Easy Broccoli Salad

Make Easy Broccoli Salad: crisp broccoli, bacon, and cranberries tossed in a tangy mayo-Dijon dressing, ready in minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 pound broccoli, 1 medium bunch
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon
• ¼ of a medium onion, finely chopped, about ⅓ cup
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup mayonnaise, try homemade mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Fine sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

Step 1: Bake and chop the bacon

Arrange the thick-cut bacon on a rimmed baking sheet (or an oven-safe tray) and bake until deep mahogany and crisper at the edges; timing varies with thickness, so keep an eye on it. Once out of the oven, let the bacon rest briefly on paper towels to drain and cool, then use a sharp knife to chop it into small, irregular crunchy pieces that will add savory shards of texture to the salad.

Step 2: Soak and calm the onion

Place the finely chopped onion in a small bowl and cover with cold water, letting it sit about ten minutes to mellow the sharpness while keeping the crunch. Drain thoroughly and pat dry so the onion keeps its crisp, translucent shards without watering down the salad.

Step 3: Trim, peel, and chop the broccoli

Separate the crowns into small bite-sized florets and trim away the woodiest part of the stems; peel the thicker stem outer layer with a vegetable peeler and dice the peeled stems into small, crunchy pieces. Rinse the florets and stem pieces, then thoroughly dry them so the dressing clings to the textured surfaces of tiny buds and firm stem flesh.

Step 4: Whisk the dressing

In a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, a pinch of fine sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper until smooth and slightly glossy. Taste and adjust so the dressing is tang-forward but creamy enough to lightly coat florets without pooling.

Step 5: Toss, rest, and serve

Combine the drained onion, chopped bacon, broccoli pieces and dried cranberries in a large shallow square mixing plate, toss with about two-thirds of the dressing until everything is evenly coated, add more dressing if needed, then let the salad rest at least fifteen minutes (or chill) so the textures marry—a crisp broccoli base, crunchy bacon shards, and jewel-like cranberries that glisten with just a whisper of creamy dressing.

Notes

• Start with two-thirds of the dressing and add more as needed to avoid soggy broccoli
• Dry broccoli thoroughly so dressing clings and texture stays crisp
• Soak chopped onion in cold water for 10 minutes to mellow sharpness
• Bake bacon on a rimmed sheet for even crisping and easier cleanup
• Store dressing separately if you plan to keep the salad more than a day