Raisin Broccoli Salad
Raisin broccoli salad is a super delicious and healthy broccoli salad, without cheese or bacon. Incredibly delicious with a homemade balsamic mayo dressing, this side dish salad is great for potluck, picnics, cookouts and parties. The dried raisins and sweet nuts balance out the savory broccoli. Fresh broccoli florets, homemade dressing and a combination of sweet raisins and salty nuts make this al dente salad a new look at an old favorite - the perfect broccoli salad recipe! This is a well known raisin broccoli salad everyone will really love and want the recipe for!
Servings: 4
Calories: 239kcal
Ingredients
- 2 large broccoli crowns cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 green onions sliced
Instructions
- Add 1/2 cup boiling water to a small bowl of raisins. Let stand for 10 minutes. Drain water and set raisins aside.
- Bring a large stock pot of water to a boil.
- Add broccoli florets and heat for 3-5 minutes or until broccoli is bright green but still Al Dente crunchy. The water will most likely not continue to boil after you add the broccoli and that's fine.
- Drain and rinse broccoli with cold water. Shake well to remove excess water. A salad spinner may help with this process.
- In a large mixing bowl, add mayonnaise, Balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and mix dressing well.
- Add al dente broccoli, raisins (or golden raisins), chopped walnuts and green onions to bowl and mix well.
- Pour dressing over top of salad and mix well until broccoli is covered with dressing.
- Serve salad immediately or refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.
- Prior to serving, mix well to prevent dressing settling.
Video
Notes
Why do raisins need to be washed?
It is easy to forget that raisins are a FRUIT and all fruits should be washed before eating. Additionally, raisins often have excess sugar you may not want in your salad, therefore soaking them gives the added benefit of removing the extra ingredient from the broccoli salad. Add 1/2 cup boiling water to a small bowl of raisins. Let stand for 10 minutes. Drain water and save raisins.What is the best Mayonnaise for Broccoli Salad?
Mayo is one of those ingredients that my whole family will throw down over. My daughter is a Duke’s through and through, my son is Hellmann’s but we can all agree on Chick-Fil-A. The mayo really has the most impact on the final flavor so choose something that you personally love and enjoy!Can this salad be made ahead?
Yes, this salad can be made ahead HOWEVER, do not add nuts until right before serving. The dressing can slightly soften the walnuts overnight , therefore in order to keep this salad the best, add right before serving, mix to coat and then serve.How long will this salad keep?
Dressings in fresh salads tend to settle, but this recipe can be kept in an airtight container for about 3 days, stirring well prior to enjoying again.What other ingredients are a good variation?
Side salads like this broccoli salad go so well with other ingredients and it's easy to add the ones you like the most. I personally think square chunks of cheddar cheese, substituting golden raisins instead of regular raisins and of course crunchy bacon all make great additions.Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 239kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 304mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g