Broccoli Salad with Cranberries

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Lighten up the traditional Broccoli Salad with light mayonnaise, light sour cream, almonds, and dried cranberries!

I can’t believe Thanksgiving is here!   Over the past few weeks I’ve been working hard with my brother, sister-in-law, and husband to create a winning Thanksgiving menu.  My brother and his wife are hosting Thanksgiving for the first time ever so it’s a pretty big deal.

When we started planning the menu the one thing we worried about was oven space.   So many Thanksgiving side dishes are made in the oven.  My favorite is my Vegetarian Stuffing.  It’s a simple recipe but so good. I also make Sweet and Spicy Maple Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts.  Talk about yummy!

While I had several side dishes that had to go in the oven I wanted to come up with one that was a raw side dish so we wouldn’t have to cook it.  Plus, I feel like a lot of dishes at Thanksgiving are soft and a crunchy side side would be welcomed.

I do have a few good salads that could work for a Thanksgiving meal.  I make a tasty salad with Figs and a Homemade Honey Balsamic Dressing on top.  Then there’s my Strawberry Salad with homemade Vinaigrette.   But I wanted something that wasn’t a traditional salad.

I wanted to do a broccoli salad but I’m not a huge fan of broccoli salad that is loaded with mayonnaise and has a ton of cheese.  It turns an otherwise healthy side dish into a calorie laden dish.   It also covers the flavor of the actually broccoli.  So I came up with a broccoli salad that is much lighter in both flavor and calories.

What is Broccoli Salad?

Broccoli salad is a fresh, crunchy, and slightly sweet salad made with raw broccoli.  It usually also contains red onion, bacon, cheddar cheese, cranberries, and some type of nut.  The dressing is mayonnaise based.

Ingredients:

• red onion
• mayonnaise
• light sour cream (or regular sour cream if you prefer)
• vinegar (I used red wine but white vinegar or apple cider works fine)
• honey
• salt
• black pepper
• garlic powder
• raw broccoli
• thin sliced or slivered almonds
• dried cranberries
• cheddar cheese

To make the broccoli salad first place the chopped red onion in a bowl of cold water and let it soak for 5 minutes.

Why do you soak onions in cold water?

Soaking onions in cold water is a common technique used to mellow their sharp flavor.  This is often done if the onions are being used raw in a cold salad or dish.

In a large bowl combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, honey, salt, black pepper, and garlic.  Mix well to combine.

Add the soaked and drained onion, broccoli, almonds, cranberries, and cheese to the dressing.  Toss to coat.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving or overnight.

My Broccoli Salad with Cranberries is the perfect holiday side dish.  While we are having it tonight for Thanksgiving I think it would be fun for Christmas as well because it’s red and green.

It turned out really delicious.  The cranberries add just a hint of sweetness and color to the salad.  The cheese adds a touch of sharpness and the almonds add an additional crunch.  It’s a fresh side dish that is great alongside a heavy meal.

Can you make Broccoli Salad in advance?

Yes!   That is one of the reasons it’s great to serve at a dinner party or a holiday.  You can make broccoli salad the day before and simply refrigerate it until you are ready to serve it.

How do you store Broccoli Salad?

Store broccoli salad in an air tight container or a covered container int he refrigerator for up to four days.

Broccoli Salad with Cranberries

Lighten up the traditional broccoli salad with light mayonnaise, light sour cream, almonds, and dried cranberries!

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Author: Hezzi-D

Ingredients

• 1/2 red onion finely chopped
• 1/3 c. light mayonnaise
• 1/4 c. light sour cream
• 1 Tablespoon vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 6 c. broccoli florets chopped
• 1/3 c. thin sliced almonds
• 1/3 c. dried cranberries
• 1/4 c. finely shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

• Soak the red onion in cold water for 5 minutes then drain.
• In a large bowl combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, and garlic. Mix well.
• Add in the onion, broccoli, almonds, cranberries, and cheese. Mix well until combined.
• Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving or overnight.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, May 2016.