A classic broccoli bacon salad that can be made all year round. It is great for potlucks, as it travels really well. Also a favorite for the holidays, especially Thanksgiving, Christmas or even Easter.
I am sure many of you already know at least one version of this recipe of broccoli salad with bacon that is so popular in United States. For the rest of you out there who would like to try something new, this is a great recipe that can be made all year round.
This recipe in particular traveled with me overseas. My family actually adopted the recipe as soon as they learned about it.
I remember that we had a huge gathering in the family and I was asked for help to come up with 2-3 salads that can be made for the guests. One of the recipes was this broccoli salad. They never made a broccoli salad before, but when they tried it it was a hit!
Since then, they use this recipe for a lot of parties and potluck. It feels nice to know that they enjoy it that much!
In Minnesota, we make it a lot in the winter, around holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas. However, you can make this salad for lunch and it travels really well if you take it to a potluck.
The main ingredients are broccoli, red bell pepper, red onion, bacon, nuts and dried fruits, like cranberries, raisins or tart cherries. The salad is tossed in a lovely dressing made out of mayo, white vinegar and a little bit of sugar, that balances really well the acidity of the vinegar.
Be creative and make the salad with the ingredients you have available in the kitchen. For example, if you don’t have dried cranberries, use raisins or tart cherries.
If you do not have sunflower seeds, use pecans or walnuts. If you don’t have red onion, use green onion or regular. The flavors are obviously not identical, but the idea is the same.
The textures of this salad are awesome, crunchy vegetables combined with the smoked bits of bacon, the nuts and the delicate, sweet dried fruit.
The ingredients complement each other and create a beautiful salad that everyone will enjoy.
It is also very easy and fast to make, so no excuse to skip it! Enjoy!
Suggestions for other salad recipes:
Green Bean and Potato salad
Classic Pineapple Chicken Salad
Cranberry Pecans Chicken Salad
Romanian Beef Salad
Classic Broccoli Bacon Salad
Ingredients
- 2 medium broccoli heads cleaned and chopped bite size
- 1 red bell pepper chopped bite size
- 1/2 pound bacon cooked and chopped
- 1/2 cup unsalted sunflower seeds , pecans or walnuts
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries , raisins or tart dried cherries
- 1 medium red onion cut julienne (or 2-3 medium green onions)
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt and pepper to your taste
Instructions
Chop the broccoli, red bell pepper, and bacon. Toss them in a salad bowl.
Slice the onion julienneand add it to the bowl.
Add sunflower seeds or nuts and the dried fruit.
Make a dressing out of mayo, salt, pepper, sugar and white wine vinegar.
Pour the dressing over the other ingredients and toss to coat.
Refrigerate until ready to eat.
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