Broccoli Bacon Salad

This broccoli bacon salad is the ultimate easy summer side dish! It tastes great with any protein and kids love it, too. Fair warning: everyone will ask you for this recipe!

📝 Ingredients

• 5 cups broccoli florets (about 3 crowns)
• 8 slices bacon (or turkey bacon)
• 1/2 red onion
• 1/2 cup diced dates (or substitute with dried cranberries or raisins.⠀)
• 1/2 cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds⠀
• 1/2 cup mayo⠀
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 teaspoon mustard⠀
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, (preferably raw)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
• salt and pepper (to taste)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Do the prep work: Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Set the pieces on a paper towel lined plate to cool. Meanwhile, remove the stems from the broccoli and chop them into bite sized pieces. Thinly slice the red onion. Dice the dates. Once the bacon is cool, roughly chop it into bite sized pieces.
2. 2Make the broccoli salad dressing: Grate or finely mince the garlic, then whisk together all the salad dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If needed, add 1/2 - 1 teaspoon more lemon juice to thin to desired consistency.
3. 3--- Assembly ---
4. 4Add the broccoli, bacon, sunflower seeds, dates, and onion to a bowl. Drizzle the salad dressing on top. Toss all the ingredients together until fully coated, and serve.