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Broccoli Salad With Cranberries
A crunchy broccoli salad loaded with cranberries, crispy bacon, and salted sunflower seeds — the perfect make-ahead side dish for busy families juggling meal planning and prepping for home and gatherings.
Ingredients
- 8 cups small broccoli pieces
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- salt and pepper to taste (I used ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper)
- ½ cup salted sunflower seeds
- ¾ cup dried sweetened cranberries
- ⅓ cup finely chopped sweet or red onion
- ½ cup crumbled bacon (about 6 pieces cooked)
Instructions
- In a pot of boiling water, blanch the broccoli for one minute. Remove the broccoli from the hot water and put it straight into an ice bath to stop the cooking. When the broccoli has cooled down, remove it from the ice water bath and place it in a colander. Let the broccoli drain while you prepare the rest of the salad.
- To make the dressing, add the mayo, sour cream, vinegar, sugar, and salt and pepper to a small bowl. Stir well to combine.
- When the broccoli is well drained and no longer wet, add the broccoli to a large bowl. Add the dressing, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, onion, and bacon. Stir to combine and adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve right away.
Notes
- You can add other things that you like to this salad such as crumbled feta or cheddar cheese.
- For maximum texture contrast in make-ahead situations, add the sunflower seeds and bacon just before serving to maintain their satisfying crunch against the other ingredients.
- Blanching the broccoli makes the broccoli tender crisp and perfect for eating in a salad. I think it's much better this way than just using raw broccoli. Be sure the cooked broccoli is not wet before using (you can do this step well in advance so that it has time to dry).
- I bought this strainer basket to go in my Instant Pot and it happens to fit right in my stove-top stock pot too. I just added my broccoli to the strainer, dipped the whole strainer into the boiling water for one minute, and then pulled it out and stuck it right in my water bath. It made the blanching process really easy!
Nutrition
Serving: 1 of 8 servingsCalories: 286kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 8gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 427mgPotassium: 365mgFiber: 4gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 666IUVitamin C: 82mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 1mg
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