Broccoli Bacon Salad
This broccoli bacon salad is the ultimate easy summer side dish! It tastes great with any protein and kids love it, too. Fair warning: everyone will ask you for this recipe!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 231kcal
Ingredients
- 5 cups broccoli florets about 3 crowns
- 8 slices bacon or turkey bacon
- ½ red onion
- ½ cup diced dates or substitute with dried cranberries or raisins.⠀
- ½ cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds⠀
Lemon Garlic Dressing
- ½ cup mayo⠀
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon mustard⠀
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, preferably raw
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice about 1/2 lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Do the prep work: Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Set the pieces on a paper towel lined plate to cool. Meanwhile, remove the stems from the broccoli and chop them into bite sized pieces. Thinly slice the red onion. Dice the dates. Once the bacon is cool, roughly chop it into bite sized pieces.
- Make the broccoli salad dressing: Grate or finely mince the garlic, then whisk together all the salad dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If needed, add 1/2 - 1 teaspoon more lemon juice to thin to desired consistency.
Assembly
- Add the broccoli, bacon, sunflower seeds, dates, and onion to a bowl. Drizzle the salad dressing on top. Toss all the ingredients together until fully coated, and serve.
Video
Notes
To store leftovers: Cover the bowl tightly or transfer leftovers to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To make in advance: Follow the recipe as written, but keep the bacon in a separate container and room temperature. Refrigerate the undressed salad in a covered container for up to a day. Add the bacon and dressing just before serving.
Some people may prefer blanched (lightly cooked) broccoli over raw broccoli in this recipe. To blanch the broccoli:
- Boil a large pot of salted water.
- Gently place the pieces of bite-sized broccoli into the boiling water.
- Cook for about 1 minute, or just until bright green.
- Remove the pieces from the water and drop them into an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
- Drain the water and pat the broccoli dry.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5 cup | Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 250mg | Potassium: 358mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 385IU | Vitamin C: 53mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg
