Broccoli Slaw

I am always looking for ways to add fresh vegetables to our meals. I remember having this broccoli slaw a few years ago and loving it. This salad has the crunch of the broccoli, the bite of the onions, sweetness from the craisins, smokiness and saltiness from the bacon and a nuttiness from the pecans. The dressing is a coleslaw dressing, so it is creamy, sweet and tangy.

I wouldn’t say this is really “healthy” because it has bacon, craisins and a mayonnaise based dressing. However, if you want to change it up, you can omit the bacon, trade craisins for apples and replace the mayonnaise in the dressing with greek yoghurt. I wouldn’t say you would lose too much of the flavors except the bacon goodness.

Slaw Dressing

Ingredients

Mayonnaise – 1/2 Cup

Plain Yogurt – 1/2 Cup

Salt – 1/4 Teaspoon

Lemon Juice – 2 Tablespoons

Sugar – 1 Tablespoon

Combine well and keep chilled.

Broccoli Slaw

Preparation Time – 20 Minutes

Cook Time – 5 Minutes

Serves – 6

Broccoli – 4 heads, with the florettes cut into bite size pieces

Red onion – 1, thinly sliced

Pecans – 100 Grams

Craisins – 1 cup

Bacon – 6 slices cooked and crumbled

Directions

Combine all the ingredients. Add the dressing and toss well. This salad tastes better after being chilled for a few hours with the dressing on. The broccoli is able to handle the dressing without wilting.

A Tip: If you don’t like the pungency of red onions but still want the full flavors of this salad, try this tip that my mom taught me. In a bowl add your red onions and about 1/4 teaspoon of salt and two tablespoons of water. Knead the onions with your hands, using the same motion as if you were crumbling sand. You will notice that it will start to release water, this is some of the pungency of the onions coming out. Squeeze your onions to remove as much of the water you can and add to the salad.

If you are not a fan of raw broccoli you can blanch them and still make this salad once they are cooled completely. You can get creative with this salad and substitute other nuts too. It is a great side or you could even add some chicken breast on the side and make a meal of it!