It's fine but why waste the stalks? That's the best bit of the broccoli
I love this salad. I'm making a batch right now. I usually do about once every couple of weeks. My granddaughter brought to party last. year. In my version I also add about 1/2 cup apple diced up. I put cranberries in most things. I also add sun flower seeds before serving. I do use celery instead of water chestnuts only because I usually have celery on hand. Oh I almost forgot the grapes again about 6-7 grapes cut in thirds usually depending on size.
Refreshing. No changes. We will make it again.
This salad was at a picnic I attended and it was delicious! I found myself trying to guess at some of the ingredients; so I decided to stand up and ask who made the broccoli and bacon salad? Turns out the person that made this delightfully healthy salad was sitting right behind me! The dried cranberries is a great combination with the broccoli and bacon providing just the right amount of sweetness. She was not only kind enough to share this recipe she told me where to find it! Thanks for publishing this great healthy recipe. I will be making it for my family soon!
Amazing! This was real food at its finest. Fresh tasting light and healthy. I'm keeping this in the fridge! Pros: Crsip and fresh tasting! Cons: None
Even anti-broccoli people liked this The first time I made this it was for a birthday party in June. I did not have water chestnuts so I used celery. Also I had Hormel Real Bacon Bits so I used that (bonus - less fat than regular cooked bacon). It was a big hit! So much so that I was asked to bring this to a Fourth of July picnic. For that batch I again used celery but added a little more bacon bits and cranberries. Everyone loved it! Pros: Tasty healthier flexible
Yummy and Healthier Than Most My family really liked this salad the first time I made it. I omitted the sugar. I will make it again and may add chopped pecans.
Delicious pot luck salad I first made this broccoli salad to bring to a neighborhood barbecue. It was a hit. The second time I added more cranberry and bacon and made it the day before. Even better. This recipe is now one of my standard go-to side dishes for potlucks and barbecues.
This Recipe is a Keeper! Made it for a work lunch. My co-workers tend to be hesitant to try my healthy recipes but this one got rave reviews! will make it again for sure! Nice that leftover salad Wed. was as good as when I first served it Tues.!
Delish! Really good salad - just as good if you omit the bacon. Also I left out water chestnuts one time (forgot to get them at the store) - added about 2 Tbsp of sunflower seeds and it was just as good (in my opinion). Pros: It's all good! Cons: Nothing negative at all!
OMG! I made this for a group we had at our vacation home for the weekend. I used turkey bacon and cranberry/walnut salad topper. It was a huge hit!! We loved it!!
A healthier version of a classic This is a decent substitute for the unhealthy deli salad version. The dressing is a bit bland so I think I will adjust my seasonings a bit next time and I like the suggestion to sprinkle on a few sunflower seeds. (I left out the water chestnuts bc I don't care for them). I will make this again. Pros: Fast easy uses fresh veggies Cons: A bit bland
Just OK I usually love the broccoli salads in the deli but this recipe lacked flavor and taste. The bacon did not help. I will not make again. Pros: healthy Cons: lacked flavor; maybe add some sunflower seeds for salt
Very tasty and healthy. I made it a little easier and added store bought real bacon bits. I also added a handful of pumpkin seeds.
Yum! those pumpkin seeds sound good! im definitely gonna have to try this out ASAP.:)
Fabulous!! I added cauliflower and reduced the broccoli a bit. With a smattering of shredded cheddar it tastes very much like a local eatery's delicious salad. I have made this a number of times and it is becoming one of my go to recipes!
This salad is incredible! Flat out...unbelievably good. I made it on a whim and accounted for all ingredients but substituted based on what I had on hand: Fat-free plain yogurt for sour cream a restaurant packet of regular mayonnaise turkey bacon garlic powder and a homegrown kohlrabi for the water chestnuts. Added 'just a dusting' of sea salt. Taste-tested a few bites - one with walnuts and one with raw almonds. Either one is perfect. One could even toss in a coarsely-grated carrot for even more color and crunch. This is obviously a flexible recipe which makes it that much better. Definitely one for the 'Favorites' book. No more slimey coleslaws for me!
Fantastic! My husband & I both loved this - definitely a make again. Chopped walnuts would be a nice addition too - make it even more healthful. Bernadette Ontario Canada
I make it with sunflower seeds instead of the water chestnuts
Decided to throw this together for a pool party on a whim. It was a hit! Very flavorful threw in extra cranberries and an extra teaspoon of sugar to sweeten it up a bit.
