That is the greatest ever wholesome Broccoli and Bacon Salad recipe! Tiny bite-sized items of broccoli are tossed with bacon, dates, sunflower seeds, purple onion, and creamy do-it-yourself lemon garlic dressing. Better of all, it’s utterly Whole30 and Paleo suitable, and may simply be made Keto and low carb.
This recipe was initially shared 11/2018 and was republished 5/2022 with extra footage and video.
Why We Love It
The only recipes are often essentially the most spectacular to me, really easy, wholesome, and scrumptious salads are at all times on the menu at my home!
And this broccoli bacon salad is a complete crowd-pleaser. It really works simply as effectively for yard bbqs and cookouts (it travels nice!) because it does for weeknight dinners!
The broccoli is minimize into tiny items and tossed with sharp purple onions, candy dates, crispy bacon, and crunchy sunflower seeds, then blended with a creamy do-it-yourself lemon garlic dressing.
As an added bonus, the steps to creating this recipe are tremendous easy. When you’re achieved prepping the elements, you simply must toss them collectively and let your loved ones and friends dig in!
Better of all, this recipe is Whole30, Paleo, Gluten Free, and could be simply made Keto and Low Carb, too.
🥦 Components
Broccoli Bacon Salad
- Broccoli
- Bacon. I like to make use of sugar-free bacon.
- Dates. This provides a sweetness to the salad that completely balances the salty bacon and savory dressing. You possibly can substitute dried cranberries or apricots when you favor them.
- Sunflower Seeds. Sunflower seeds add crunch and a beautiful nutty taste! I take advantage of roasted and unsalted sunflower seeds so I’ve extra management over the saltiness of the salad.
- Purple Onion. Purple onion provides just a little sharp taste and extra crunch.
👉 Tip: If you happen to favor rather less harshness to your onions, pour the salad dressing over the sliced onions and wait an hour, then mix with the remainder of the salad elements. The vinegar within the dressing will start to mellow the flavour of the onions over time.
🍋 Lemon Garlic Dressing
- Mayo
- Mustard. I favor to make use of common dijon mustard, however any sort you take pleasure in or have readily available will work.
- Garlic
- Lemon Juice
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Salt & Pepper
Dietary Restrictions / Variations
👉 Whole30: Use Whole30 suitable mayo and nitrate-free, sugar-free bacon.
👉 Keto / Low Carb: Use sugar-free bacon and omit the dates. You possibly can substitute contemporary or dried blueberries when you’d like or simply go away them off the salad utterly. Optionally, add 1 cup cubed cheddar cheese.
👉 Vegetarian: Omit the bacon and substitute vegetarian mayo. You possibly can embrace mushroom or coconut bacon, when you’d like, or simply go away it out utterly. Both method will probably be completely delish!
👩🍳 Step by Step Directions
Step 1: Do the prep work.
Prepare dinner the bacon in a big skillet over medium warmth. As soon as the bacon is crispy, set it apart on a paper towel lined plate to chill.
Subsequent, seize your reducing board! Chop the broccoli into bite-sized items, then cube the onion, minimize the dates into quarters, and roughly chop the cooked, cooled bacon.
Step 2: Make the lemon garlic dressing.
Add the mayo, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, and apple cider vinegar to a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
Whisk collectively the salad dressing elements till it’s a easy and creamy consistency.
If you wish to skinny out the dressing a bit extra as soon as it’s whisked collectively, stir in 1/2-1 teaspoon of lemon juice at a time.
Step 3: Assemble and serve.
Add the broccoli, bacon, dates, sunflower seeds, and onion to a big bowl.
Drizzle all of the dressing on high of the salad, then toss all of the elements collectively till it’s absolutely and evenly mixed.
FAQ & Ideas
Switch leftovers to an hermetic container and retailer within the fridge for 3-4 days, per USDA.
I favor to make use of uncooked broccoli, nevertheless, you may resolve whether or not you want blanched or uncooked broccoli, based mostly in your preferences. Blanching refers to briefly submerging the vegetable in boiling water after which stopping the cooking course of shortly, which permits for only a tiny quantity of cooking and softening of the vegetable.
To Blanche Broccoli:
1. Boil a big pot of salted water.
2. Gently place the items of bite-sized broccoli into the boiling water.
3. Prepare dinner for about 1 minute, or simply till vibrant inexperienced.
4. Take away the broccoli and switch it to an ice tub (a big bowl of ice and water) till absolutely cool.
5. Drain the water and pat the broccoli dry.
Broccoli salad is a wonderful make-ahead dish. I like to recommend following the recipe as-written, however preserve the bacon separate on the facet to maintain it from getting tender and soggy. Retailer the salad coated within the fridge for as much as a day, then add the bacon simply earlier than serving.
Toss diced broccoli stems into this salad for further crunch and texture, or make broccoli ranch slaw. You may as well add them to your stir fry or salads.
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Broccoli Bacon Salad
This broccoli bacon salad is a scrumptious, balanced recipe for events and cookouts. It is tossed with a do-it-yourself lemon garlic dressing and is sweet and crunchy and hits all of the salty, candy taste factors!
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Directions
Do the Prep Work
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Prepare dinner the bacon in a skillet over medium warmth till crispy. Set the items on a paper towel lined plate to chill. In the meantime, take away the stems from the broccoli and chop them into chew sized items. Thinly slice the purple onion. Cube the dates. As soon as the bacon is cooled, roughly chop it into chew sized items.
Make the Dressing
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Grate or finely mince the garlic, then whisk collectively all of the salad dressing elements in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to style. If wanted, add 1/2 – 1 teaspoon extra lemon juice to skinny to desired consistency.
Broccoli & Bacon Salad
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Add the broccoli, bacon, sunflower seeds, dates, and onion to a bowl. Drizzle all of the salad dressing on high. Toss all of the elements collectively till absolutely coated and serve.
Notes
To make upfront: Observe the recipe as written, however preserve the bacon separate and on the facet to maintain it from getting tender and soggy. Retailer the ready salad coated within the fridge for as much as a day, then add the bacon simply earlier than serving.
Some individuals could favor blanched (calmly cooked) broccoli over uncooked broccoli on this recipe. To blanche the broccoli:
- Boil a big pot of salted water.
- Gently place the items of bite-sized broccoli into the boiling water.
- Prepare dinner for about 1 minute, or simply till vibrant inexperienced.
- Take away the broccoli and set in an ice tub till cooled.
- Drain the water and pat the broccoli dry.
Diet
Serving: 0.5cups | Energy: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 9g | Fats: 25g | Saturated Fats: 6g | Ldl cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 417mg | Potassium: 352mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 405IU | Vitamin C: 55mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg
