Introduction
Broccoli salad with creamy yogurt dressing is a delicious and healthy side dish that is perfect for any occasion. It is packed with fresh vegetables, crunchy nuts, and a creamy yogurt dressing that adds a delicious flavor. This salad is easy to make and can be served as a side dish or as a main course. It is a great way to get your daily dose of vegetables and is sure to be a hit with everyone.
Broccoli Salad with Creamy Yogurt Dressing
This Broccoli Salad with Creamy Yogurt Dressing is a delicious and healthy side dish that is perfect for any occasion. It’s packed with crunchy broccoli, sweet raisins, and a creamy yogurt dressing that is sure to please everyone. Plus, it’s easy to make and can be served either warm or cold.
Ingredients
- 2 heads of broccoli, cut into florets
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, raisins, red onion, celery, red bell pepper, and almonds.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, white wine vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and toss to combine.
- Serve the salad either warm or cold.
This broccoli salad with cheese and bacon is a well-liked aspect dish for summer season gatherings and particular events. My recipe features a creamy Greek yogurt dressing to deliver the entire elements collectively.
Desk of Contents
This straightforward broccoli salad makes the inexperienced cruciferous vegetable the star of the dish. Broccoli has quite a few well being advantages like fiber, vitamin C, and calcium, so this recipe makes for a wholesome choice to offset different heavier menu gadgets. It’s the right summer season salad which you can even put together forward of time for a potluck, barbecue, or picnic.
Chew-sized items first blanch in sizzling water adopted by a dunk in ice water, in order that they don’t overcook. To enhance the broccoli, I exploit a lightened-up salad dressing. The combination comprises high-protein Greek yogurt and honey for a candy and tangy mixture.
Broccoli choice and preparation
The broccoli stalk consists of a head that comprises clusters of buds. When trimmed down, they turn into florets. I exploit a small paring knife to chop off the items, halving them if wanted to make them simpler to eat.
I often save the stems as they’re edible and may be sliced and utilized in stir-fries or shreds for broccoli slaw. Nothing goes to waste! For comfort, you need to use packaged pre-cut florets. Simply ensure to chop down any massive items.
Blanch and shock
Uncooked broccoli is very fibrous, exhausting to chew, and has a sulfurous style. Just like cooking inexperienced beans, I exploit the blanch and shock technique to melt the items. The florets first take a fast 1 to 2-minute plunge in boiling water to tenderize the thick stalk and buds.
To make sure the florets keep vibrant inexperienced and crisp-tender, instantly add them to an ice water bathtub till chilled. This system halts the cooking course of and limits any residual enzymes like peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase from deteriorating the feel or colour. A bonus is you’ll be able to retailer the blanched broccoli for a number of days earlier than utilizing it.
Dressing elements
For the creamy dressing, I exploit non-fat Greek yogurt as the bottom. I combine in some pink wine vinegar, honey, and Dijon mustard to steadiness the tart taste. Since there is no such thing as a fats within the dairy product, I add a small quantity of selfmade mayonnaise to supply a easy mouthfeel. Nonetheless, you’ll be able to substitute that with olive oil.
The dressing texture is easy and creamy, with a tangy and candy taste. The consistency ought to cling to the elements for max taste supply however not be heavy or clumpy. After tossing, I wish to serve the remaining dressing on the aspect so friends can add as a lot as they’d like.
Add mix-ins
So as to add dimension to the salad, I exploit a wide range of candy and savory mix-ins. Fry up just a few slices of thick-cut bacon, then chop for bursts of smoky taste. Cubes of aged sharp cheddar cheese add extra protein, though you’ll be able to change that up with different semi-hard varieties like smoked gouda, mozzarella, or provolone.
Diced pink onions and sunflower seeds add a nice crunch. Dried cranberries have a concentrated sweetness and tartness that complement the opposite elements. Dried apricots, cherries, or raisins are good swaps. You may even add in contemporary fruit like apples, pears, or peaches for additional crispiness.
Make it forward of time
To chop down on day-of preparation, you may have just a few choices. You may make the broccoli forward of time and retailer it within the fridge for as much as 2 days till prepared to make use of. You may also make a big batch of oven-roasted bacon as much as per week prematurely. When prepared, pull some out of the fridge, chop, and add it to the salad. You may make the dressing three days forward, then toss proper earlier than serving.