Used organic broccoli--delicious! Also good with dried cherries instead of dried cranberries. Pecans might be a nice addition. Make ahead and the dressing gets absorbed.
I recently had this recipe with spinach leaves added to it; and it was surprisingly good! Liz Fort Worth
Awesome!!!!! One of my favorite things just became healthy. Wow!!!!!!
It is a good recipe however to really trim the fat use Turkey Bacon in place of regular bacon and use Splenda in place of the sugar. You can use fat free mayo and fat free sour cream however it really breaks down after several hours. The fat is an emulsifier and seems to hold the dressing together longer. If you want to eat within 6 hours it is great. I also substituted toasted slivered almonds in place of the waterchestnuts. Very nice.
just made this today on my way to a cookout tonight! had to sneak a taste before leaving to make sure it's tasty. i made this with fresh brocc from the farmer's market substituted chopped walnuts as i'm not a big fan of water chestnuts and went a little heavy on the cranberries... AMAZING!
I just served this for a goody day at work. Everyone loved it! I left out the water chestnuts just because I didn't have any and I used Splenda instead of sugar. AND it was filling so I didn't eat TOO much of the other junk. jtengland
Great salad!! If anyone is worried about the fat and calories in the bacon try Hornell fully cooked bacon. They sell it at Costco. Very good choice. Only 80 calories per 2 strips and not loaded with sodium. Great recipe!!
Add Pine nuts or shelled sunflower seeds and you've got a winner!
I follow a mostly meatless diet plus I have food allergies to cheese and eggs. This leaves me almost vegan. I am going to make this with vegan mayo tofu sour cream (homemaid; store bought has hydrogenated oil) and either veggie canadian bacon or organic "bacon" bits. I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out. I have some fresh broccoli in the fridge waiting to be transformed:)
This is such a surprise at picnics. Everyone loves it. The crunch of the water chestnuts and the mixture of all the flavors is yummmmy!
Loved this recipe. It was easy to make ahead of time. The water chestnuts and dried cranberries made it very interesting to me. I'm the person who always brings a healthy salad when asked to bring something. I wanted something that was a little different than my usual. I have made it 3 times in the past month and have gotten compliments each time.
Cannot believe all the rave reviews on this Salad I made this salad yesterday for a Memorial Day picnic today. First let me say that chopping the broccoli took longer than 20 min. The salad was dry & had very little flavor. I redressed it today and while it's better it's nothing to write home about. Save your time & look for another salad. Pros: Healthy low cal Cons: lacks flavor
a good side salad some hints: 1. if you don't have cider vinegar a splash of white wine works well. 2. i didn't get hung up on chopping - had some bigger chunks smaller chunks. 3. serve on top a slab of beefsteak homegrown tomato. Pros: make ahead easy ingredients Cons: moderate amount chopping
yum Made this for a 4th of July bbq. It was a huge hit. Loved the crunch of the water chestnuts and the sweetness of the cranberries. Used greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Pros: easy to make low calorie Cons: none
Easy make ahead crowd pleaser I have made this salad three different times since I found the recipe for our annual Fourth of July picnic. I have served it to all age groups and various levels of "foodies" and all have agreed that it's a hit. One thing I do is use fresh broccoli crowns cut them up into manageable sizes and steam them in the microwave for about a minute to a minute and a half. It brings out the taste and also the broccoli looks better in the salad. I have also substituted sliced cucumbers (skin on) for the water chestnuts and sausage crumbles for the bacon. It makes the salad name incorrect but it gives it a different flavor. Pros: Easy to substitute ingredients
Yum! I made this to take to a neighborhood party. It's super tasty! I took the advice of another reviewer and steamed the broccoli (on the stove) for just a few minutes to take away the bitterness and make it bright green. I also steamed for a bit longer the hard stalks so I could use those. (The broccoli is still crunchy.) I also used dried cherries and roasted salted sunflower seeds in place of the cranberries and water chestnuts. Finally I used plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream and white white balsamic instead of apple cider vinegar. The end result is super delicious with the right amounts of salty and sweet and texture variation as well as a pretty green sight in my orange bowl!
