Be the hero of summer gatherings, potlucks or weeknight dinners with this delectable Low FODMAP Broccoli Salad with Bacon! This addictive broccoli salad is easy to make and will convert even the most stubborn of broccoli haters. A refreshing side salad recipe ideal for Canada Day, 4th of July and Labor Day barbecues or simply a warm summer lunch or dinner, this broccoli salad with bacon is low FODMAP at ½ cup per serving as well as Paleo, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free with Whole30 and Keto/low carb options.
Please note: due to the bacon, this recipe is high in fat, which can be an additional symptom trigger for some people with IBS.
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A True Story about Low FODMAP Broccoli Salad
Jeff: *spoons a massive amount of low FODMAP broccoli salad onto his plate*
Me: "That's an awfully big spoonful of broccoli salad for someone who hates broccoli."
Jeff: "Are you calling me fat?"
Me: *rolls eyes*
True story.
My husband, Jeff, used to hate broccoli. This low FODMAP broccoli salad with bacon happened, and BOOM: broccoli lover. He cannot get enough of this salad (figuratively speaking), and neither can I (literally speaking).
And no, I was not calling him fat. That's Jeff's response to just about any question relating to him and food. And sometimes even questions that have nothing to do with food.
Anyways, this low FODMAP broccoli salad with bacon is my 'go-to' side dish to bring to summer gatherings, potlucks, and so on. We also have it about once a week during the summer at our house. It's addictive as it has the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors and acidity. If I didn't have others to share with or a problem with FODMAPs, I could eat the whole bowl in one sitting.
Necessary Equipment
No fancy equipment required! The equipment I use to make this low FODMAP broccoli salad includes:
- Chopping board
- Chopping knife
- Large bowl
- Large spoon
- Small bowl
- Whisk
- Spatula
Low FODMAP Broccoli Salad with Bacon: Ingredients & Tips for Success
Broccoli
As I mentioned in my Low FODMAP Chimichurri Shrimp and Broccoli Skillet post last week, Monash University's Low FODMAP Diet App lists broccoli heads as tolerable for most people with IBS in quantities of up to ¾ cup per serving. This recipe calls for 4 cups of broccoli heads total, which comes to about ⅓ cup per serving.
When everything is put together, this broccoli salad comes to about 6 cups in its entirety, so if you cannot tolerate the FODMAP fructose, you'll want to keep your serving size to about ½ cup (good luck), which is about 1/12 of the total salad. I rarely manage to keep to one serving because it's sooo good, and while it rarely upsets my stomach, everyone is different.
I chop the broccoli heads into bite sized florets. For low FODMAP, I try remove as much of the stem as possible without making the floret fall apart too much.
Red grapes
Update 3/5/22: this recipe was originally written before grapes were retested for FODMAPs. Now that they've been retested, red grapes apparently contain the FODMAP fructose and are low FODMAP in servings of up to 6 grapes or 28 grams per serving. As broccoli heads and red grapes both contain the FODMAP fructose and to avoid FODMAP stacking, I've had to adjust the serving size of this broccoli salad to ½ cup per serving instead of ¾ cup per serving. As broccoli salad is a side dish, you'll also want to be mindful of other things you might eat with it containing the FODMAP fructose. At ½ cup servings, it's still not at the max tolerable amount per serving, but it's fairly close.
Update 6/23/23: for Keto/low carb, you can substitute the same amount of whole blueberries for the grapes. Does this salad taste as great with blueberries? Not quite, but it's still pretty delicious and is way more blood sugar-friendly.
Scallions (Green Tops Only)
For the oniony element, I use ½ cup of the chopped green tops of scallions (a.k.a. green onions). If you aren't concerned with FODMAPs, you can use ⅓ cup of chopped red onion instead if you prefer.
Pecans
To add some crunch and protein to the salad, I add ½ cup of finely chopped, raw pecans. You can chop them with a sharp knife or use a food chopper like a Slap Chop, which makes things a bit easier. Yet, be careful not to chop them too finely - you don't want to chop them into dust as they'll just disappear into the salad.
FODMAPwise, pecans contain the FODMAP fructans and are considered tolerable for most people with IBS in quantities of up to 10 halves (or 20g), which comes to about ⅛ cup. The recipe calls for ½ cup total, which comes to about 1 tablespoon per serving.
Bacon
Bacon adds so much yummy flavor to this an pretty much any dish. While it is FODMAP free, too much bacon can sometimes be problematic when consumed in excess, according to Monash, and they say 2 slices (they call them rashers in Australia) per serving is okay for most people with IBS. We're only adding enough to come to less than one slice per serving.
If you have bacon leftover from breakfast, you can easy add it here; otherwise, I cook my bacon in a large skillet while I chop all the produce. It's usually cool enough by the time I get done chopping and mixing to crumble and add to the salad.
