will produce different macronutrients.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 482kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 25g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 1104mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 7g

Disclaimer

Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.

Take a look at all of our 2021 Freaky Friday Spring Edition Recipes:

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2. An Affair from the Heart – Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas with Cilantro Lime Butter
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4. Aunt Bee’s Recipes – Easy Chile Relleno Casserole
5. The Carefree Kitchen – Glazed Lemon Cookies
6. The Culinary Compass – Easy Candied Pecan Recipe
7. Devour Dinner – Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf
8. The Foodie Affair – Keto Broccoli Salad
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10. Hostess at Heart – No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake 
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12. Lemon Blossoms – Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bars
13. Lemoine Family Kitchen – Lemon Blueberry Bread
14. Life, Love & Good Food – Sandwich Cubano
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17. The Speckled Palate – Lemon Bars
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