Broccoli Cranberry Salad Easy And Healthy Wellplated Com

This healthy broccoli cranberry salad is a play on the one my aunt used to bring every year to our Christmas dinner. Like this Broccoli Cauliflower Salad, it’s a little bit naughty (ahem, bacon), a little bit nice (the recipe contains no mayo; also bacon is pretty nice), and the festive red-and-green colors make it fit for a holiday spread. My aunt’s original broccoli salad recipe called for a creamy mayo-based dressing, but I opted for a lighter vinaigrette-style dressing instead. The the salad nice and crunchy (I find that creamy-style dressings tend to make the broccoli salad become mushy as it sits), and a broccoli cranberry salad without mayo is better for you too. Even if the broccoli cranberry salad nutrition isn’t a concern for you, this dish is still a winning choice. It has lots of interesting flavors and textures, from the crunchy broccoli and toasty pepita seeds to the chewy cranberries and smoky bacon. It can withstand long hours at room temperature, and since it gets even better the longer it sits, it’s a great make-ahead recipe too.

How to Make Broccoli Cranberry Salad

When your spread cries out for something green, this healthy broccoli cranberry salad is the perfect choice. With its crisp pizzaz and interesting blend of ingredients, it tastes like anything but an afterthought.

The Ingredients

Broccoli. While other recipes may ask you to steam broccoli for broccoli salad, a quick blanch is all that’s needed here. The broccoli develops the ideal crisp-tender texture.Bacon. The salad addition that takes this broccoli salad from good to YUM!

Cranberries. Colorful and scrumptious little jewels of sweetness. Green Onions. For freshness and bite. Dressing. Instead of a broccoli cranberry salad with Greek yogurt or mayo, this version uses a light, vinaigrette-style dressing. A little olive oil, rice vinegar, black pepper, salt, and honey come together to create a truly tasty dressing for this salad.Pepitas. For a little added crunch. You could also make this broccoli cranberry salad with almonds or walnuts.

The Directions

Recommended Tools to Make Broccoli Cranberry Salad

Small Whisk. The smaller size is perfect. Measuring Spoons. These are two-sided, meaning fewer dishes to wash. Dutch Oven. Perfect for blanching the broccoli.