Salad Challenge: Sweet + Creamy Broccoli Salad

January 3, 2012 By Leanne Vogel July 7, 2015

Creamy & Sweet Brocolli Salad #paleo #grainfree

For an introduction to this weeks’ salad challenge, check out this post. Day two of our challenge and I just had to begin by posting my favorite of all the recipes I’ll be sharing this week. I know, I should have probably worked up to my favorite, but I couldn’t help myself. Maybe I’ll change my mind come Friday?

I’ve probably made this salad half a dozen times already, going back to it again and again because it’s just so darn easy. It’ll take you 20 minutes from start to sweet + creamy finish – a definite win in my books!

Sweet + Creamy Broccoli Salad

Author: Leanne Vogel

Recipe type: Vegan [option], Gluten free, Dairy free, Sugar-free, Yeast free, Corn free, Grain free

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 3 mins

Total time: 18 mins

Serves: 8

This salad is a breeze to assemble during the evening for a weeks’ worth of lunches and lasts for days in the fridge without wilting or spoiling. One of my favorite characteristics of broccoli is it’s ability soak up dressing at the bottom of your bowl… which is why it’s just so perfect for this sweet and creamy salad!

Ingredients

Salad

6 cups fresh broccoli florets, steamed for 3 minutes
7 strips uncured beef bacon, cooked fully and then chopped
½ cup sun dried tomatoes, sliced thin
¼ cup dried currants
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup of red onion, chopped

Dressing

½ cup canola, olive oil or egg-free mayonnaise
2 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon gluten-free mustard
1 tablespoon unpasteurized honey
handful of fresh parsley (optional)

Instructions

Lightly steam the broccoli for 2-3 minutes, just until the florets are crisp tender. This is optional, I just find broccoli easier on my digestion when it’s lightly steamed. Place in a large bowl and set aside.
Fry bacon as per package instructions. Be sure to cook until crisp. We like beef bacon because it’s higher in protein, easier on digestion, a has less fat. Plus it tastes so good! Once cooked, set on a paper towel lined plate. Pat dry and break up into small pieces.
Add bacon, sun dried tomatoes, currants, sunflower seeds and red onion to the broccoli bowl.
In a separate small bowl, combine dressing ingredients and stir until incorporated. Pour over the broccoli mix and stir to coat.
Serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and enjoy!

Notes

To make vegan, serve with veggie bacon bits and stick with egg-free mayonnaise

View Nutritional Information (once on page scroll down)

We decided to head to the mountains yesterday as a spur-of-the-moment thing. I knew that both of us would be hungry the minute we hit the road – isn’t that always the way it works? So I whipped up a quick batch of this salad for me, and a big bowl of tuna and veggies for Kevin. We enjoyed our salads on the road to Kananaskis before we endured a chilling hike near Wasootch creek. It actually wasn’t that bad, I just exaggerate.

The sun was shining but there was a terrible wind. But once we got further into the valley it lightened up a bit and was quite lovely!

This is the face of a man who claims I didn’t feed him enough before we headed out. If only he would have had the broccoli salad! Darn his aversion to dried fruit! Little did he know, I had some spiced flax balls and coconut vanilla cookies in my pockets for snacking! Because really, I don’t go anywhere without a snack in my pocket, common’ now!

Going out to the mountains was a perfect way to end our Christmas break. But (unfortunately) we’re back to the grind today! I guess I’m excited to get back to a routine, but am sad to say goodbye to lounging around in my pajamas until noon. Are you going back to the office after an extended time away during the holidays?

This entry was tagged: broccoli, salad challenge