Recipe: Broccoli bacon salad with lemon pepper dressing

In-season broccoli, lemons and apples make this a special winter salad. Photo / Olivia Moore

I’m always fond of a crunchy, juicy salad.

Among all the winter salads that are typically either rich in carbs, laden with heavy dressings, or grain-based, this dish is a winter salad of freshness.

All the textures make it a joy to eat – and it looks beautiful on the plate, too.

Make the most of the season and grab your broccoli, apples and lemons while they’re cheap.

Swap the edamame beans for chickpeas or black beans if you prefer, otherwise, find frozen edamame in the frozen vegetable section of the supermarket.

Broccoli Bacon Crunch Salad with Lemon Pepper Dressing

Serves 3 as a side

Ingredients

• 1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets and tender part of stem finely chopped
• 1 apple, cored and diced
• 1/2 cup packed parsley, finely chopped
• 50g shelled edamame beans
• 1/4 cup roasted salted almonds, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 2 rashers bacon
• 1/4 cup raisins

For the lemon pepper dressing:

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Zest of half lemon
• 1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt

Method

1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook for 2-3 minutes, until crisp and browned underneath, then flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes until crisp on both sides. Remove from the pan and chop into small pieces.
2. Add all remaining salad ingredients to a large bowl, along with the bacon. Toss to distribute.
3. To make the dressing, place everything in a jar and secure the lid. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds, or until well combined.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well until evenly coated.
5. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Olivia Moore and her Taupō business That Green Olive offer recipe development, food photography – in studio or on location – for restaurants and cafes, recipe video creation and social media content creation. Go to Olivia’s website for more recipes: www.thatgreenolive.com.

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