Broccoli Bacon Salad with Pecans, Cranberries, Raisins - healthy, DELICIOUS, gluten free salad, packed with fiber!
If you never tried pecans in a broccoli salad, you should as soon as possible! Crunchy pecans together with the dried fruit, bacon and broccoli are an amazing combination.
If you love nuts and dried fruit - this is a great recipe for you!
Cook's tips
- I like to rehydrate dried cranberries and raisins in boiled water so that they are plumper and more tender to taste.
- I also like to slightly toast pecans in the oven before adding them to the salad - watch the pecans while they toast, because the pecans can burn easily.
- Because the salad is heavy on cranberries and raisins, you don't really need a sweet dressing - 2 tablespoons of honey added to the simple homemade salad dressing should be just the perfect amount!
- Do not add all of the salad dressing at once. Add the salad dressing gradually to the bowl with the salad ingredients. Some people like lots of dressing on their salad, some don't - let your taste be your guide just how much dressing to add! You might not have to use all of it.
Broccoli Bacon Salad with Pecans, Raisins, Cranberries
Broccoli Salad with Pecans, Cranberries, Raisins, and Bacon - healthy, DELICIOUS, gluten free salad, packed with fiber!
Ingredients
Broccoli Salad:
- 5 cups broccoli florets , blanched and chopped into smaller bites
- 10 slices bacon , cooked, drained of fat, and chopped
- 1 cup pecan halves , slightly toasted
- ⅔ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup raisins
Creamy Dressing:
- ⅔ cup mayo
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
How to make broccoli salad
- Rehydrate dried cranberries and raisins: place cranberries and raisins in 2 different bowls, pour boiling water over each set of berries until they are covered. Cover with the plastic wrap and let the berries sit covered, for about 15 minutes, to absorb water. After 15 minutes, drain the cranberries and the raisins thoroughly from the water using the colander.
- If you like, toast the pecans in a preheated oven at 350 F for about 5 minutes. It's an optional step, but it really adds flavor. When toasting, make sure to check the oven often, as pecans toast pretty fast and can turn too dark easily.
- In a large bowl, combine chopped blanched broccoli, chopped cooked bacon, pecan halves, dried cranberries and raisins (both berries rehydrated per step 1).
How to make creamy salad dressing
- In a medium bowl, combine mayo, milk, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar. Heat honey to a more liquid state and add to the salad dressing. Mix well and taste to see if you need to add more honey.
- Note: Keep in mind that the salad is heavy on cranberries and raisins which should add more than enough sweetness so you might not need extra honey.
- Gradually add the salad dressing to the large bowl with the salad ingredients. Some people like lots of dressing on their salad, some don't - let your taste be your guide as far as how much dressing to add!
Nutrition
Nutrition Information
Broccoli Bacon Salad with Pecans, Raisins, Cranberries
Amount per Serving
Calories
426
% Daily Value*
Fat
34
g
52
%
Saturated Fat
6
g
38
%
Cholesterol
27
mg
9
%
Sodium
326
mg
14
%
Potassium
373
mg
11
%
Carbohydrates
26
g
9
%
Fiber
3
g
13
%
Sugar
13
g
14
%
Protein
6
g
12
%
Vitamin A
400
IU
8
%
Vitamin C
51.4
mg
62
%
Calcium
52
mg
5
%
Iron
1.2
mg
7
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Tried this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment and provide a Star Rating below - I love your feedback and try to respond to every comment!
Loved your recipe!!!
Thanks so much.
Angie, thank you for this positive feedback and 5-stars! 🙂
I wish I had not blanched the broccoli. It made it mushy. Tasted great though
Stephana, that's great feedback about blanching the broccoli. Maybe, next time it should be blanched more briefly and drained really well from any liquid.
How long DO you blanch the broccoli?
Laura, when I blanch broccoli, I bring a pot of water to a boil. Once the water boils, I add broccoli, and literally immediately, within seconds, I remove the broccoli from the pot onto the plate (or into the strainer). The broccoli turns bright green color without getting cooked.
Maybe Soak raisins or cranberry in orange juice or apple juice, it is awesome when making bread and sweet rolls it may taste good in the salad. I may try it.
What a great idea - love it! Orange juice-soaked raisins sound delicious!
It looks delicious! Can I use something other than milk? Thank you. Martha
Yes, you can use sour cream, plain Greek Yogurt, plain regular yogurt, or plain kefir instead of milk.
This was delicious! Thank you!
You're welcome, Leah!
Hey Julia, I made your Broccoli Salad recipe this morning. Delicious! The dressing is amazing. I rehydrated the fruit and toasted the pecans, just like you suggested. It really makes a difference. Thanks so much for sharing. This will be a new, all time favorite in our home.
Could this be prepared the night before serving?
I would keep all ingredients separate (to prevent sogginess) and add the dressing right before serving.
Soooo I'm in a conundrum. I'm desperately looking for a cold side dish for thanksgiving and this could be my golden ticket but the milk for the dressing is throwing me off, can I substitute?
Use very thin unflavored yogurt or sour cream?
Any non-dairy ideas? Coconut milk?
Not sure if coconut milk flavor will work with these ingredients. 🙂
I think I'll add thin slices of red onion for a little heat. Plenty dressing. I'll add the milk gradually - don't want dressing too thin.
Red onion is always a great addition to pretty much any salad!
Can you tell me how many servings this makes? I am planning on making it for a picnic. I know that it will be a hit. Thank you!
For dinner size (large) portions, it would make 4 servings, otherwise, I think it's 8 smaller size (appetizer) portions.
Only 2 cups of broccoli? I think I'll add a little more given how much dressing there is. Looking forward to all the flavors coming together! Yumm!
P.S. watch when you are roasting the pecans...just burnt mine as I was typing this. Oops! 🙁
I agree - it should be more than 2 cups broccoli. I just updated the recipe to 4 cups broccoli. Yes, I had to be very careful roasting pecans - they burn really easily. It takes only about 5 minutes, maximum 10 to roast then in the preheated oven at 350 F.
A very special salad. I never heard about this recipe any where on any good blogs. Im a great food lover and i will try this recipe. My husband will surely love this one.
Just bought some fresh broccoli and now I know what to do with it! Yummy! Bacon as usual is what gets me every time. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I have to try this recipe. I love the cranberries and pecans. I don't care much for raisins so I may leave those out. I am also thinking about adding a touch of vanilla to the dressing.
Looks yum!