Bacon and Broccoli Salad

Toast your almonds
To go the extra mile, we definitely recommend toasting your own almonds.
Not only does it give them a better texture, but it amplifies the flavour ten-fold.

Preparing your broccoli

1. Separate the broccoli crowns from their thick stem. Remove the woodiest part of the stem — usually 1/2-inch from the bottom and discard.
2. Chop the remaining part of the stem into bite-size chunks.
3. Snap the florets from the broccoli crown and pull them apart so that they are bite-size.
4. Rinse and blanch or steam

Cooking Your Bacon

For this salad, we like to use our oven to cook the bacon. Baking bacon is hands-off and results in crisp bacon slices, perfect for this salad.
Bake bacon slices in a 200℃/400℉ oven until crisp, 12 to 18 minutes.

Preparing your onion

This tones the raw onion flavour a little.

1. Add onion to a small bowl and cover with warm water.
2. Leave for 10 minutes then drain.

What To Serve With Broccoli Salad

1. Bread
   This salad is perfect on its own for a light lunch alongside this Low carb keto bread or these bread sticks.
2. Butter Prawns
   This salad is perfect on its own for a light lunch alongside a serve of Butter Prawns
3. BBQ Side-dish
   It’s a great side-dish for any Barbecue or take on any picnic.
4. Meats
   It can also be a great accompaniment to some nice Beef porterhouse steak, seafood or roast chicken.
5. Potato Salad:Potato salad is a classic option, and it’s one that’s easy to prepare in advance.
   
   You can also add your favourite vegetables here, like green beans, tomatoes, cucumber, and carrots.
6. Crunchy BLT Sandwich:BLT is a classic, and its name comes from the main ingredients – bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes.
   
   So build your BLT sandwich and serve on a plate alongside your salad.
   The lettuce and bacon add a bit of crunchiness alongside the spinach salad, while the soft and refreshing tomatoes keep the meal light.
7. Pasta Salad:
   A creamy pasta salad is a great option for what to serve with your spinach salad.
   
   You can use whole wheat pasta or spiral pasta, and you can also vary the ingredients depending on your own personal preferences.
   You could also try adding Julienne cut cherry tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, dried cranberries, and black pepper to your plate.
8. Macaroni Cheese:Macaroni cheese is a rich and creamy dish consisting of macaroni pasta mixed with a cheesy sauce making it a great pairing with this dish.
   
   Maybe add some Julienne cut cherry tomatoes, olives, feta cheese to your plate with a side of hot garlic bread.

Spinach Salad Recipes With Bacon

Using the recipe above, you can use these ideas to jazz it up and make this recipe your own.

1. Spinach Salad With Feta Cheese and Bacon

   Make your own spinach, feta cheese and bacon salad.
   Simply toss through diced feta cheese.

2. Bacon Salad with Chilli

   Toss a bit of chopped fresh chilli through this salad.

3. Bacon Salad with Tomatoes

   For flavour and presentation, different-coloured cherry tomatoes are a really nice addition too.

4. Bacon and Spinach Salad and Cranberries

   For a slight flavour variation, substitute the almonds with dried cranberries.

5. Chicken and Bacon Salad

   Create your own chicken and bacon salad.
   For a different flavour and texture, halve the bacon and replace with cooked shredded chicken.

6. Cauliflower and Bacon Salad

   Substitute the Broccoli with cauliflower florets.

7. Jamie Oliver Style Dressing

   1. Start by peeling some ginger and grating it into a bowl.
   2. Now stir in some sesame oil, along with olive oil, soy sauce, and lime juice.
   3. Add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
   4. Whisk the dressing together. Easy!