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If you’re craving a side dish that pops with smoky flavor and packs bright, veggie goodness, Sweet C’s Bacon Broccolini Charred Salad is about to become your go-to. This easy, color-rich salad brings together savory bacon with charred broccolini and juicy cherry tomatoes for a dish that feels restaurant-worthy but comes together in just minutes.
This keto and paleo friendly Bacon and Broccolini Charred Salad is a delicious, colorful side dish that is perfect alongside any of your favorite main dishes!
Don’t want all the extras in a recipe post? We provide a skip to recipe button in the top left corner, as well as a clickable table of contents, just below, to help make this page easier to navigate.
At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.
Table of Contents
Quick and Easy Bacon Broccolini Charred Salad
While most people know broccoli and make it often, I have started to love making broccoli’s slightly more posh cousin – broccolini! Broccolini has become fashionable and trendy in many restaurants and is much more widely available than ever before thanks to its popularity.
Bacon Broccolini Charred Salad Ingredients
First assemble the following ingredients:
- Bacon – bacon is high in fat and flavor, I like to used smoked peppered bacon for an extra hit of spice.
- Broccolini – broccolini are like the cousin of traditional broccoli, they have longer stems and more body. you can substitute traditionally broccoli if you want.
- Cherry tomatoes – cherry tomatoes are a great way to add a sweet fresh bite and they are especially delicious when charred.
- Garlic – garlic has a strong pungent flavor and compliments the cherry tomatoes and broccolini well.
- Sea salt and Black pepper – this dynamic duo are important for seasoning this charred salad.
Steps to Make Charred Broccolini
Once you have assembled the ingredients use the following method
Sauté. Cut the bacon and cook it in a large skillet until it just starts to brown. Add the broccolini and cook until it has softened stirring occasionally.
Add the extras. Once the broccolini has started to char on the ends add the cherry tomatoes, garlic, sea salt, and pepper. Cook until tomatoes start to pop, and garlic is fragrant.
Serve. Enjoy this hot alongside your favorite main dish, see our suggestions below.
Tips and Tricks for perfect Bacon Broccolini Charred Salad
Swap broccolini for broccoli. Broccolini is a meatier alternative to broccoli – and a little bit fancier than the shorter, squattier cousin. You can swap them for broccoli if you prefer.
Don’t Overcook the Bacon: You want that fat rendered and lightly browned, not crispy to dust — it adds the best smoky richness to the broccolini.
Char Is Your Friend: Let the broccolini catch tantalizing browning on the edges — that’s where big flavor lives.
Heat Kick: A pinch of red pepper flakes gives this side salad a subtle pop of spice that balances the savory bacon.
What to Enjoy with your Bacon Broccolini Charred Salad
I love to enjoy this salad solo but it is especially enjoyable with these favorites.
Click here to see my other favorite salads!
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Bacon Broccolini Charred Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon, thick cut
- 2 lbs broccolini
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cut bacon into small bits, about 1/4".
- Add bacon to pan and cook on medium high until lightly browned (do not cook all the way to crisp).
- Add broccolini and let soften, stirring only occasionally.
- Let broccolini slightly char on al sides (the tips will brown slightly- this gives an amazing rich and smoky flavor.)
- Add cherry tomatoes, garlic, sea salt, and pepper and cook until cherry tomatoes begin to pop and char.
- Serve hot alongside your favorite main dish!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Charred Bacon and Broccoli Salad FAQs
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Yes, make sure you cut them down to a cherry tomato size and don’t cook too long since you don’t want a tomato sauce.
Just curious, this looks delicious. For health reasons I cannot have bacon, what would you suggest substituting the bacon with?
You can eat prosciutto or turkey bacon? Those would be the best substitutes.