By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 11, 2026
Serves 6
310 cal · 255 min
Broccoli and Cauliflower Refrigerator Salad
Recipe GLPRcad8fcdb2e4002
A crisp and colorful cold salad featuring fresh broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage tossed in a tangy vinegar-based dressing. This make-ahead salad is perfect for potlucks, picnics, or easy weeknight sides. The combination of vegetables and optional bacon creates a hearty yet refreshing dish that improves as it chills, allowing all the flavors to meld together beautifully.
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Ingredients
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Creole or yellow mustard
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2/3 cup real mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups cauliflower florets
3 cups chopped cabbage
2 cups matchstick shredded carrots
1 cup chopped red onion
1 cup thinly sliced sweet bell pepper
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, optional
Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, mustard, sugar, mayonnaise, salt, and black pepper until the dressing is smooth and well combined. Set the dressing aside.
In a large bowl, combine the broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, chopped cabbage, shredded carrots, chopped red onion, and sliced sweet bell pepper. Toss the vegetables together until evenly mixed.
Pour the prepared dressing over the vegetable mixture and toss thoroughly until all the vegetables are coated with the dressing.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, allowing the flavors to meld and the vegetables to absorb the dressing. Stir occasionally if desired.
Just before serving, stir in the cooked and crumbled bacon if using. Adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper to taste, then serve chilled.
Comments
This is a straightforward make-ahead salad with every ingredient available at any Charlotte grocer—broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, red onion, and bell pepper are staples at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Kroger, and Walmart year-round, and bacon is universally stocked. The stated 255 minutes (over four hours) is honest for a refrigerator salad; most of that is chill time, but you'll spend maybe 20 minutes cutting vegetables and another 5 minutes whisking dressing, which is realistic. Cost per serving runs about $1.50–$2.00, driven mainly by bacon and mayonnaise; the vegetables are cheap. This reheats poorly (soggy, separated dressing), so it's a same-night or next-day-cold dish, which limits flexibility for a busy family. It's fuss-free once made, needs no stovetop attention, and serves six well, but it's also a fairly ordinary cold slaw—pleasant enough for a side or light dinner, but not distinctive enough to pull a mediocre weeknight together."
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