Our Fabled Nest

Not too much of a fancy title. But sometimes the simplest side dish can bring out all of the oohs and aahs. I am here to tell ya, this is something delicious. Quick prep, minimum clean up, maximum flavor, and a few pantry staples. This broccoli salad is the perfect side for your next summer get together.

While I don’t let my crew have the sauce, I always give them pieces of broccoli and any of the ends that are chopped off. We are broccoli lovers over here! We eat broccoli year-round in a multitude of ways. Whether it be roasted, sautéed, grilled, in soups or added to pasta and a variety of other dishes. You can bet that broccoli is on the menu a good 2 nights a week. I love this version and make it a day or two ahead of time, so the flavors have time to meld.

Ingredients

• 12ounces Broccoli – finely chopped
• 1cup Chopped Walnuts
• 3oz Dried Sweetened Cranberries
• 1/2cup Mayonnaise
• 2TBSP Dijon Mustard
• 2TBSP Maple Syrup
• 1tsp Onion Powder
• 1/2tsp Salt
• 1/2tsp Pepper

Directions

In a large bowl, toss the broccoli, walnuts and cranberries. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk the mayo, dijon and maple syrup. Stir in the onion powder, salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the broccoli mixture and toss until well combined. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. 4 servings

Notes

• Pecans might be a good sub for walnuts -we haven’t personally tried it though.
• Honey could be a good sub for the maple syrup, but we like the little bit of maple flavor to come through.
• If I have homemade mayo – I typically add a little bit more salt to the broccoli salad. Otherwise, with commercial mayo start with the 1/2tsp and add if you feel it needs a little more. The 1/2tsp works well for us!
• For the broccoli, I do chop it up rather small and don’t use as many end pieces. It seems like the broccoli absorbs more of the sauce like this.