SANDRA’S VIBRANT BROCCOLI BACON and TOMATO SALAD

I've been making this salad for functions
that I have attended over the years, and this
somewhat resembles the flavors
of a BLT; a crunchy salad...

Servings (4 to 6)
Prep/Cook: 10 Mins.

Posted: by Sandra

INGREDIENTS

***Salad:
2 heads broccoli, florets only (reserve stems for making veggie broth, or soups)
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
¼ cup raisins
4 strips bacon, cut in half crosswise

***Dressing:
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice

METHOD

Bring a medium saucepan filled ½ full of water. Cut the broccoli florets into smaller pieces. Add the florets to the boiling water to blanche for 30 seconds. Drain into sieve/colander, and immediately run florets under cold running tap water to stop cooking process and retain vibrant green color. Set aside to drain.

Meanwhile, heat a medium and dry non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and toast, while occasionally stirring until golden and fragrant, for a couple of minutes, and remove to a small plate and set aside.

In the same medium skillet, turn the heat to medium-high, and add the half strips of bacon, and brown until crispy. Place on paper towels to drain, and chop into bacon bits.

To make the dressing, add mayonnaise, honey, and lemon juice to a medium bowl, and then whisk until smooth. Add the blanched broccoli, tomatoes, raisins, bacon, and toss to combine. Let salad set for about 20 minutes in refrigerator for flavors to meld. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts just before serving. – Enjoy!


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Tip: You can make this salad sweeter, or less sweeter by adding more/less honey to the dressing...(I like mine a bit sweeter though.)