Eat more broccoli. That’s what all the health experts say no matter which diet they’re peddling. It’s pretty much an undisputed vegetable that has fiber, minerals, and even protein. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on your fiber intake each day and make sure you’re getting enough. Finding a tasty broccoli dish could really help out in this area.
In this salad I wanted to make broccoli more approachable, and even try to make it craveable. Could it be possible to make a dish that features broccoli as the main ingredient and makes you want to make it more and more? There are some foods out there that can boost up the flavor of broccoli, and others that can overpower it and steal the show.
But how to make a broccoli salad taste good and still highlight the broccoli? You could go with a bunch of sauces or spices, but most of the sauces and spices you find in stores will be loaded with ingredients we want to steer away from. What this salad really needs is something that will give it a totally new flavor, something that can counter the taste of broccoli for those of us that do not like the way it tastes.
Bacon is a necessity here, since it provides a savory flavor and meatiness that helps the broccoli out big time. It adds in protein and will help you feel full and satisfied after you eat it. Not many broccoli salads can boast this feature, and it’s all thanks to the bacon. You may be surprised to learn that bacon also contains essential B vitamins and minerals your body needs.
The fact is, you probably need to eat more vegetables, and broccoli is a fine specimen. If it takes some bacon to get you to do it, then let’s get cooking. You’ll find that the more broccoli you eat the more you like it, and then it gets easier and easier to add it to your plate.
Put this salad together in just ten minutes and you have the perfect side dish to any meaty main entree for a well-rounded Paleo meal. With so many meaty options out there, this is one essential salad that can be put together in a hurry and ready to eat in no time.
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 4 tbsp almonds, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- salt, pepper to taste
Directions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and cook for 2 minutes. Drain well and put the broccoli florets into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.
- In a large bowl combine the broccoli florets, almonds and crumbled bacon. To make the dressing, in a small bowl combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and chili flakes. Add the dressing to the salad and gently toss to coat.
- Season to taste and serve.
Made this tonight and it was awesome! I only had 7 slices of bacon but since it was very meaty local bacon, that seemed like plenty. Almost too much; I think next time I’ll put in more broccoli and/or less bacon. I think I’ll also adjust the dressing to be less oil and more lemon juice; DH also suggested using lemon juice to deglaze the pan and using that as a dressing instead. Used sliced almonds because I had them, and left out the peppers because DH doesn’t like spicy. Two minutes didn’t seem like enough to cook the broccoli but it was just perfect. Thanks!