This recipe has been kicking around my files as Holiday Broccoli Salad forever. Maybe because the ingredients include dried cranberries? But why should the holidays get all the fun? This is even easier to make these days, what with bags of precut broccoli florets available in the produce section and precooked bacon slices sold in the meat department. Some recipes I’ve seen use raw broccoli, but I like my broccoli barely blanched.
2 (12-oz.) bags broccoli florets
¾ cup dried sweetened cranberries
½ cup pecans, toasted
½ cup shelled, roasted and salted sunflower seeds
½ cup diced red onion
2 slices bacon, cooked and finely crumbled
1 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbsp. sugar
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 ½ tsp. poppy seeds
¼ tsp. sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 30 seconds. Drain and plunge into an ice water bath to stop cooking. Drain again, and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Combine the broccoli, cranberries, pecans, sunflower seeds, onion, and bacon in a large serving bowl.
3. Whisk together the mayonnaise, the sugar, the lemon zest and juice, the vinegar, the poppy seeds, the salt, and pepper to taste in a small bowl until combined. Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and toss well to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.