Creamy Broccoli Slaw with Bacon

Broccoli was not my favorite vegetable growing up. In fact, I still don’t buy it at the store. To be totally honest I only made this because it was delivered to my doorstep by Imperfect Produce when I forgot to customize my order. Peering into my box, I was surprised to find two large broccoli heads among various other produce I was much more excited about. I decided to make the most of it and approach the ingredient as if I was a contestant on Chopped. I think I did a pretty decent job with this challenge!

As a kid, my parents would make me sit at the dining table until I finished all my broccoli. I was stubborn and refused to eat the stalks. Anything beyond the fluffy flowery tops was no good to me; and even so, I would only eat the tops when dipped into a hefty serving of ranch.

I was a little monster. Bless my parents.

I remember my mom making this slaw for summer barbecues, birthday parties, and other family get-togethers. This was one preparation I deemed reasonable for consumption– proof that bacon can make just about anything better. Hey, I never said this was a healthy dish! It also doesn’t hurt that the dressing is a sweet yet acidic mixture that gets soaked up into the broccoli heads, with toasted peanuts adding extra crunch to every bite.

It’s a great staple that takes about 20 minutes to prep, then chills for a couple hours in the fridge before it’s ready to be enjoyed.

Creamy Broccoli Slaw with Bacon

2 heads of broccoli, washed and dried with a clean towel
6 strips of bacon, cooked until extra crispy
1/4 cup toasted peanuts, unsalted
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
black pepper to taste

Cut the the broccoli into small bite-size pieces like below. You’ll notice I cut off basically all of the stalks (some things never change). However, you can keep them on if you prefer.

In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.

Toss in the broccoli, ensuring the pieces are all well-coated. Mixing in the broccoli first allows the tops to soak in as much of that dressing before the addition of the toppings.