Our easy Broccoli Salad is full of crunchy broccoli, cranberries, pecans, feta cheese, red onion and brown sugar bacon. It’s all tossed in a tangy vinaigrette which really seals the flavor deal. this has become a new go-to in our house!
I first had this salad at the Grand Californian hotel, just outside of Disneyland. It was at Storyteller’s dinner buffet. I’ve never been a big broccoli salad girl, but something about how the broccoli was perfectly blanched, combined with the tangy dressing and fruitiness of the cranberries with the tartness of the feta? Total winner. I never thought broccoli salad could be this delicious. I knew I had to recreate it!
Broccoli Salad Ingredients
- Broccoli
- I buy precut florets and cut them to be even smaller. Quickly boil and blanch the broccoli to give it a more tender texture, but keep some of the crunch.
- Dried Cranberries
- Pecans
- Sliced almonds work as well. If you don’t want nuts, you can skip them entirely.
- Feta Cheese
- The tartness plus the cranberries? Heaven!
- Red Onions
- Bacon
- I like to use Brown Sugar Bacon. It’s really just bacon baked with a little bit of brown sugar on it. The result is a sweet, sticky, deep flavored bacon that really compliments the fresh broccoli and tart cranberries! To make it, line bacon on a sheet pan and sprinkle brown sugar over the bacon. Bake at 400 until crispy.
Broccoli salad is an easy side dish with lots of flavor.
Add all the ingredients in a bowl, and toss it in a tangy, homemade dressing. The inspiration behind the dressing is a family recipe we’ve been using in our spinach mandarin orange salad for a really long time. I recently found out there is a bottled dressing that tastes just like it! I found mine at Stater Brothers here in Southern California, but you could check their website to see if it’s sold at a store near you.
Broccoli Salad Dressing
- Dijon Mustard
- Sesame Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Honey (or agave)
Toss the broccoli salad in a big bowl, and serve immediately, or make it ahead of time! This salad will keep fresh for about 24 hours in the fridge. I don’t recommend making it much further in advance, the pecans/cranberries are best fresh.
Add more protein to broccoli salad. We love it on its own, as a side, or topped with shrimp or chicken.
If you like this recipe, here’s a few more salad recipes we love!
What do you think about this recipe? Have questions? Comment below! Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and connect with us on Instagram, tag your @Laughingspatula recipes with #laughingspatula, while you’re at it…We love to see your pics!
Hey and check out our new YouTube Channel!
Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
Broccoli Salad
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup chopped bacon
- 1/4 cup feta cheese
Dressing
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp honey (or honey/agave)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Blanch broccoli. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. Bring a pot of water to boil, and add the broccoli, allowing it to cook for about 30 seconds. Turn off heat. Scoop broccoli into bowl with ice water. Once broccoli is cool, transfer it to a paper towel and pat dry.
- In a large bowl, combine salad ingredients (broccoli, cranberries, feta cheese, pecans, red onion & bacon). Set aside.
- In a small bowl (or mason jar), combine dressing ingredients. Whisk well until sugar dissolves .
- Pour dressing over broccoli salad, dressing as desired to liking. Toss generously.
- Transfer broccoli salad to serving bowl and serve with salad tongs.
Leave a Reply