Welcome to Part 2 of our super fabulous 4th of July party food series! Last week, I shared a freakin’ amazing almond streusel-topped blueberry galette that is seriously one of my favorite summer desserts of all time. Today, we’re going savory with this super loaded bacon-y broccoli salad. Because it’s not a national holiday if there’s no bacon involved! At least that’s the rule in our house.
I had never experienced the awesomeness that is broccoli salad until last summer, when my friend Greta made her mom’s recipe and brought it to a potluck lunch. It totally stole the show (and there was guacamole, Mexican food, and major margs involved, so that’s saying something). Four of us ate the entire batch in one sitting and broccoli salad transformed in my mind from something boring and healthy-sounding to the perfect crunchy, creamy, insanely flavorful side dish for any summer shindig.
This bacon-y broccoli salad is just soooo good. There’s broccoli (obviously), but it’s jacked up with huge chunks of thick-cut bacon, crunchy and salty peanuts, lightly sweet golden raisins, and crisp green onions for some freshness. Oh, and did I mention the whole shebang is tossed in a creamy, vinegar-y dressing? This is a broccoli salad for people who hate vegetables. Seriously, you can barely see the broccoli through all that bacon and creamy dressing. BUT I did you a favor and lightened up the dressing a bit from a classic broccoli salad dressing, substituting in plain Greek yogurt for half the mayo. Because it’s summer, and we want to eat all the things but also still look cute in our bathing suits. I can promise you, though, you don’t miss one bit of the creaminess – you’d never know there was Greek yogurt hiding in there. With all the different components, the smoky, salty, creamy flavor is spot-on and the texture is out of this world. I can’t get enough!
Also, the mom in me wants to remind you that although this is a perfect summer-y picnic salad, like potato salad and cole slaw, it does have mayo and yogurt in it, so please keep it refrigerated so you don’t get sick! Coolers, people! Do it.
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked and chopped into small pieces
- 2 medium-sized broccoli heads, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 3/4 cup golden raisins
- 3/4 cup salted peanuts
- 1 5.3-ounce carton plain Greek yogurt (or about ½ cup, if using a larger container)
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- Combine the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients.
- Right before you’re about to serve, pour HALF the dressing over your salad. Mix to combine, and taste. Continue to add more dressing, a few spoonfuls at a time, until your salad is dressed to your desired level. I used about ¾ of the dressing as I like my salads dressed a little lighter.
- Serve immediately.
Looking for more summer-y salads?
Grilled Flank Steak with Corn and Basil Farro Salad