Serve this with
FAQ
Sure, steaming takes about 3 to five minutes, relying on the dimensions of your pot. It’s possible you’ll must cook dinner in batches. You’ll want to organize an ice water bathtub to cease the cooking course of, regardless of which technique you select.
Use a small paring knife to take away about 1-inch sized florets from the pinnacle of the stalk. If the piece is massive, lower it in half lengthwise.
Rinse the florets beneath cool working water to take away any dust that could be trapped within the buds. Blanching the broccoli in boiling water will destroy any dangerous micro organism like salmonella and Escherichia coli.
Sure, nevertheless, the stem and buds are powerful and fibrous, making them exhausting to interrupt down. You may additionally discover a barely sulfurous style. One bonus is that it retains extra heat-sensitive vitamins like vitamin C. Cooking helps soften and tenderize the vegetable, making it simpler to eat.
Blanching makes broccoli extra edible
Contemporary broccoli is difficult to eat uncooked attributable to its fibrous stem and prime. Briefly blanching the florets in sizzling boiling water brightens the inexperienced colour and softens the pectin within the cell partitions to make it simpler to chew. Instantly plunging in ice water stops the cooking course of, stopping the vegetable from turning into mushy.
Pin this recipe to save lots of for later
Pin This
Broccoli Salad
-
In a big pot, deliver 2 quarts (8 cups) of water to a boil over excessive warmth. Add 1 teaspoon salt, stir to dissolve.
-
In a medium bowl, add 1 quart (4 cups) of chilly water and 4 cups of ice. Put aside to make use of as an ice water bathtub.
-
Add broccoli florets to the boiling water and cook dinner till vivid inexperienced and crisp-tender however not too mushy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
-
Instantly switch the drained broccoli to the ice water bathtub till cool, about 5 minutes. Drain the broccoli florets in a colander, shake to take away the surplus water. Put aside.
-
Warmth a big skillet over medium warmth. As soon as sizzling, add the bacon slices and cook dinner till crispy, about 3 to 4 minutes on all sides. Switch bacon to a paper towel-lined sheet pan to empty. As soon as cooled, chop into small items. It ought to yield about ¼ cup.
-
In a big bowl, add blanched broccoli, chopped bacon, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, pink onion, and cheddar cheese.
Salad Dressing
-
In a small bowl, whisk collectively the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, pink wine vinegar, honey, water, dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper. Season with salt and pepper to style.
-
Drizzle half of the salad dressing over the broccoli combination and toss to mix. Season with salt and pepper to style. If desired, serve the remaining dressing on the aspect.
- Recipe Yield: About 6 cups
- Serving Dimension: 1 cup
- Yogurt choice: I like to recommend utilizing Fage nonfat Greek yogurt as a result of it has a impartial taste and never too bitter. You should utilize low-fat or complete milk, however it can present a richer consistency.
- Vinegar choice: Apple cider vinegar may be substituted for pink wine vinegar.
- Mayonnaise substitution: Add olive oil as a substitute, though the dressing will likely be barely much less thick.
- Storing: Place the salad in an hermetic container and refrigerate for as much as 3 days.
- Make forward: Blanched broccoli may be made two days prematurely. The dressing may be made three days forward.
Need to save this recipe?
Create an account simply save your favourite content material, so that you always remember a recipe once more.
Register now
Diet Information
Broccoli Salad
Quantity Per Serving
Energy 227
Energy from Fats 126
% Each day Worth*
Fats 14g22%
Saturated Fats 4g20%
Trans Fats 1g
Polyunsaturated Fats 4g
Monounsaturated Fats 4g
Ldl cholesterol 17mg6%
Sodium 404mg17%
Potassium 352mg10%
Carbohydrates 20g7%
Fiber 3g12%
Sugar 13g14%
Protein 9g18%
Vitamin A 576IU12%
Vitamin C 68mg82%
Calcium 134mg13%
Iron 1mg6%
* % Each day Values are based mostly on a 2000 calorie weight-reduction plan.
Tried this recipe?
Tag @jessica_gavin on Instagram. I would like to see the way it seems!