Happy Fourth of July weekend to you! I have a great recipe for you today. I am a huge fan of broccoli salads and I came up with my own variation using LOTS of bacon! I also added other elements of different textures and flavors.. savory, sweet, crunchy, chewy, and best of all – delicious! If you’re still wondering what to bring to your holiday potluck party, this is very simple to prepare and has that nostalgic flare everyone loves. It’s old school made new. Enjoy!
BROCCOLI BACON SALAD
Serves 8-10
SALAD:
2 heads fresh broccoli, washed and cut into bite-size flowerets
½ cup chopped red onion
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup slivered almonds
½ cup roasted sunflower seeds
½ – 1 cup crumbled bacon (approx. 6 to 8 slices for 1/2 cup and 12-16 slices for 1 cup) * I like mine with lots of bacon!
DRESSING:
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons white vinegar
⅓ cup sugar or zero calorie sweetener for low-carb
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
**If your local grocery store sells ingredients in a bulk bin, what I like to do is buy just what I need for 1 recipe. It’s often cheaper and you have no waste afterwords. Bulk bins are great for dried cranberries, nuts, sunflower seeds, etc. Most butcher cases also sell thick-quality bacon in bulk. Just tell them what you need!
Add broccoli, red onions, cranberries, almonds and sunflower seeds to a large bowl. Next, make the dressing by mixing mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, and pepper in a small bowl. Pour dressing over the broccoli salad and mix thoroughly. Transfer salad to a large plate or serving bowl. Finish the salad off by garnishing with the crumbled bacon. If you prefer a bacon free version, omit bacon and garnish with ¼ of cranberries and ¼ of slivered almonds. Enjoy!
*Good quality bacon makes the best crumbled bacon bits, ever. Instead of frying slices, pre-cut bacon slices into small pieces and cook them all at once.
Made this today, it delicious , I didn’t use mayo instead I used a tablespoon of olive oil, and sunflower seeds. I cooked the bacon in the oven.
I can’t believe that I’ve never thought to cut up the bacon BEFORE frying it. The BEST idea – takes less time to cook and I didn’t burn it!
We are blogger friendly!! Hope that you dont mind, but I shared this fantastic recipe!! xxxx
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Yes, everyone loves this salad!
I make this all the time! Usually with pecans and i add celery. I find it’s best to make the night before, as the raw broccoli “cooks” when sitting in the dressing overnight. I have never met a person who didn’t expect to even like it not absolutely love it. It’s addicting!
I made this at home and is DELICIOUS!
This looks so good! And the bulk bins are my favorite. So many times when I need a recipe it’s for such a little amount of something and it’s so much cheaper buying it that way!
I have a similar recipe that uses grapes instead of craisins and cashews instead of almonds and lots of bacon. Yum
I have been making my cole slaw dressing with sweet and low in the place of sugar and you can’t tell the difference.
This salad was so good!! I made it for a potluck and came home with a empty bowl. 🙂 I think I will use a bit less pepper, but that’s just a personal preference. Thanks for the great recipe!