Beautiful Broccoli Salad - It's Crunchy Old School Goodness
Posted by Jill Bosich on
Why is it this classic salad offers so much?! It's just an old school favorite that seems to never lose steam and this chef and food lover is absolutely here for that! There's quite frankly so many versions of this recipe, and many of the ingredients are easily interchangeable, so for that reason alone, it's a keeper of a staple recipe because it's so very flexible!
Some examples? The dried cranberries could easily be replaced by raisins, golden raisins, dried currants, or chopped dried apricots. The vinegar could be replaced with champagne vinegar, white wine vinegar and so on. The cheese? Cheddar is fabulous but it truly could be jack cheese, gouda, swiss and so many more. Consider it almost a "clean out" recipe where it adapts to what you have in the pantry and in your cold box!
So let's get to this version! It's delicious and when it's icy cold from the refrigerator, the sweet and tangy dressing doesn't get any better when matched with the crunch from the other ingredients! Here we go!
Ingredients
- 1 pound, broccoli florets, blanched, chilled well
- 1 c. sharp cheddar cheese, rustic cut
- ¾ c. dried cranberries
- ¾ c. crumbled bacon, cooked
- ½ c. salted sunflower seeds or chopped candied pecans
- 1/3 c. red onion, diced, fine
Dressing
- ¾ c. mayonnaise
- ¼ c. sour cream
- 1 ½ T. distilled white vinegar or rice wine vinegar
- 3 T. granulated sugar
- ¼ t. salt, more if needed to taste
- ¼ t. black pepper, ground
Instructions
Combine broccoli, cheddar cheese, dried cranberries, bacon, sunflower seeds, and onion in a large bowl.
In a separate, small bowl, whisk together mayo, sour cream, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper until smooth and well-combined. Pour dressing over broccoli combination and toss or stir well.
For best flavor, refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Make sure to toss broccoli salad thoroughly again before serving. Enjoy!
Adapted from: Sugar Spun Run