(Paleo) Summer Broccoli Salad
My mom made a broccoli salad like this when I was growing up. I still have her hand-written recipe card and used that as inspiration for this version. For some reason, despite broccoli having a reputation of not being the most kid-friendly food, I LOVED her salad. The combination of crunch and creamy, savory bacon and a bit of sweet…it was so good!
I didn’t realize, though, that probably one of the reasons I loved it so much had to do with the crazy amount of sugar added to it. And it wasn’t just my mom’s recipes. I’ve looked up similar versions online, many of them loaded with granulated sugar.
If you look around my website, it’ll quickly become obvious I’m not anti-sugar. I just want it in the right places—like a good shortbread cookie (basically butter, flour, and sugar) or simple syrup (sugar and water) for cocktails. But whenever I can, I decrease the amount of sugar in recipes or use unrefined sugars like honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar.
This recipe cuts down on the sweetness and uses honey. The mayo-based dressing gets tossed together with crunchy broccoli, crisp bacon, red onion, raisins, and pine nuts for the perfect combo of flavors. To be honest, I think I love this paleo-fied broccoli salad even more than the one I grew up eating!
Scroll down for the recipe!
(Paleo) Summer Broccoli Salad
Yields about 8 servings
16 ounces broccoli florets* (about 5.5-6 cups)
12 ounces bacon, chopped and cooked until crisp
½ cup chopped red onion
½ cup raisins
½ cup pine nuts or sunflower seeds
¾ cup mayonnaise
2-3 Tablespoons honey (I used 2)
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
Add the broccoli, cooked bacon, onion, raisins, and pine nuts to a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayo, honey, and vinegar. Pour the dressing over the rest of the ingredients and toss well. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste.
You can serve this salad immediately, but it’s best if you let it sit in the fridge for a couple hours. Just give it a good stir when you’re ready to serve, as the dressing can gather at the bottom.
Enjoy!
*If you’re cutting the florets from a stem (as opposed to buying a bag of florets), don’t throw those stems out! Click here for tips on using them up!
