Broccoli Salad with Homemade Dressing

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Broccoli Salad with Homemade Dressing is easy to make, perfect for a crowd, and delicious as leftovers. Use real bacon, and char the broccoli for even more flavor. Make this salad a few hours ahead for a dish that everyone will love

This post and recipe card were updated May 19, 2019

I was a very picky vegetable eater as a child. Anything I loved, I would eat nonstop. But if I didn’t like something, I refused to eat it…even if I had never tried it before.

Broccoli was a vegetable I loved, but with a catch…I would only eat the stalks. So my parents ate the flowers and I devoured the stalks. I don’t recall exactly when it changed, but now I only buy broccoli crowns, and just eat the florets.

Two years ago I needed a “broccoli salad type thing” to take to Thanksgiving dinner. I had never made anything like that before, and my normal potluck go-to dish is Baked Homemade Mac and Cheese. But I was up for the challenge, did some research and created Broccoli Salad with Homemade Dressing

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• It’s a great dish for a crowd, and perfect no matter the occasion or time of year
• You can change up the ingredients to fit your tastes
• It’s SO GOOD as leftovers

INGREDIENTS FOR THE PERFECT BROCCOLI SALAD

• Broccoli –  I always use fresh broccoli. If you use frozen, thaw the broccoli completely and let it dry.
• Real Bacon – don’t skimp and use bacon bits. Use real bacon, and own it!
• Cranberries – I use Dried Cranberries
• Nuts/Seeds – I use Sunflower Seeds, but pecans, almonds or walnuts are good substitutes
• Cheese – I use a sharp Cheddar cheese and shred the cheese thick so it stands up to the other salad ingredients
• Red onion – I add onion to almost everything. But if you don’t care for onion, then omit it

EASY STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare homemade dressing, and set aside in the fridge to rest

Prepare broccoli

• Rinse and drain broccoli florets, and place on a clean dish towel for 10 minutes to dry.
• Spread broccoli on a foil-lined baking sheet and char it under the broiler for 10 minutes
• Transfer broccoli to a large bowl, and put the bowl into the fridge to cool

Prepare bacon

• Dice bacon into bite-sized pieces
• Cook bacon in a large skillet, until done
• Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain

Final prep

• Add bacon, cranberries, cheese, and onion to bowl with broccoli, and toss together
• Add the homemade dressing
• Don’t overdress the salad! I only add about 1/2 of the dressing and keep the rest on the side so guests can add more if they want.

HOMEMADE DRESSING FOR BROCCOLI SALAD

There are lots of dressings for different versions of Broccoli Salad, and some are very similar to ranch. Since I live in Oklahoma where ranch is practically its own food group, I played with some options and came up with a fabulous take

• Mayonnaise – I used real, full-fat Mayonnaise the first time, and I haven’t looked back. But you could certainly lighten it up with reduced-fat or fat-free mayonnaise or Avocado Oil Mayonnaise. Do not use an imitation mayo, because it changes the flavor of the dressing
• Light Sour Cream – I can’t taste a difference between light and regular, so I use light to save the calories
• Greek Yogurt – I really like the tang of the yogurt, and it’s another way to lighten up the dressing
• Red Wine Vinegar – I’ve tried both the red wine and white wine vinegar, and I prefer the subtle bite of Red Wine Vinegar
• Sugar, Salt, and Pepper – the sugar balances the vinegar

SERVING, STORAGE AND LEFTOVER TIPS FOR BROCCOLI SALAD

If you’re serving Broccoli Salad outside in the heat, keep it on ice! Fill a larger bowl with ice, and place the bowl of broccoli salad into the larger bowl

Kept in an airtight container in the fridge, your Broccoli Salad will last up to one week.

SERVE BROCCOLI SALAD WITH HOMEMADE DRESSING WITH:

• Baked Spicy Honey Chicken Wings
• Loaded Zesty Portobello Burgers
• Peppercorn Garlic Pork Chops
• Citrus Marinated Grilled Chicken Sandwich

MORE SIDE DISHES, PERFECT FOR ENTERTAINING

• Funfetti Macaroni Salad
• Mushroom Wild Rice Pilaf
• Loaded Mashed Potato Balls
• Cilantro Lime Black Bean Rice

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