Ingredients
Kosher salt
3 heads broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces
2 carrots, shredded
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. sliced almonds
1/2 c. mayonnaise
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
How to:
In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil; generously season with salt. Fill a large bowl with ice water.
Cook broccoli until fork-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to bowl of ice water. Let cool, then drain.
Transfer broccoli to a large bowl. Add carrots, onion, bacon, cranberries, and almonds.
In a medium bowl, whisk mayonnaise and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Pour dressing over broccoli salad and stir to combine.
How To Make Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
Broccoli: Broccoli is the foundation of this recipe, so make sure yours is not wilty or yellowing and be sure to cut it into small florets. Oh, and don’t toss the tough central stalk. Peel it, cut it into bite-size pieces, and cook it along with the florets.
Bacon: Provides smoke, salt, and savor. Truly a must-have to take this salad over the top.
Cranberries: Dried cranberries have a unique sweet-tart quality that makes them great in salads.
Almonds: Nutty, crunchy almonds provide textural contrast that keeps you coming back for more. If you feel like going the extra mile, toasting the almonds in a dry skillet until slightly darkened really turbocharges their flavor.
Mayonnaise: Creamy mayo takes this welter of flavors and textures and ties it all together into something coherent and utterly delicious.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Transforms the mayo into a dressing by thinning it out and providing some punch. I love the subtle sweetness of apple cider vinegar, but white wine vinegar is a worthy substitute.
Step-By-Step Instructions
First things first: Blanch the broccoli. Do what? “Blanching” is about the simplest cooking technique there is: You plunge food in boiling water to set the color and kick-start cooking, then you plunge it in ice water to fix the color for good and put an abrupt stop to the cooking. It’s fast, it’s easy, and it sets you up for broccoli salad success. One tip: Be sure to salt the water very well; this is your chance to season the broccoli from the inside out. Another: Use a slotted spoon to transfer the broccoli from hot water to cold without a lot of hot water in tow.
The broccoli is finito when it turns bright green, which should take just a minute or two. Immediately, scoop it out and “shock” it in ice water to stop cooking. Let cool, then drain well; really give your sieve or colander a good shake, as excess water will only dilute the dressing.