We were never big fans of raw broccoli… That is, until we tasted this Broccoli Salad with Dried Cranberries. This salad has it all: a delicious crunch, a nice tang, and a perfect hint of sweetness.
Broccoli Salad with Dried Cranberries
This recipe comes by way of our niece Helena (Yes! We have faith in the next generation!) who loves to cook and make special salads. Again, we were extremely skeptical about raw broccoli, but when we tried it, we understood how it all pulled together.
We’ve made this salad a few times now, and we’re convinced that we need to further spread the gospel of raw broccoli. We’d like to add that this salad could be especially useful for 1) picnics; 2) potlucks; 3) converting broccoli naysayers.
Check it out:
Broccoli Salad with Dried Cranberries
Broccoli Salad with Dried Cranberries
A salad made with raw broccoli that has a little bit of crunch, a little tang, and a little sweetness
Ingredients
- 1 pound broccoli florets
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
Instructions
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Chop the broccoli florets into small bite-sized pieces. Toss them in a bowl with the chopped onions and dried cranberries.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, and sugar. Toss with the broccoli mixture. Serve immediately, or chill and serve. Before serving, stir once again to make sure the dressing has completely coated the broccoli.
Broccoli Bonuses
Of course you already know that broccoli is good for you. It’s high in Vitamins A, C, K and antioxidants. And when you eat it raw, you get the most out of those nutrients. Broccoli is also high in fiber, which means it makes you feel fuller and more satisfied.
And yes, this recipe has some sugar in it. But here’s one way to look at it: It has WAY more broccoli in it than sugar. And if it gets the kids to eat broccoli, you’ve done your job for the day. If you’re not keen on sugar, you can also substitute honey, maple syrup, or agave syrup.
Also, if you’re not a fan of mayonnaise, you can swap it for yogurt, depending on your preferences and needs. (And vegan mayonnaise is an option if you want to keep it vegan!).
Let us know if you try it!
P.S. Love broccoli? You should also check out romanesco, the math lover’s vegetable!
Hi! I'm Jeanne Fratello - a writer, reporter, and food enthusiast who is on a mission to write great stories about food and where your food comes from.
It looks very pretty and healthy, Jeanne. I’m always impressed with your photography. Unfortunately, as with most things vegetable, Jeff wouldn’t eat broccoli, whether cooked or raw. I may try it myself, though perhaps with the yogurt swap for health reasons and possibly some lemon juice or a touch of mustard. I also wonder if you might do a mix of broccoli and cauliflower. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thank you so much, Ruth! I like your ideas for ingredient substitutions! Dave won’t eat broccoli either but I will keep introducing new ideas such as this one. Thanks again for stopping by! Jeanne