Broccoli Bacon Salad

← salads
From the kitchen of Lauren Benning of Healthy Indulgences
Ingredients
1 head (368g, 13 oz) broccoli
8 slices (40g, 1.4 oz) crisp cooked bacon, drained and crumbled
1/2 cup (75g, 2.6 oz) finely diced red onion
4 ounces (113g) sharp cheddar cheese, grated or cut into small (1/2″) cubes
1/4 cup (35g, 1.2 oz) sunflower seeds, roasted and salted
1 cup (236mL) mayo
2 Tablespoons (15mL) apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup (50g, 1.7 oz) stevia blend*, Truvia, OR white sugar
1 cup (2.6 oz, 75g) cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Rinse off tomatoes and broccoli thoroughly and pat dry. Trim leaves from broccoli stalk and cut off the tough end. Chop the stalk into 1 inch slivers and cut the head into very small florets. Place broccoli pieces into a large mixing bowl. Add in the bacon bits, onion pieces, cheese, tomato halves, and sunflower seeds. In small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together mayo, sweetener, and vinegar. Grate in black pepper and add a pinch of salt. Pour dressing into veggie mix and toss gently to coat. Keeps for one week in the fridge.

Notes:
If you want to make your own stevia blend for this recipe, use 1/4 cup erythritol + 1/4 teaspoon pure stevia extract. In this recipe, I used Trader Joe’s. It is one of the few non-bitter stevia brands on the market.