Broccoli Slaw with Bacon and Raisins
A crunchy no-cook side built from dried vegetables and a shelf-stable dressing.
- calories
- 420
- weight
- 3 oz
- cal / oz
- 140
- protein
- 12 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 0 min
- total time
- 5 min
- water
- 150 ml cold
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Lunch
- Dinner
- No cook
- Cold soak
- Car camping
- Backpacking
- Basecamp
- Canoe / raft
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- Eat in the bag
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Dried broccoli florets | 1 cup | freeze-dried rehydrates faster than dehydrated |
|---|---|---|
| Dried minced red onion | 1 tbsp | |
| Golden raisins | 1/4 cup | dried cranberries work the same |
| Sunflower seeds | 3 tbsp | add at the end so they stay crisp |
| Real bacon bits | 1/4 cup | the shelf-stable jarred kind, not refrigerated |
| Powdered mayonnaise or olive oil | 2 tbsp | powder mixes into the water, oil goes in last |
| Apple cider vinegar powder | 1 tsp | or 2 tsp liquid vinegar from a dropper bottle |
| Sugar | 1 tsp | |
| Salt and pepper | to taste |
Method
- Put the broccoli, onion, and raisins in a jar or freezer bag. Add 150 ml of cold water.
- Seal it and let it sit 30 minutes. Freeze-dried broccoli is done sooner; check at 15.
- Pour off any water still standing. You want the broccoli damp, not swimming.
- Add the mayo powder, vinegar powder, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir or shake until the dressing coats everything.
- Stir in the bacon bits and sunflower seeds and eat. It gets better after another 20 minutes.
The original is a picnic salad that lives in a fridge for two hours. Trail version keeps the structure and drops everything that needs cold. Dried broccoli rehydrates into something with real bite, which is the whole point of the dish, and the raisins and onion soak alongside it so they soften at the same rate.
The dressing is the part that changed most. Yogurt and mayonnaise are out, so the acid and sugar carry the flavor and powdered mayo or a spoon of oil carries the fat. Drain the soak water before dressing or you end up with soup. Seeds and bacon bits go in last for the same reason they exist: texture, which dies the moment they get wet.
Packing
Broccoli, onion, and raisins go in one bag. Dressing powders go in a second, small bag. Seeds and bacon bits ride in a third so they stay dry and crunchy.
Variations
- Skip the bacon and use smoked paprika plus extra salt for a vegan version.
- Swap the seeds for chopped almonds or pecans if nuts are not a problem.
- Cold-soak it at breakfast and carry it to a lunch stop; it holds all day.
https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/yummy-recipe-broccoli-salad