Easy Broccoli Salad
- PREP 20min
- COOK 15min
- TOTAL 35min
In this easy broccoli salad recipe, we toss broccoli with bacon, dried cranberries, red onion, and a tangy dressing made with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar. We do not add sugar to the dressing, but if you prefer sweeter salad dressings, add a pinch of sugar, honey, or maple syrup.
You Will Need
1 pound broccoli, 1 medium bunch
4 slices thick-cut bacon
1/4 of a medium onion, finely chopped, about 1/3 cup
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup mayonnaise, try homemade mayonnaise
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Directions
Cook the bacon until crisp. Chop into small pieces.
Add the chopped onion to a small bowl and cover with cold water. Leave for 10 minutes, then drain. This will tone down the raw onion flavor a bit.
Meanwhile, separate the broccoli crowns from their thick stem and chop them into small florets.
To chop the stems, remove the woodiest part and discard it (usually 1/2 inch from the bottom). Then, use a vegetable peeler to remove the outer layer of each stem and chop it into bite-size pieces.
Rinse the broccoli, and then pat or spin dry.
Drain the red onion and toss the broccoli, bacon, and cranberries in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, stir the mayonnaise, cider vinegar, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon of fine sea salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Taste for seasoning, then adjust.
Pour two-thirds of the dressing over the broccoli and onion and mix well. If the salad seems dry, add a little more of the dressing. Let stand at least 15 minutes before serving or refrigerate.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Cooking bacon: For this salad (and almost all other dishes that need a few slices), we like to use our oven to cook the bacon. Baking bacon is hands-off and results in crisp bacon slices, perfect for this salad. Bake bacon slices in a 400°F oven until crisp, 12 to 18 minutes.
- Vegan broccoli salad: Transform this into a vegan-friendly salad by substituting the bacon with 1/2 to 3/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds or salted almonds and using vegan mayonnaise. Here’s our recipe for vegan mayo.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.