Southern Broccoli Salad Recipe with Bacon & Craisins
Easy Southern Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Craisins is a healthy, make-ahead, delicious, cold vegetable salad. In addition to the broccoli and Craisins, it's loaded with pecans, cheese, tomatoes, and bacon!
½cupsliced cherry tomatoes,cut in half, or if large, cut into quarters
½cuproasted pecans
¾cupmayonnaise
1tablespoonapple cider vinegar
1tablespoongranulated sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
Pinch of ground black pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Rinse, drain and let the broccoli dry. Cut off the stalks, save for another use or discard, and then cut the florets into small bite-size pieces.
Place the bacon on a baking sheet with sides and cook it for 10 to 15 minutes or until it is crisp and golden brown. Remove the bacon and place it on a paper towel to drain. Crumble it or cut it into small pieces.
Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, or if they are large, cut them into quarters.
Place the broccoli in a large bowl. Add the bacon, cranberries, cheese, cherry tomatoes and pecans. Toss to combine. Set aside.
Combine the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
Pour about half of the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat all ingredients. Taste and add more dressing, a little at a time to suit your family's tastes.
This salad can be served immediately, but this salad is best if covered and refrigerated for up to 24-hours before serving to allow the flavors to develop.
Notes
For the best results, cut off most of the tough stalks and then cut the broccoli florets up into very small pieces no bigger than a small grape.
Leftovers will keep for two to three days covered in the fridge. They do not freeze well.
I like to use a salad spinner to wash my broccoli. Place the raw broccoli heads in the spinner, fill it with water, and swish the broccoli around. Be sure to allow the broccoli to drain thoroughly and let it dry before making your salad.
Leftover salad dressing makes a terrific coleslaw dressing.
If your pecans aren't already roasted, the easiest way to roast them is in the microwave since this recipe calls for a small amount. First, chop them up and put them on a microwave-safe plate. Then, microwave them on high in 30-second increments until they are done. This usually takes about two minutes total.