Description
Summer’s ultimate broccoli bacon salad blends crisp florets with smoky bacon bits in a creamy dressing. Crunchy almonds and sweet red onions complete this irresistible side dish you’ll crave at every picnic and potluck.
Ingredients
Scale
- 5 cups (1.2 kg) broccoli florets, chopped small (about 2 medium heads)
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- ½ cup (60 g) cheddar cheese, shredded
- ⅓ cup (50 g) red onion, finely diced
- ⅓ cup (45 g) dried cranberries
- ¼ cup (30 g) sunflower seeds or chopped nuts (almonds or pecans)
- ¾ cup (180 ml) mayonnaise
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) honey or sugar
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Dressing Creation: Whisk mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, and honey in a small bowl, seasoning with salt and pepper to craft a creamy, zesty sauce that will elevate the entire salad.
- Vegetable Preparation: Chop broccoli into uniform bite-sized florets, simultaneously crumble bacon into rustic fragments, and dice red onion into delicate slivers to create a textural foundation.
- Flavor Layering: Sprinkle dried cranberries and sunflower seeds throughout the salad, introducing sweet, tart, and nutty dimensions while incorporating shredded cheddar cheese for a rich, sharp undertone.
- Dressing Integration: Generously drench the vegetable mixture with the prepared dressing, gently folding to ensure each ingredient is thoroughly and luxuriously coated with the tangy blend.
- Flavor Melding: Refrigerate the salad for a minimum of 30 minutes, allowing the ingredients to intermingle and develop a more profound, harmonious taste profile that balances sweet, savory, and tangy notes.
- Serving Presentation: Before serving, perform a final gentle toss and optionally garnish with additional bacon crumbles or seeds to enhance visual appeal and provide an extra textural crunch.
Notes
- Bacon Cooking Tip: Cook bacon until perfectly crisp but not burnt, allowing it to crumble easily without becoming bitter or tough.
- Broccoli Texture Hack: Blanch broccoli briefly in boiling water, then immediately shock in ice water to maintain vibrant color and crisp texture while softening raw edges.
- Dressing Balance Strategy: Adjust dressing consistency by adding small amounts of vinegar or mayonnaise to achieve perfect coating without overwhelming the salad’s ingredients.
- Make-Ahead Magic: Prepare components separately and combine just before serving to prevent soggy texture, keeping sunflower seeds and bacon crisp until final moment.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 275
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg