We love this easy broccoli salad recipe! Crunchy broccoli, bacon, and dried cranberries are tossed with creamy dressing made with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar. Making broccoli salad Crisp raw broccoli is tossed with bacon, dried broccoli salad recipe with bacon, red onion and a zesty dressing made with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar. It’s quick to make, simple, and outrageously delicious!
This recipe started with a faint memory of something my Mom would make when I was a child. Raw broccoli, a lightly sweetened mayo-based dressing, bacon, and cheese. I wasn’t the biggest fan of vegetables as a child, but I do remember loving her broccoli salad. Don’t Throw Away Broccoli Stems When I first started cooking for myself, whenever it came to chopping up broccoli, I’d slam my knife down just below the crown and throw away the stem. Thankfully someone, somewhere down the line set me straight. Broccoli stems are excellent — especially in this salad. We save and roast broccoli stems all the time.
Take a look at our favorite oven roasted vegetables recipe that includes broccoli stems! We also talk all about them in our ultimate guide for roasting broccoli. The rest of the stem is usable. Since posting this in 2015, we have tweaked the recipe to be more clear.
In this simple broccoli salad recipe, we toss broccoli with bacon, dried cranberries, red onion, and a tangy dressing made with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar. For the bacon, we recommend baking it instead of cooking it on the stovetop — it is more hands-off that way. See our article sharing how to cook bacon for tips. 4 cup roasted and salted sunflower seeds and using vegan mayonnaise. Here’s our recipe for vegan mayo. Add onion to a small bowl and cover with warm water.
Leave for 10 minutes, then drain. This tones the raw onion flavor a little. Meanwhile, separate the broccoli crowns from their thick stem. Chop the remaining portion of the stem into bite-size chunks. Next, snap the florets from the broccoli crown and pull them apart so that they are bite-size. Rinse broccoli, and then pat or spin dry.
Drain the red onion and toss with the broccoli, bacon, and cranberries in a large bowl. 4 teaspoon of fine sea salt, and a few grinds of pepper together. Pour two-thirds of the dressing over the broccoli and onion and mix well. If the salad seems dry, add a little more of the dressing. Baking bacon is hands-off and results in crisp bacon slices, perfect for this salad. Bake bacon slices in a 400 degree F oven until crisp, 12 to 18 minutes.
Make Double the Dressing: Leftover dressing can be used as a spread for sandwiches, dip for vegetables, or served with grilled or roasted vegetables, chicken or meats. Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values. We love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Click Go to signup for free! One suggestion I have is that if the salad will not be all used in one sitting, add the cranberries and toasted nuts separately when serving, otherwise they tend to get plump and soft, which it’s fine if you like it like that but I prefer the crunchy and chewy texture! The best I have made yet.