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Christmas Craisin Broccoli Salad

November 4, 2015 by Melissa Howell 8 Comments

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Broccoli salad that tastes like candy? Sign me up! Add this to your holiday menu and you will be a star!

Any time you see a Craisin, don’t you just think of Christmas? I know I do. That deep red color adds a wonderful punch to things like cookies, muffins, and salads.

I’m so glad you mentioned salads. Do you see that broccoli salad up there? It’s probably healthy, right? You do want your kids to eat their broccoli, right?Β One mom told me that her kids eat this salad like it was candy. That’s probably because it has sugar in it, but you can also use a sugar substitute like Stevia if you are morally opposed to mixing sugar with broccoli πŸ™‚ I am not morally opposed. It tastes delicious!

Many other broccoli salads use raisins, but I really love Craisins in this salad, both for the bright color they add, and for the tangy sweetness that you don’t get from raisins. This salad also has walnuts, but you can leave them out if you don’t like nuts or are allergic to them.

I have another secret for you. This salad is super easy to make and great at any time of the year, not just at Christmas time. I made this once and brought it to a pot-luck wedding celebration. The bride and groom told me that people said, “Hey, congratulations on your marriage! Who made the broccoli salad?” If this salad can upstage a wedding, you can bet it’s good.

I would advise making it at least an hour before you plan to serve it to give the sugar time to dissolve. Otherwise, this salad may be more crunchy than you had planned! Once the sugar dissolves into the mayonnaise and vinegar, the dressing turns silky and milky and is just glorious! Put this on your menu for all your holiday meals, summer picnics and pot lucks. Just maybe don’t bring it to a wedding πŸ™‚


Print
Christmas Craisin Broccoli Salad
Author: Melissa Howell
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp. vinegar
  • 2-3 bunches of broccoli chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • 1/4 cup Craisins dried cranberries
  • 1 Tbsp. bacon bits or three strips of cooked and crumbled bacon
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts optional
Instructions
  1. Mix the mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar together in your serving bowl and let sit while you prepare the other ingredients.
  2. Add the chopped broccoli, red onion, Craisins, bacon, and walnuts. Mix until everything is well-coated with the sauce.
  3. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Stir before serving.

Broccoli salad that tastes like candy? Sign me up! Add this to your holiday menu and you will be a star!

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Food and Cooking, Soups and Salads Tagged With: broccoli, craisins, salad

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Comments

  1. Lynette Blue says

    November 10, 2015 at 5:01 pm

    I make this from time to time but I leave out the onion since we have people who don’t care for raw onion. I also add about a cup of pasta and some specialty sausage. Also some pumpkin seeds or other kinds of seeds and sliced almonds. Makes a good main course salad.

    Reply
  2. Lynette Blue says

    November 10, 2015 at 5:03 pm

    I also usually put in some sliced cheese sticks.

    Reply
  3. Jessica @ Sweetest Menu says

    November 10, 2015 at 8:06 pm

    This made me giggle because I didn’t even know what a craisin was! Dried cranberries, ah that makes so much sense. What a gorgeous salad Melissa! A great one for the Christmas table!

    Reply
    • Melissa Howell says

      November 11, 2015 at 9:23 am

      Thanks Jessica! I never even thought about people in different countries not knowing what a Craisin was! Probably how nobody else in the world would know what Vegemite is, right? (Unfortunately, I do know what that is. I have even tasted it. I wish I had not. No offense).

      Reply
  4. Stephanie says

    December 15, 2019 at 5:22 am

    This looks wonderful. Do you blanch or steam the broccoli? Thanks

    Reply
    • Melissa Howell says

      December 18, 2019 at 3:09 pm

      Neither! Use totally fresh broccoli!

      Reply
  5. Jenni says

    December 23, 2019 at 11:07 am

    How far in advance can you make this dish?

    Reply
    • Melissa Howell says

      December 31, 2019 at 9:10 am

      I’d say one day in advance. Any more than that and the craisins start turning the sauce pink, which is not super attractive πŸ™‚

      Reply

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Hi, Im Melissa!

I help women like you create a beautiful life and home through the magic of cooking, the thrill of home organization, and the joy of discovering your personal style. Read More

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