If you've read a few of my recipes, you'll notice a theme of "me not loving eating my veggies". So here's a promise. If there are veggies on this website, I love them. This salad is one of my favorites ever. I think I could eat it daily forevermore. THAT says a LOT coming from me. It's a Southern thing too. I remember loving a similar dish at picnics and potluck gatherings when I was growing up. It's important to have really fresh broccoli for this recipe and then be certain to take the time to cut it into the appropriate bite-sized pieces. Hunky chunks just don't work the same. This is a wonderful side to any hearty meat dish, but I love a big bowl by itself for lunch! Broccolicious! 

Salad:

24 oz Raw Broccoli (3 bunches), washed, dried and cut finely into 1/4"-1/2" bite-sized pieces

1/3 cup Red Onion, finely diced

or minced

1 lb Breakfast Bacon,

cooked crisp and cut into 1/4" pieces

1 cup (3 oz) Grass Fed White Cheddar Cheese, finely shredded

Dressings:

1 cup of Paleo Mayo

1/4 cup Coconut Palm Sugar

1/8 cup Pomegranate Balsamic vinegar

1/8 cup Pomegranate Red Wine Vinegar

Toppings:

1/2 Sliced Almonds, toasted

Dried Cranberries *optional

Directions

Prepare vegetables as suggested above. In a large mixing bowl, combine broccoli, cheese, onions and bacon. Cover and refrigerate. 

In a small mixing bowl, combine mayo, vinegars and coconut sugar and stir until sugar dissolves. Cover and refrigerate. 

Reserve toasted almonds and cranberries until ready to serve.

To serve, add salad mixture to individual serving bowls and top with desired amount of dressing (and individual serving usually requires several tablespoons) and almonds and cranberries. Combine just before serving to maintain crunch.

Notes:

This is the grass fed cheddar I use regularly. It is available at Trader Joe's. There is controversy on whether or not dairy should be included in a Paleo lifestyle. I eat cheese in moderation only. When I do eat it on occasion, I always choose raw and/or grass fed cheese. Processing and preservatives are what I watch out for.