Broccoli Salad
October 20, 2008 posted by Linda Avery
by Trisha Yearwood with Gwen Yearwood
and Beth Yearwood Bernard
from Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen
(Clarkson Potter, 2008)
Serves 10
This is great served with barbecued pork ribs or prepared to take to a covered dish supper because it’s sturdy enough to stand at room temperature for a while without wilting. It also adds great color to a picnic spread. Low-fat mayonnaise can be substituted for regular without significantly changing the taste or texture.—Trisha Yearwood
LC Note: Yearwood has said this recipe is “like a broccoli cole slaw.” And as with most cole slaws, some cooks like a lot of mayonnaise, others less. Her original recipe calls for 1 cup. We prefer to start with 1/2 cup and add more depending upon personal taste. You decide.
convert Ingredients
1/2 pound bacon
2 cups small broccoli florets
1/2 to 1 cup mayonnaise, depending on your taste
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup sunflower kernels
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Method
1. In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat just until crisp; drain on paper towels. When cool enough to handle, crumble the bacon and set aside.
2. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and blanch until bright green and slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Drain well, run under cold water to stop the cooking, and drain again.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the mayonnaise, vinegar, onion, sugar, and raisins. Add the broccoli and toss to coat with the dressing. Add more mayonnaise if you prefer. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. Just before serving, fold in the sunflower kernels and all but 2 tablespoons of the crumbled bacon. Sprinkle the reserved bacon over the salad to garnish. Serve immediately.
Recipe © 2008 by Trisha Yearwood. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.
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[Victoria Filippi] I love broccoli and enjoy trying it in different ways. This salad was packed with flavor and is a nice change from tossed salad, pasta salad, or potato salad. The bacon adds a little saltiness, the dressing offer a little sweet, and the sunflower kernels lend great texture. I have had various versions of broccoli salad, and this one ranks right up there with some of the best. Make sure that you blanch the broccoli for only a minute, and immediately put it in ice water. Drain well and pat it dry before tossing it with the dressing and the rest of the ingredients. I used red onion (the recipe did not specify a particular kind) because I thought it would work best.
A few variations I’ve tried include using Craisins instead of raisins and toasted slivered almonds instead of the sunflower kernels. In addition, if you like raw cauliflower, you can use 1/2 of a cauliflower head (no need to blanch) with 1/2 broccoli to make a colorful salad. Make sure the broccoli and cauliflower (if using) are small, bite-sized florets.
[Adrienne L.] Oddly enough, this recipe resembles my brother-in-law’s mother’s recipe for broccoli salad, so my sister’s family was excited to have it served the other evening. The recipe yields enough dressing to coat double the amount of broccoli (12 ounces, or a little over 4 cups). The only issue we had was that the dressing became quite thin after sitting in the fridge. I liked the raisins in it, and while the sunflower seeds were good, I’ll substitute walnuts or pecans next time. Overall, this recipe was incredibly easy to make and the flavors were great together.