Dressing ideas for broccoli salad?
I'm going to host a big Hanukkah dinner tomorrow, and since I have plenty of broccoli in my fridge, I was thinking of making something different with it. So I decided to make a broccoli salad - for now, I'm thinking it will consist of:
* broccoli florets (blanched)
* thinly sliced red onions
* (halved?) cherry tomatoes
* kalamata olives
* slivered almonds or sunflower seeds (I have plenty of both left from my almost-finished baking marathon)
* possibly, crumbled bacon?
Do I need anything else there? I thought of feta, but it's out of the question since OH is lactose intolerant. But more importantly, I've been thinking of a dressing to tie it all together and here's where I hit the wall. All I can think of is simple olive oil/lemon juice dressing with garlic and parsley. My brain (or what's left of it) completely refuses to cooperate with me on this (possibly detesting lack of sleep and food I've been putting it through lately), and I'm not sure what to do. I have a huge arsenal of vinegars and oils, fresh herbs are not a problem. Do you have any ideas?
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24 Comments:
This is one of our favorites!
Bodacious Broccoli Salad
8 slices bacon
2 heads fresh broccoli, chopped
1½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
½ large red onion, chopped
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1/8 cup white sugar
2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over med-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, and crumble.
In a large bowl,combine broccoli, cheese, bacon and onion.
Prepare the dressing in a small bowl by whisking together the red wine vinegar, sugar, pepper, salt, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Toss salad with dressing. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
caramel at 12:28PM on 12/23/08
Caramel, that's our favourite Too ! But it has to be Hellmann's mayo!
NanaJoie at 12:32PM on 12/23/08
@nanajoie - I'm with you there - I only use Hellmans! It's the best!
caramel at 12:36PM on 12/23/08
Bacon is a must! I also throw in dried cranberries. Dressing is a cup of mayo with 1/4 cup raspberry vinegar and a little bit of sugar. Always a hit.
ride&cook at 1:06PM on 12/23/08
marzetti's slaw dressing with bacon and shredded carrots
gastronomeg at 1:25PM on 12/23/08
I 2nd ride&cooks suggestion!
Or (for something more savoury) I would do cup of mayo, 1/4 cup apple-cider vinegar, 2 Tbsp honey, 2 Tbsp poppy seeds and a bit of shredded cheddar?
hungrychristel at 2:21PM on 12/23/08
One question.... you say this is going to be a Chanukah dinner. I assume you've considered that you're planning to include bacon. Are there people who keep kosher? Are you using an alternative source of baconiness?
nightowl at 4:16PM on 12/23/08
Meyer Lemon vinagrette. Substitute it for regular lemon in the dressing.
nelson5757 at 4:23PM on 12/23/08
@nightowl - no, we don't keep kosher, nor do our guests, otherwise bacon wouldn't even be a possibility. Come to think of it, I could always use turkey "bacon". In any case, I may still forgo bacon altogether as my in-laws are among guests, and even though I've seen them eat bacon on numerous occasions, they may decide that it's a right time to inform everybody else that "bacon is not good for you", and I'd rather not deal with it now. Hmm, they probably wouldn't have an issue with turkey bacon, on the other hand...something to think about...anyway, thanks for the concern!
@all - thank you for your suggestions, they are great, as usual!
brooke29 at 4:55PM on 12/23/08
I figured you'd considered it, but I just wanted to be certain. I have a friend who only keeps kosher on holidays, so it's something I think about.
nightowl at 5:02PM on 12/23/08
@nightowl - no, it's a good call, considering how tired I am right now, I certainly could have forgotten all about it, and we do have friends who keep kosher (they just happen to be abroad right now, otherwise they would be here tomorrow as well), so it's definitely something to take into account.
brooke29 at 5:08PM on 12/23/08
Another possibility is to do a more Asian-style slaw, which might pair nicely with some of the sweet Hanukkah flavors--I always love ordering broccoli in Chinese restaurants, because it picks up sesame flavors so well. You could do a simple sesame (or peanut oil, orange or plum-type) flavored dressing, although you'd probably want to rejigger some of the other veggies and ingredients in the dish, then.
HeartofGlass at 6:05PM on 12/23/08
I would suggests some kind of a honey-dijon dressing with poppyseeds.
Agree with the comments about bacon. Some people, even if they don't keep kosher, might find it jarring to be served bacon at a Jewish-holiday dinner.
emilydev at 8:20PM on 12/23/08
Broccoli salad? Why?
fewteeth at 9:52PM on 12/23/08
@fewteeth - because I feel like it. Why?
brooke29 at 10:25PM on 12/23/08
1 bunch of broccoli
1 head of cauliflower
1 red onion
chop all that; add about a cup of cheese ~~colby, cheddar, whatever;
bacon, I usually use Hormel Real Bacon Bits
dressing is mayo, red wine vinegar and maybe a little sugar
mix all together and chill over night ----- delicous!!!!!
renee59 at 10:41PM on 12/23/08
@Heart - thanks, I can't believe I haven't thought about it! Of course, I'd have to re-think other ingredients, but I really like the idea.
@emilydev - honey-dijon dressing sounds wonderful, and I really love poppy seeds. Re- bacon, thank you for your concern, but I know people invited for dinner well enough to know that a possibility of crumbled bacon wouldn't cause a stir, plus for now, it's just that - a possibility.
brooke29 at 10:46PM on 12/23/08
@renee59 - thanks, it sounds great! And I happen to have cauliflower as well:-)
brooke29 at 10:47PM on 12/23/08
my favorite broccoli salad recipe is just chopped broccoli, sunflower seeds, bacon, red onion, and raisins dressed with hellman's/best foods mixed with sugar and thinned with red wine vinegar.
good luck with yours!
mayoxqueen at 12:55AM on 12/24/08
I do a similar salad- broccoli, red onion, cheddar cheese, bacon, and sunflower seeds- and use a mixture of light ranch dressing and fat free yogurt instead of mayo.
Rottenmom at 8:47AM on 12/24/08
Mine is 2 heads broccoli florets (raw), red onion, shredded carrot, crumbled bacon and raisins. Dressing: Hellman's mayo (about a cup), 2 T balsamic vinegar and about 2 tsp sugar. Best the next day. I think the bacon makes the salad, but you could serve it separately? Turkey bacon? Personally, I've never tasted it, just throwing it out there. I'm sure any seeds or nuts would be good in it.
PerkyMac at 9:07AM on 12/24/08
@Brooke - Sorry. No offense meant. I like broccoli well enough, but a little in a salad goes a long way for me.
fewteeth at 12:33PM on 12/24/08
@Perky - I'm so using carrots! Colour-wise, it will be really beautiful.
It also seems that Hellman's based dressing is a dressing of choice for so many of you - it must be good then! My thanks again to everybody for your lovely suggestions!
brooke29 at 1:01PM on 12/24/08
@fewteeth - no worries, none taken:-) I just wanted to do something different with broccoli - my usual broccoli side is just broccoli florets sauteed with garlic and toasted almonds. Everybody loves it, but I got bored and wanted to do something different this time.
brooke29 at 1:17PM on 12/24/08