Description
A vibrant and crunchy broccoli salad featuring fresh broccoli florets, dried cranberries, toasted almonds, and Manchego cheese, tossed in a tangy lemon and Dijon mustard dressing. Perfect as a refreshing side dish or light lunch.
Ingredients
Scale
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons minced shallots
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Salad
- 1 lb broccoli (chopped into bite size pieces)
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup Manchego cheese (diced; or sharp cheddar, feta, etc.)
- 1/4 cup toasted almonds (chopped)
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, white wine vinegar, mayonnaise, minced shallots, Dijon mustard, and honey. Slowly drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil while continuously whisking until the dressing emulsifies and thickens. Season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to your taste.
- Prepare the salad: Place the chopped broccoli, dried cranberries, diced Manchego cheese, and toasted almonds into a large mixing bowl.
- Toss the salad: Pour the prepared dressing over the broccoli mixture and toss well to coat all ingredients evenly with the dressing.
- Rest before serving: Let the salad sit for a few minutes if desired to allow the flavors to meld together, but it can also be served immediately.
Notes
- This salad is best served fresh but can be refrigerated for a day to let flavors meld more intensely.
- Replace Manchego cheese with sharp cheddar or feta for a different flavor profile.
- To make it vegan, omit mayonnaise or substitute with vegan mayo and use a vegan cheese alternative.
- To enhance crunchiness, toast the almonds just before mixing them in.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a subtle spicy kick if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 226 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 79 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.01 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 6 mg
