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Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Creamy Dressing

The first time I ever dyed my hair was freshman year in college. I’m naturally a dirty blonde (which I have always thought was quite an unfortunate term for hair color), and decided to go a little lighter. It was so ridiculously similar to my natural color, it wasn’t even worth the effort.

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It’s a mistake I haven’t repeated.

Recently, I decided to go red.

(What can I say? Sometimes it’s just time for a change.)

Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Creamy Dressing 3

Speaking of change, as someone who grew up thinking that the only way to eat broccoli was boiled to mush, this salad is somewhat of a revelation and a good reminder of how delicious broccoli is when cooked properly (i.e., not to mush, lol).

Crisp-tender broccoli dressed in a creamy, but light dressing that’s accentuated with crispy turkey bacon and crunchy sunflower seeds. A touch of fresh lemon juice and dill brighten up the whole dish.

I’m telling you, this salad is broccoli unleashed.

Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Creamy Dressing 4

Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Creamy Dressing
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Yield: 4 servings
 
Ingredients
  • 1 lb (450 g) broccoli, chopped into bite-sized florets (about 4 cups chopped)
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 3 slices turkey bacon, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons mayo
  • 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon fresh chopped dill (or ¼ teaspoon dried dill)
  • 1 small red onion, quartered and thinly sliced cross-wise
  • 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds
Instructions
  1. Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil; salt the water, then add the broccoli and cook until fork-tender, about 90 seconds. Drain the broccoli and transfer it to a bowl filled with ice water to cool completely. Once cooled, drain well and set aside.
  2. Heat the oil in a medium-large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil. Reserve for topping.
  3. Whisk together the mayo, yogurt, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and dill in a large bowl. Stir the in the broccoli, parsley, onion, and celery into the dressing.
  4. To serve, transfer the salad to a serving bowl and top with the bacon and sunflower seeds. Serve immediately.
Notes
To Make This Salad a Day Ahead: Make the salad up through step 3 above; hold off on adding the bacon and sunflower seed topping until right before serving.
Faith, author of An Edible Mosaic.
About Faith

I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.

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11 Comments

  1. Hello Faith! This sounds delicious! I was just wondering, before I make this recipe, is there parsley involved? I noticed it in the directions, but not in the ingredients list. Thanks!

    1. Hi Tassie, Thank you very much for your comment! No, there isn’t parsley in this; I see it in the directions and I will remove that! But with that being said, this would be delicious with some fresh chopped parsley if you want to add some! :)

      1. Tassie Adams says:

        Thank you so much for getting back to me. I think I’ll try it both ways. Thank you for the recipes!

  2. I’m huge fan of salads! This broccoli salad is sure a great change from mush-steamed broccoli! :) I also liked the lemony yogurt dressing! yumm!

  3. Aunt Gretchen says:

    Photo of the RED, or it didn’t happen! :-D

  4. hehe :) I want to see a picture of the red!!! I am a dirty blonde as well ;). I once died my hair super dark…and I cried for weeks. I’m meant to be lighter! This salad looks delicious

  5. A delicious salad! Great texture and flavours.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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