Dressing Ingredients
It only takes four ingredients to make the tastiest dressing for this salad: dairy-free mayo (which I have linked here for reference but buy cheaper at Costco), freshly squeezed lemon juice, pure maple syrup (which we affectionately call "Canada" around here - see my Low FODMAP Instant Pot Chili con Canada post to find out why) or coconut aminos if on a Whole30 or eating Keto or low carb, and sea salt. I highly recommend the pure maple syrup option as it goes sooo well with the bacon, but if you're on a Whole30 or eating strict Keto / low carb, coconut aminos adds some sweetness as well as some umami flavor. It's still incredibly yummy. A Keto / low carb friendly maple syrup alternative is also a possibility, but the quantity and FODMAPs vary by brand.
I use a low sodium bacon as that's the only type I can find without sugar or additives, so so if you are using non-low sodium bacon, you may not need to add as much salt. I typically add ½ teaspoon of salt to the dressing before mixing everything together. If you are making this for the first time, I suggest waiting to add the salt until after the produce and dressing are mixed together and you can taste the salad to see how salty the bacon you use makes it.
Serving Options
Ideally this low FODMAP broccoli salad should be served after having some time to chill in the refrigerator, but I typically don't chill it before and don't notice a huge difference. If you prefer it chilled, cover and chill in the refrigerator for a half hour before serving.
Low FODMAP Broccoli Salad with Bacon (Dairy-free, Paleo, Whole30 / Keto Options)
Ingredients
Produce:
- 4 cups fresh broccoli, heads only, chopped into small, bite sized florets*
- 1 cup red grapes, halved, or substitute blueberries for Keto/low carb*
- ½ cup scallions, green tops only, chopped
- ½ cup raw pecans, finely chopped*
- 5-6 strips nitrate-free low sodium bacon, cooked crisp, cooled and crumbled*
Dressing:
- ⅔ cup dairy-free mayo, or your preferred mayo
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, substitute ½ tablespoon coconut aminos for Whole30 and Keto/low carb
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste*
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the chopped broccoli heads, red grapes (or blueberries), scallions, pecans, and bacon and stir with a large spoon to combine. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, add the mayo, lemon juice, maple syrup (or coconut aminos), and sea salt and whisk to combine.
- Pour the dressing onto the produce mixture and stir with a large spoon until the produce is evenly coated in dressing. Taste the salad and adjust salt to taste. Serve immediately or chill covered in the refrigerator before serving.
Equipment
Notes
- Servings: Makes 6 cups of salad total - 12 servings at ½ cup per serving for Low FODMAP.
- Broccoli heads: Per Monash University's Low FODMAP Diet App, broccoli heads contain fructose and are low FODMAP in quantities of up to ¾ cup or 75 grams per serving.
- Red grapes - update 3/5/22: Due to red grapes recently being retested for FODMAPs by Monash University, who found that they contain the FODMAP fructose, which broccoli heads also contain, I have adjusted the Low FODMAP serving size from ¾ cup per serving to ½ cup per serving. You will also want to be mindful of other things you eat with this broccoli salad also containing the FODMAP fructose. If you can tolerate the FODMAP fructose and/or didn't have problems tolerating this broccoli salad in the past at a ¾ cup serving, this serving size adjustment may not be necessary for you.
- Pecans contain fructans and are low FODMAP in servings of up to ⅛ cup or 20 grams per serving.
- Bacon is high in fat, which may be an additional symptom trigger for people with IBS. Before making this recipe, consult your doctor or dietitian with concerns of how your body might react.
- Sea salt: I use a low sodium bacon, so if you are using bacon with a regular amount of sodium, you may not need to add as much salt. I typically add ½ teaspoon of salt to the dressing before mixing everything together, but if you are making this for the first time, I suggest waiting to add the salt until after the produce and dressing are mixed together and you can taste the salad to see how salty the bacon makes it.
- Keto/low carb option - added 6/23/23 - substitute blueberries for grapes and use ½ tablespoon coconut aminos or a Keto-friendly maple syrup (quantity and potential FODMAPs vary by brand) instead of pure maple syrup. Using the blueberry and coconut aminos substitutes, this recipe contains the following macros: Fat: 14 g, Total Carbs: 5 g, Net carbs: 3 g, Protein: 3 g, Dietary Fiber: 2 g.
Cailin says
This recipe is so easy and tasty! The only issue is that broccoli isn’t low FODMAP so anyone needing low FODMAP should only eat a cup at a time!
Gail says
I'm so glad you liked it, Cailin! Broccoli is low FODMAP in small quantities according to Monash University. I set the low FODMAP serving size at 1/2 cup for a total of 12 servings.