Deli-Style Broccoli Salad made with all your favorites like bacon, onion, cranberries, and more, plus a secret tip! This nutritious salad recipe is the best side dish for any gathering.
salt and pepper to tasteI used 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2cupsalted sunflower seeds
3/4cupdried sweetened cranberries
1/3cupfinely chopped sweet or red onion
1/2cupcrumbled baconabout 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.
Video
Notes
You can add other things that you like to this salad such as crumbled feta or cheddar cheese.
If you are making this salad ahead of time, prepare all of the ingredients but keep the dressing separate from the rest of the salad. Add the dressing right before serving.
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!