Broccoli Salad

I love broccoli. I love it fresh, steamed, stir-fried, sauteed, any way but mushy. I'm so glad that it is available all year round because it's maybe my favorite vegetable! At least one of my favorites anyway. I love it in Broccoli Salad along with the bacon, the onion and oranges! It's a little different for some, but I really love the contrast of flavors that it provides. In the summer when I can't get good fresh mandarins, I normally used canned Mandarin oranges and they work really well. This time, I used fresh Tangerines that I had. I also prefer to use dried cranberries instead of raisins, as I love their tangy flavor in this salad. I frequently make this for holiday dinners, especially Easter, which is coming up quickly. So if you're needing a salad for your Easter table, this could be the one for you! Let's make this!

Broccoli Salad

1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets and stems cut, if desired

6-8 slices of bacon, cooked until crisp and then crumbled

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup dices red onion

1 can of mandarin oranges, or fresh mandarins( I used 1 1/2 tangerines this time)

1/2 cup of nuts,walnuts, slivered almonds, sunflower kernels, etc ( I used almonds and sunflower kernels)

1 cup Mayo

1/4 cup sugar

3 Tbs. red wine vinegar

Cook the bacon until crisp and then crumble into pieces. In a large bowl, put the broccoli florets and stem pieces if using. Add the dried cranberries, onion, drained Mandarin oranges, nuts and bacon.

In a bowl, mix together the mayonnaise,red wine vinegar and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Pour dressing over the broccoli salad, toss gently so that you don't tear up the oranges, cover and chill 1 hour before serving. Garnish with extra bacon pieces, if desired. I hope you'll enjoy the mix of flavors in this salad. You've got the crunchy broccoli and nuts, with the tangy oranges and cranberries, the salty bacon and the bite of the onions, complimented with the sweet and tangy dressing! I love it! Are you a broccoli lover?