Fresh Broccoli Salad

When broccoli is in season this salad is the best ever! Sweet and tangy with all your favorite ingredients. Super simple to prepare for your backyard gathering! Adapted to reduce the fat and calories of most broccoli salads too! Can also be adapted for a perfect vegetarian entrée...Make it tonight!

Fresh Broccoli Salad

Yield: 6 – 8 servings

Ingredients:

4 – 5 cups broccoli florets, ~ 2 large heads
5 slices bacon, fried and crumbled (or 1/3 cup real bacon pieces)
1 small yellow or red onion, finely diced
1 – 2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup chopped cashews, slivered almonds or sunflower seeds
3/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh or bottled
1 tablespoon vinegar, white, apple cider or red wine variety
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar (or substitute Stevia Sweetener)

Equipment:

Paper toweling
Large dinner plate
Tongs
Cutting board
Chef knife
Dry measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Large mixing bowl
Small mixing bowl for dressing
Rubber spatula
Serving bowl

When the garden starts producing lots of yummy broccoli... this is one of my favorite salads! Fresh vegetables with tangy, sweet sauce is the best! Add a few dried cranberries and nuts for texture, color and sweetness and you have a great salad for your summer barbeque. Don’t have a garden? Buy a couple heads or bags of florets and you are ready to rock this recipe! So much better than the deli salad you usually buy and since it’s so easy to make ... why would you? “Almost like candy,” is what my granddaughter said last night when I made it and so much healthier too. Your kids will love it! Make it at least 30 – 60 minutes ahead to allow the flavors to meld together. So, grab your stuff and let’s create this amazing salad!

Bacon is always a welcome ingredient for most people, so cooking it while your prepping everything else will make the process more efficient. When I’m going to crumble bacon, I prefer to use the microwave... easier with less mess. Grab a dinner plate and lay two - three sheets thick of paper toweling on top. Cut the bacon slices in half to help them fit easier and arrange on top placing thicker pieces toward the outside. Overlapping is fine as they will shrink up. Try not to allow the bacon to hang over the edges of the toweling and plate. Cover platter of bacon with another couple sheets of toweling and place into the microwave. Cook on high power for 2– 2 1⁄2 minutes. BE VERY CAREFUL HANGLING HOT PLATE!! Carefully remove top toweling and using tongs flip over bacon. Move the browner pieces to the middle of the plate. Continue to cook bacon for another 1 1⁄2 - 2 minutes or crispy brown. Move bacon slices to a clean piece of toweling to drain and cool for crumbling.

I’m all about dovetailing my cooking prep so that everything is finished quickly and at the same time. So, while the bacon is cooking, chop your broccoli into small bite sized florets about the size of a quarter. I often use the tender branches as well... no need to waste them! The scraps of broccoli stem I save for soup or to cut up in salads for added color and texture. No waste here in Lynnies’ kitchen! (When in a rush, I have used the pre-packaged florets too.) Place the broccoli florets in a large bowl big enough to allow mixing, along with the dried cranberries, onions and garlic. Give it a toss or two to combine.

The key to this salad is the dressing! Sweet and tangy is what gives this salad its’ distinctive flavor. Usually this salad is packed with extra calories, but I tweaked mine to lighten it up in the fat and sugar department. I make the salad a bit ahead of serving, as time allows the broccoli to absorb the dressing and the flavors of your ingredients too. To make the dressing, place the light mayo, Greek yogurt, seasonings and sugar in a small mixing bowl. You can use all Greek yogurt if you like too. I would reduce or eliminate the vinegar though, as the yogurt is already pretty tart. I also use Stevia instead of the sugar... also making it lower in sugar and suitable for those on calorie/ sugar restricted diets. Adjust the sugar to meet your own taste too. Mix all the ingredients well and pour over the bowl full of veggies. Mix well.

Last step... adding the bacon and nuts! When your bacon is cooled, crumbled it with your fingers into small pieces. When teaching Foods, we often used pre-cooked crumbled bacon due to time restraints. Either works well, except fresh has less preservatives! If you prefer a vegetarian salad, leave the bacon out and increase the seasoning as desired. When adding the nuts, chop into smaller pieces if necessary. I usually use cashews or slivered almonds...depending on size they often need a little chopping. My husband loves sunflower seeds which are smaller in size. Use what you like... is my motto!

Your salad is ready!! Isn’t it pretty? Go ahead and pick up a floret and taste it... Bet you can’t eat only one! Just like candy in a bowl... but so much healthier! Serve it with any backyard BBQ entrée or alone... Enjoy!!