Description
A crunchy, smoky, and sweet cold broccoli salad featuring crispy bacon and a creamy cranberry dressing, perfect for summer gatherings and quick lunches.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups fresh broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion (optional)
- 1/3 cup sunflower seeds or chopped pecans, toasted
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup cranberry sauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a frying pan over medium heat until crispy, about 8-10 minutes, flipping occasionally. Drain on paper towels and chop into bite-sized pieces. Reserve a teaspoon of bacon fat if desired.
- Rinse broccoli florets under cold water, spin dry, and chop into 1 to 1.5 inch pieces.
- Finely dice the red onion. To mellow the sharpness, soak in cold water for 10 minutes and drain well (optional).
- Toast sunflower seeds or chopped pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently until fragrant and lightly browned. Let cool.
- Whisk together mayonnaise, cranberry sauce, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Stir in reserved bacon fat if using.
- In a large bowl, toss broccoli, bacon, dried cranberries, diced onion, and toasted nuts.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and stir gently to coat evenly.
- Chill the salad in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let flavors meld and broccoli crisp up.
- Before serving, toss the salad again and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Notes
Chilling the salad for at least 30 minutes enhances flavor melding and keeps broccoli crisp. Toast nuts carefully to avoid burning. Bacon can be cooked in the oven for convenience. For a lighter dressing, substitute mayonnaise with Greek yogurt or a dairy-free alternative. For nut-free version, omit nuts or seeds.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 1 cup
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 7
- Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 12
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 6
Keywords: broccoli salad, bacon salad, cold salad, summer salad, cranberry dressing, easy salad recipe, potluck salad