A super yummy combination of fresh broccoli, mandarin oranges, bacon, craisins, and toasted almonds and the tangy, sweet dressing is fabulous!

Broccoli salad beckons me; it calls to me. And I’m usually quite powerless to resist it’s deliciousness (yeah, I’m one of those broccoli salad stalkers at the potluck who kind of scares everyone away from the salads table by hovering).

Because of my love for it, I can’t leave you with just one measly broccoli salad recipe You need options. And I’ve got them.

A bowl full of a mandarin, broccoli, bacon, and craisin salad.

This recipe today is fantastic. It’s chock full of fresh broccoli, mandarin oranges, bacon (lots of bacon), craisins and toasted almonds for a lil’ bit of crunch.

The real star is the dressing, though. It’s sweet and tangy and ultra-creamy.

You start off with a simple cooked mixture that gets a boost from plain yogurt stirred in after it cools a bit (you could use mayo, too) and once it’s tossed with the colorful, tasty salad ingredients, magic happens.

Top view of a square white dish full of mandarin broccoli and bacon salad.

Don’t rush the goodness; the dressed salad really benefits from hanging out in the fridge for a couple hours. It’s worth the wait, I promise. Broccoli salad perfection!

If you’re wondering how this broccoli salad recipe differs from the other one I have, it’s a matter of ingredient combinations: the first recipe has sunflower seeds and cheddar cheese whereas this one doesn’t have cheese but does have toasted almonds and mandarin oranges. The dressings are slightly different with today’s dressing having more depth of flavor and texture thanks to the cooking method. Both are super yum.

A white square dish full of mandarin broccoli salad.

One Year Ago: Chopped Taco Salad with Homemade Catalina Dressing
Two Years Ago: Fudgy Brownies {Think: Homemade Brownies Like The Boxed Mix!}
Three Years Ago:Chicken Pillows with Creamy Parmesan Sauce

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Mandarin Broccoli Salad

4.45 stars (20 ratings)

Ingredients

Dressing:

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • ¼ cup white wine or red wine vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • ¼ cup water
  • ½ cup plain yogurt or mayonnaise

Salad:

  • 4-5 cups broccoli florets, chopped
  • 8 slices bacon, cooked, drained and chopped
  • ½ cup slivered almonds, toasted
  • ¼ – ½ cup finely diced red onion
  • ½ cup craisins
  • 1 (10-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained well

Instructions 

  • For the dressing, combine the eggs, cornstarch, vinegar, salt, sugar, mustard, and water together in a medium saucepan. Whisk well. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it bubbles and thickens – it should be the consistency of pudding (take care not to heat too high or stop whisking or there might be small bits of cooked egg in the mixture).
  • Remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes. Stir in the yogurt or mayonnaise and let cool completely.
  • Toss all the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Stir in the dressing and toss lightly until all the ingredients are covered with dressing.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours before serving.
Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 343kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 84mg, Sodium: 347mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 26g

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from a family cookbook my friend, Sunny D., lent me (added salt, reduced sugar, used plain yogurt instead of mayo) – PS: I LOVE looking through those spiral bound paper family cookbooks even if I’m not related at all to any of the recipe submitters!