Freshen up in this perfectly balanced meal filled with the pleasant crunch of broccoli, the tartness of dried cranberries, and, of course, bacon. So vibrant and fresh, and it comes with a gloriously sweet and tangy dressing made with honey, mayonnaise, and white wine vinegar. Such a crowd-pleaser side dish perfect for picnics and potlucks. ❤
Set a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, frequently stirring, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Set aside.
Wash and drain the broccoli, then cut them into bite-size pieces.
In a small mixing bowl, add all the ingredients for the salad dressing (mayonnaise, honey, white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper). Whisk them together until the mixture is nice and smooth, then set aside.
Add broccoli, red onion, bacon, and cranberries to a large mixing bowl. Pour salad dressing over broccoli and bacon salad and toss until everything is coated evenly with the dressing.
Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and refrigerate the salad until ready to serve.
Before serving, set aside some almonds to garnish the salad. Mix the remaining almonds into the salad. Then put it into a serving bowl or platter and garnish with the reserved almonds. Serve cold or room temperature. Note: You can make this salad up to this point several hours ahead of time.
Notes
You may blanch your broccoli florets to get rid of their raw taste while keeping them fresh and crunchy.
Broccoli stems are edible, too. You peel the thick skin and keep the middle part to add more crunch to our salad.
For an even better salad, I suggest refrigerating it for a few hours to let all the flavors set in.
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.