This Broccoli-Cashew Salad Recipe, featuring cashews and oranges, is a delicious way to incorporate a green vegetable into your diet. Leave off the bacon for a vegetarian salad.
Make this Broccoli-Cashew Salad Recipe Year-Round
We eat broccoli salad year-round, even though I consider it a spring or summer salad. But when nippy fall days roll around, I make broccoli salad at least once between Copycat Panera Broccoli Soup and Cheesy Broccoli Soup. The great thing about this salad is that it uses year-round, readily available ingredients, yet tastes fresh like a summer salad.
Tips for Broccoli-Cashew Salad Recipe
This salad is similar to my Broccoli Salad with Pecans recipe, except it has cashews, dried cranberries, and mandarin oranges. It is a delicious salad; however, there are two tips to know before making it.
Drain the Oranges
Drain the mandarin oranges very well. Use a strainer to let most of the juice drip off the oranges, and then pat them dry with a towel. Gently fold in the oranges when mixing to avoid breaking them. The oranges should keep their juice contained to prevent a runny salad!
Add the Cashews Last
The second tip is to add the cashews just before serving this salad because they can become soft after sitting in the dressing for a while. The cashews are best when they have a satisfying crunch.
Make a Vegetarian Salad
Occasionally, I leave off the bacon when I make this broccoli salad to create a vegetarian salad. When a friend shared this recipe with me, she included a note at the bottom: ‘Add crispy fried bacon if desired.’ It was handwritten as an afterthought to the recipe, so I made a vegetarian salad for a long time. Then one day, I added bacon to the salad. It was a delicious addition! However, if you are serving this salad to a group of people, you can place the chopped bacon in a small dish on the side, allowing guests to decide whether to add it.
Use a Clear Serving Dish Broccoli-Cashew Salad Recipe
Serve this eye-catching salad in a see-through serving dish so you can see all its pretty colors. Enjoy!
Other Salads You Might Like
- Confetti Corn Salad
- Honey Lime Salad with Chicken
- Broccoli Salad with Pecans
- Cornbread Salad
- Watermelon Basil Salad
- Granny Smith Apple Salad
- Grape Salad
- Black Beans and Corn Salad
- Spinach Pear Salad
- Mexican Caesar Salad
- Fritos Salad
Broccoli-Cashew Salad
Ingredients
- â…” cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 4 cups fresh broccoli, cut into small florets
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup red onion, chopped (optional)
- 8 slices bacon, chopped (omit bacon for vegetarian salad)
- ¾ cup cashews (whole or pieces)
- â…“ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 11 ounces canned mandarin oranges, drained (can substitute fresh oranges )
Instructions
- Drain the oranges in a strainer.
- Combine the mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, mustard, and paprika in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Wash and dry the broccoli. Break it into small florets and trim off the stalks.
- Combine the broccoli, cranberries, onion, bacon, and cheese in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss to mix.
- Just before serving, stir in the cashews. Pat the oranges dry with a paper towel and then fold them into the salad. Take care not to break the oranges to prevent the sauce from becoming runny.