Broccoli Salad with Bacon

Your (grand)ma's broccoli salad gets a bold flavor update in this Broccoli Crunch Salad. It's one of those great vintage recipes that lends itself well to modern interpretations like this Tex-Mex-inspired broccoli salad that stars pepitas, bell peppers, and shredded cheese - and of course, bacon. And the ho-hum mayo dressing gets a vibrant upgrade with a homemade chipotle variation.

Broccoli salad was one of those sides that I always politely ignored, despite its near-inevitable appearance at almost every potluck I’ve ever attended.

Because AGAIN with the mayo.

No one knows more about defeating the purpose of eating a vegetable by coating it with mayo than a Minnesotan does. I kid, I kid! If I didn’t poke fun at my fellow Minnesotans, how else would they know that I like them?

But seriously, broccoli crunch salad is pretty damn good. It’s one of those minimalist salads that has surprisingly more flavor than you’d anticipate. I mistakenly judged the broccoli salad book by its cover for far too long.

It's veggie-forward with sweet peppers and onions, possesses unbelievable amounts of crunch, and a tangy, smoky, and savory chipotle mayo dressing ties everything together.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• A reimagined classic. I love modernizing vintage recipes. A broccoli salad is a simple recipe that lends itself well to creativity. Swapping in a few Tex-Mex ingredients is an easy way to add a little flair.
• A customizable salad. I keep it simple with onion, pepper, and pepitas, but I can imagine everything from corn to fresh herbs to shredded chicken gracing the bowl. Maybe even some black olives? Comment below if you include something that just works in this recipe.
• A cool salad for hot days. Eating hot food on hot days can be a real bummer. This cool salad is perfect for hot days. By the way, if you enjoy cold salads, try Jalapeno Top Ramen Salad or Tuna Tortellini Salad.

Broccoli Salad - What is It?

Broccoli salad is a cold salad made with broccoli florets, cut into bite-size pieces, and dressed with a mayo-based dressing. Sort of like a broccoli coleslaw if you will, but with broccoli florets. It also typically contains a few other ingredients, like sunflower seeds, bacon crumbles, minced onions, shredded carrots, etc.

I was flipping through an old church cookbook (one of the many in my collection) recently and came across my grandma’s recipe for broccoli salad.

How cute is this!? Circa 1993 and spiral-bound!

The recipe calls for just seven ingredients, including the dressing. Easy.

Of course, that got me thinking. How amazing would this salad become by adding some south-of-the-border flavors?

Rhetorical question. The answer, of course, is very. Why not a Broccoli Crunch Salad with a Chipolte Mayo dressing? 

I didn’t want to complicate things too much, as the beauty of broccoli salad lies in its simplicity. Pretty impressive, really, how you can transform the flavor of raw broccoli with just a few ingredients.  

Some broccoli salad recipes call for the addition of apples or dried cranberries, something to give it a hint of sweetness. Mini sweet peppers provide a subtle hint of sweet and a lovely crunch (and red and orange peppers give a beautiful pop of color). I decided to added shredded cheddar cheese to the mix, because, well, cheese. And instead of sunflower seeds, pepitas lend a Mexican flair.

Ingredients

For the salad base in this broccoli crunch salad recipe you will need the following ingredients:

• Broccoli - Find the freshest broccoli you can since it's the star! Cut the florets into bite-sized pieces so they are easier to eat.
• Bacon - I love using applewood smoked or pepper bacon in this broccoli salad recipe. Leave the bacon out if you'd like a vegetarian-friendly version of this salad.
• Pepitas - Also known as pumpkin seeds, shelled pepitas add a Tex-Mex flair.
• Red onion - The bite from red onion is fantastic here, especially paired with sweet peppers. Soak red onion in ice water to tame the flavor. Give it a fine dice for this salad.
• Sweet mini peppers - This salad benefits from a little sweetness to tie all the bold flavors together. Give 'em a fine dice for this salad.
• Cheddar cheese - Shred it yourself for the best results.

Broccoli Crunch Salad Chipotle Mayo Dressing - Ingredients

As for the dressing, chipotle en adobo peppers impart a beautiful smokiness with a touch of heat. While my grandma’s recipe doesn’t specify the type of vinegar, I’m assuming white. Though I opted for the mellower, slightly sweet tang of apple cider vinegar for this recipe. And should you have some Mexican oregano lying around, toss in a pinch or two to add a subtle earthiness.

• Mayo - The base ingredient, the creaminess this salad craves.
• Apple cider vinegar - Tart with a hint of sweet, and not as aggressive as white vinegar.
• Sugar - Just a little for balance.
• Chipotle en adobo pepper - Brings the smoke, the heat, the magic.
• Mexican oregano - This is optional but adds some earthiness. Sub in regular oregano instead or leave it out.

A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below - keep scrolling!

This broccoli salad recipe also works with this Creamy Lemon Mustard Dressing; different vibe, undoubtedly creamy and delicious.

Substitutions

You can make several substitutions and still wind up with a simple yet stunning broccoli salad. Here are a few you can make with confidence:

• Broccoli is of course the star here, but it can share the spotlight with cauliflower if you'd like to add it in.
• I like the flair of pepitas here, but you can use trusty sunflower seeds or slivered almonds.
• Yellow or white onion, spring onion, or shallot can be used instead of red onion.
• Go ahead and swap any type of bell pepper for the sweet peppers.
• I kept it simple with cheddar cheese, but you could also opt for pepper jack or Colby, or use a crumbly cheese like feta.

Variations to Broccoli Crunch Salad

• A lot of broccoli salads also incorporate raisins - I think dried cranberries would be even better in this salad against the chipotle mayo dressing.
• You can easily make this Broccoli Salad vegetarian-friendly by leaving the bacon out.
• If you don't like the idea of using a mayo-based dressing, I feel you. This Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette would be PERFECT on this salad.
• Leave out the bacon, the cheese, and use this Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette to make a vegan-friendly broccoli salad.
• Fire it up by adding jalapeno peppers or red pepper flakes.

How to Make Broccoli Crunch Salad - Directions

1. Step 1. For the Chipotle Mayo Dressing, add all ingredients to a food processor or blender, and process/blend until combined. Set aside until needed.
2. Step 2. Add all of the salad ingredients to a bowl. Add about half or so of the dressing and stir.
3. Step 3. Assess the level of dressed-ness, and add more, a bit at a time, until you achieve the dressing level desired. Stir until combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

In my opinion, this Broccoli Crunch Salad is best eaten the day of, after resting for 6-24 hours, but it's also fantastic the next day.

And with those few additions/modifications, I present to you this bodacious Broccoli Salad with bacon. Slightly more effort than my grandma’s recipe, but worth it for the bold chipotle flavor twist.  

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