Tarragon Broccoli Salad

This cold Tarragon Broccoli Salad with golden raisins, marinated red onion and roasted pumpkin seeds is an amazing, tangy, crunchy, delicious salad. It’s even better the next day!

I love broccoli steamed with grated lemon zest, or with sharp cheddar cheese melted over the top, but there came a time when a cold, uncooked broccoli salad opened my eyes to another way to enjoy broccoli.

I was first introduced to this salad from my mother-in-law several years ago and have since embellished upon it with a couple ingredients, but the initial salad of cold, uncooked broccoli was what I loved surprisingly. I had never had it before and the tangy dressing was fantastic.

I thought dried tarragon would be a nice herbal note and have used dried cranberries, but prefer the golden raisins. For a little other crunch I added the toasted and salted pepitas. These are roasted pumpkin seeds and a house favorite in salads. The salad gets a handful of marinated, thinly sliced red onions and is perfect as a side dish. It is filling, and with an addition of some rotisserie chicken would make it a fine meal on it’s own.

One of this salad’s ingredients, the sliced red onion in rice wine vinegar, is treated to a quick pickle prior for the salad. I like to keep this mixture on hand in my refrigerator for different salads and as a garnish on Mexican dishes. Simply thinly slice a red onion, cover it with rice wine vinegar and keep in your refrigerator. For this I would suggest allowing the onions to marinate at least 30 minutes if you don’t have any on hand.

In a mixing bowl add the mayonnaise, rice wine vinegar, honey, mustard, tarragon, salt and pepper, whisk thoroughly.

Chop the broccoli into florets, trim and chop the stalks as well if you like into bite size pieces. Place in a mixing bowl and add the marinated red onions, pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and golden raisins. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix to completely coat the vegetables and chill for 20 minutes prior to serving.

This is perfect as a side dish for outdoor parties, BBQs and potlucks or even as a main course. It would be fantastic served with my Pineapple Five Spice Pork Ribs or a Perfect Rib Eye Steak seasoned with my Copycat Montreal Seasoning. Enjoy!

This recipe first appeared on Kevin Is Cooking in August 2015 and has been updated with new photos and video.

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Review

4.72 from 14 votes

Tarragon Broccoli Salad

Tarragon Broccoli Salad with Golden Raisins, Marinated Red Onion and Pepitas - this fresh, crunchy and healthy salad is the perfect side dish!

Prep Time30 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Western

Servings: 4

Calories: 208kcal

Author: Kevin

Ingredients

• For the dressing:
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp dry tarragon
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• For the Salad:
• 4 cups crowns and stalks of broccoli
• 1/2 medium red onion , sliced thin
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup pepitas (toasted, salted pumpkin seeds)
• 1/4 cup golden raisins

Instructions

• In a bowl add the sliced red onions and 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar or enough to cover. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes or overnight.
• In a mixing bowl add the mayonnaise, rice wine vinegar, honey, mustard, tarragon, salt and pepper, whisk thoroughly.
• Chop the broccoli into florets and trim and chop the stalks as well if you like into bite size pieces. Place in a mixing bowl and add the marinated red onions, pepitas and golden raisins.
• Pour the dressing over the salad and mix to completely coat the vegetables and chill for 20 minutes prior to serving.

Nutrition Facts

Tarragon Broccoli Salad

Amount Per Serving

Calories 208 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 13g 20%

Saturated Fat 2g 10%

Cholesterol 5mg 2%

Sodium 206mg 9%

Potassium 417mg 12%

Total Carbohydrates 19g 6%

Dietary Fiber 3g 12%

Sugars 12g

Protein 4g 8%

Vitamin A 43%

Vitamin C 100%

Calcium 5.5%

Iron 7.5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.