Christmas Broccoli and Bacon Salad
This broccoli salad recipe pairs finely chopped raw broccoli with salty bacon, dried cranberries and a creamy mustard dressing. A little orange zest gives it a bright, festive lift without making the salad overly sweet.
Chop the broccoli small enough to scoop up comfortably with a fork, and save the crunchy toppings until serving time. The salad needs at least 45 minutes in the fridge, leaving you free to get on with the braai.
Why it works on a South African Christmas table
It is a refreshing partner for grilled chicken, pork chops or cold gammon on a hot December day. The green broccoli and ruby cranberries look cheerful in a simple serving bowl, and most of the preparation can happen the evening before.
Ingredients
For the dressing
Instructions
- 1Wash the broccoli and pat it completely dry with a clean tea towel. Divide the florets into small pieces, about 1 cm across, and cut the peeled stalks into thin matchsticks. Place in a roomy mixing bowl.
- 2Put the diced onion in a sieve, rinse briefly under cold water and drain well. Blot dry, then add to the broccoli with the cranberries and orange zest.
- 3Heat a dry frying pan over medium heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and stir for 3–4 minutes, until fragrant and beginning to colour. Transfer to a plate and leave to cool.
- 4Fry the bacon in the same pan for 7–9 minutes, stirring regularly, until crisp and cooked through. Lift out onto kitchen paper to drain, then allow to cool.
- 5In a small bowl, stir the yoghurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, honey and pepper until evenly combined. Pour over the broccoli mixture and toss thoroughly, scraping up any dressing from the bottom.
- 6Cover and refrigerate the dressed broccoli for at least 45 minutes, or overnight. Refrigerate the cooled bacon in a separate covered container and store the cooled seeds in an airtight container.
- 7When ready to eat, fold in two-thirds of the bacon and seeds. Taste a forkful containing bacon before adding any salt. Spoon into a serving dish, finish with the remaining toppings and serve chilled.
Nutrition (per serving)
- Calories
- 327 kcal
- Carbohydrates
- 17.6 g
- Protein
- 11.5 g
- Fat
- 24.1 g
- Saturated fat
- 5.2 g
- Sugar
- 11.8 g
- Fibre
- 3.8 g
- Sodium
- 534 mg
- Cholesterol
- 24 mg
Estimated values based on the ingredients used.
Notes
Christmas tips
- Buy roughly 700–750 g whole broccoli to allow for trimming; weigh the usable florets and peeled stalks before mixing.
- For Christmas lunch, dress the broccoli the night before and keep the bacon and seeds separate until serving.
- Chilling time is additional to the preparation and cooking times. Allow at least 45 minutes for the dressing to settle into the broccoli.
- Keep the salad refrigerated until needed. At an outdoor braai, serve a small bowl over ice and replenish from the fridge; discard salad left unrefrigerated for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour in temperatures above 32°C.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use lightly cooked broccoli?
Yes. Blanch the prepared broccoli in boiling water for 60–90 seconds, then cool immediately in iced water. Drain and dry very thoroughly before dressing it so the salad does not become watery.
How can I make this salad vegetarian?
Leave out the bacon and increase the pumpkin seeds to 70 g. Taste the dressed salad and add salt as needed, since the bacon would normally provide much of the seasoning.
How long will leftovers keep?
Refrigerate promptly in a sealed container and eat within 2 days, provided the salad has been kept safely chilled. The seeds and bacon will soften once mixed into the dressing.
