Description
Fresh broccoli cashew salad with apples and pears combines crisp vegetables and sweet fruits in a delightful harmony. Crunchy cashews and a tangy dressing elevate this wholesome dish you’ll want to enjoy again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients:
- 5 cups broccoli florets, chopped into small bites
- 1 cup cashews, toasted or roasted
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Fruits and Vegetables:
- 1 apple, cored and diced
- 1 pear (firm, not soft), cored and diced
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced
Dressing Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream, kefir, or Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup honey, softened or warmed up
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Thoroughly cleanse broccoli florets and slice into petite, uniform chunks. Transfer to a spacious mixing vessel.
- Carefully remove the cores from apple and pear, dicing them into consistent, bite-sized morsels. Incorporate into the broccoli base.
- Mince red onion into delicate slivers to prevent overwhelming the salad’s delicate flavor profile. Scatter throughout the mixture.
- Introduce toasted cashews and dried cranberries, creating textural intrigue and complementary flavor elements.
- In a separate compact container, whisk together mayonnaise, tangy dairy component, fresh citrus extract, golden nectar, and mineral seasoning until achieving a silky, homogeneous consistency.
- Calibrate the dressing’s flavor balance by incrementally adjusting sweetness or acidity as desired.
- Cascade the prepared dressing over the vegetable medley, employing a gentle folding technique to ensure comprehensive and even coating.
- Refrigerate the assembled salad for approximately 30 minutes, allowing flavors to harmonize and intensify.
- Prior to serving, execute a brief re-toss to reinvigorate the dressing’s distribution and optimize taste complexity.
Notes
- Enhance Broccoli Texture by blanching florets briefly in boiling water, then immediately cooling in ice water to maintain a crisp, bright green color and soften raw edges without losing nutritional value.
- Swap Ingredients for dietary needs: use vegan mayonnaise and coconut yogurt for dairy-free version, or replace cashews with sunflower seeds for nut-free alternative.
- Control Dressing Consistency by adding liquid gradually, ensuring it coats ingredients without becoming too runny or overwhelming the delicate flavors of fruits and vegetables.
- Extend Salad Freshness by storing dressing separately and adding just before serving to prevent ingredients from becoming soggy and maintain optimal crunch and texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg