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Why It Works
- Chopping the broccoli into small items shortens the fibers, making it simpler to chew.
- Letting the salad relaxation within the fridge permits the flavors to meld and the broccoli to melt barely.
Broccoli is commonly handled as an afterthought—steamed subsequent to rooster and rice, shaved uncooked right into a salad, or left lurking on a crudité platter. However not right here. On this Southern salad, broccoli will get absolutely dressed up with a creamy but vibrant dressing, crunchy apples, crispy bacon, plump pickled raisins, and smoked cheddar.
This traditional Southern salad is a celebration of contrasting flavors and various textures, and Julia Levy, from our Birmingham, Alabama check kitchen, nails it together with her recipe. The dressing combines creamy crème fraîche (or bitter cream) and mayonnaise with fruity, crisp apple cider vinegar, and simply sufficient sugar so as to add noticeable, however not cloying, sweetness. The salad’s signature sweetness is tempered by savory bacon and smoky, sharp cheddar, which preserve the flavors balanced.
Whereas she’s a longtime broccoli fan, Julia is not too eager on the massive uncooked items of the vegetable which can be discovered in lots of broccoli salads—she finds that they are often powerful, fibrous, and unsightly to chew. However right here, each stems and florets are reduce into small items, making each chunk crisp, recent, and simple to eat. Chopped apples add a candy, juicy crunch that enhances the broccoli and balances the richness of the cheese and bacon.
To avoid wasting effort and time, Julia skips the skillet and cooks the bacon on a baking sheet—no fussing over the range required. As soon as the salad is tossed with the dressing, it is chilled for at the very least an hour to permit the flavors to meld and the broccoli to melt barely.
This salad delivers distinction in each chunk with crisp broccoli and apples, savory bacon, smoky shredded cheddar, a sweet-and-tart creamy dressing, and a double hit of texture from toasted almonds and sunflower seeds. It is all completed with pickled golden raisins that deliver simply the correct burst of tangy sweetness. Serve it alongside your cookout favorites or get pleasure from it as a straightforward make-ahead lunch.
This recipe was developed by Julia Levy; the headnote was written by Laila Ibrahim.
This Creamy Broccoli Salad With Bacon and Cheddar Is a Southern Potluck Icon
Prepare dinner Mode
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For the Pickled Raisins:
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1 cup (240 ml) apple cider vinegar
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1/2 cup (120 ml) water
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1/4 cup granulated sugar (1 3/4 ounces; 50 g)
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1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for desk salt, use half as a lot by quantity
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1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard seedsoptionally available
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1 cup raisins (6 ounces; 170 g)
For the Dressing:
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1/2 cup (120 ml) bitter cream or bitter cream
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1/2 cup (120 ml) mayonnaise
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1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces; 100 g)
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1/4 cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar
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3/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for desk salt, use half as a lot by quantity
For the Salad:
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1 pound (450 g) recent broccolistems reduce into 1/4 to 1/2-inch items and florets reduce into 1/2-inch items (about 5 cups)
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9 slices thick-cut baconcooked till crispy and coarsely chopped (about 1 1/4 cups), see notes
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2 Gala apples (about 10 ounces; 283 g), cored and chopped (about 2 cups)
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4 ounces (113 g) smoked cheddar cheeseshredded (about 1 cup)
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1/2 cup roasted, salted sunflower seeds (about 3 ounces; 80 g)
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1/2 cup sliced almondstoasted (about 2 ounces; 60 g)
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For the Pickled Raisins: In a small saucepan, mix vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and mustard seeds, if utilizing, and convey to a boil over medium-high warmth. Prepare dinner, whisking sometimes, till sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Take away from warmth.
Severe Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze
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In a medium bowl, mix raisins and scorching vinegar combination. Permit raisins to chill to room temperature, uncovered, about half-hour. Switch raisins to hermetic container and refrigerate for at the very least 1 hour or as much as 1 month.
Severe Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze
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For the Dressing: Whereas raisins cool, in a small bowl, whisk collectively crème fraîche or bitter cream, mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, and salt; put aside.
Severe Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze
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For the Salad: In a big bowl, mix broccoli, bacon, apples, cheese, sunflower seeds, and almonds. Add reserved dressing and toss to coat evenly. Cowl and refrigerate till chilled, at the very least 1 hour or as much as 24 hours.
Severe Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze
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When able to serve, drain raisins with a fine-mesh strainer, and toss with broccoli salad till nicely integrated. Serve.
Severe Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze
Gear
Small saucepan, fine-mesh strainer
Notes
For ease, we advocate cooking the bacon on a baking sheet, however be happy to make use of no matter technique you like.
Make-Forward and Storage
Pickled raisins will be refrigerated in an hermetic container for as much as 1 month.
Salad will be refrigerated in an hermetic container for as much as 3 days.
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