Today’s recipe has a bit of a story. Until recently, I had always bought broccoli salad at my grocery store or local deli. After some research, I finally decided to try and make it myself– turns out, it’s incredible!.
The key here is not to drown it in dressing. People who usually gravitate towards gloppy, soggy greens need to be enlightened on how pleasurable a nice, beautiful simple salad can be. Those of you who have been reading for a while will know that this is a pet peeve of mine, so please PLEASE refrain from it here, especially because broccoli salad is usually interpreted as a “healthy” choice compared to other salads. It certainly can be, when paired with a light dressing instead of dumping the entire container on there.
I prefer to lightly “dress” my salads so they are just glistening, as opposed to creating a heavy, thick liquid that is both unappealing and unappetizing. It is important to add the dressing very slowly. Stop pouring it in when the salad has been lightly coated. You can always place some dressing on the side for those guests who like it that way. Take care to dress only what you need to serve, since undressed salad keeps much better.
I wanted to make sure this salad had all the right ingredients to ensure a perfect dish. Many salad dressings with mayo are very heavy, but I think I’ve found a way around it. Instead of using a lot of mayo, I added some greek yogurt for a lighter, tangy taste. Do not use a food processor to slice the broccoli: cutting the florets from the stalk into bite sized pieces makes this salad more appealing and beautiful.
This salad is a wonderful side for any main dish. The red onion adds just the right amount of heat and the raisins add spots of sweetness. Giving this dish a deep, savory flavor is the bacon. The sunflower seeds add a nice texture too, but the dressing is the star of this salad. It is creamy, sweet, and tangy, a perfect topping for a delicious salad.
This recipe is my own and will serve 4 to 6 people who will be sure to eat their veggies at this meal!
Ingredients for Broccoli Salad:
4 cups broccoli florets
1 lb. bacon, cooked and minced
1/2 cup red onions, minced
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup raisins
For the Dressing:
3/4 cups mayonnaise
6 tablespoons greek yogurt
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large pot of water to boil.
Place broccoli into pot and cook for 2 minutes.
Drain and pour into ice water to stop cooking process.
In a small bowl mix together mayonnaise, sugar, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and salt.
Whisk until smooth.
In a large bowl toss together broccoli florets along with bacon, red onions, sunflower seeds, raisins and prepared dressing.
Can be served immediately, but is best when chilled for at least an hour.
It’s that simple!
