Mixing Bowl

Grocery store style broccoli salad

Tarmo Hannula

GREAT COMBO A surprisingly great salad to take to a potluck made with raw broccoli, toasted walnuts, crispy bacon, raisins and topped with a sweet and sour dressing.

By SARAH RINGLER

It’s difficult to believe that a salad made with raw broccoli can taste this great. Even steamed, I like broccoli enough and usually feel saintly because I know it is so good for me. Of course, this salad also has little bits of bacon, but even without the bacon, the raw broccoli, toasted walnuts, and raisins all miraculously combine with the slightly sweet and sour dressing to make this salad hard to stop eating. It is also a great item to take to potlucks.

This is an adaptation of a salad that I had at a potluck years ago that someone had bought at the deli section of Safeway. I’d really love to give credit to the individual who came up with this combination. I’m always impressed when someone comes up with new ways of combining common ingredients into a spectacular dish. Broccoli, as we know it, goes back to the northern Mediterranean area about 2,600 years ago. I tried to do some online research and the earliest reviews I can find of a similar recipe is from 2004 at the allrecipe.com website.

This recipe can be made in advance but the walnuts taste better when freshly toasted. Leftovers keep well, if covered and refrigerated.

RAW BROCCOLI SALAD

2 1/2 cups washed, dried and finely chopped fresh organic broccoli 1/2 cup fried crispy bacon, broken into bits (optional) 1/2 red onion, chopped into 1/4inch squares 1/3 cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional) 3/4 cup toasted walnuts pieces

Dressing:

1/3 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar or white vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Wash, dry and finely chop broccoli florets. You can also peel the skin off the stalks and chop them too. Put into a large bowl. Chop red onion and add to broccoli with the raisins. Mix well and refrigerate.

Put raw bacon strips on a cold cast iron fry pan and put on the stove. Turn on medium heat. Don’t move the bacon until it comes off the pan easily. Using tongs, turn the strips over frequently until they are crispy. When done, drain bacon on paper towels. When cool, crumble into bite-sized pieces.

Toast walnuts in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 5-10 minutes. Watch so they don’t burn. Set aside.

Make the dressing by whisking mayonnaise with sugar, lemon juice and vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Adjust vinegar and sugar to get a slightly sweet and sour flavor.

Just before serving, toss bacon and walnuts with the broccoli, onions and raisins. Pour the dressing over the broccoli, mix well. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve.