Add Currants For A Tangy Kick In Your Broccoli Salad

Lovers of boring salads step aside — broccoli-based bowls are full of crave-worthy flavors and textures, while still being nutritiously dense. They're a tasty way to get your veggies in and can work as a hearty main entree or yummy side dish. A typical broccoli salad, like Tasting Table's version from recipe developer Jaime Shelbert of Wholly Nourished, features the starring ingredient, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, red onion, and bacon crumbles, along with a creamy dressing based in either Greek yogurt, mayo, or sour cream. It's salty, sharp, sweet, savory, and slightly rich from the thicker dressing.

But if you want a boost of tang in your salad to round out the flavor profile, try swapping out sugary dried cranberries for more acidic currants. The latter are essentially dried grapes, although there are a few different types, and they balance both sweet and sour flavors. Since some recipes count on the dried cranberries for a dash of sweetness, you won't be omitting that quality entirely if you swap in currants instead, but their tangy notes also add a boost of acidity that will complement any onion, Greek yogurt, or vinegar in your dressing. Plus, they're typically smaller than dried cranberries, so you're more likely to get one in every bite.

Since there are quite a few different types of currants out there, you'll want to keep in mind what they each bring to the table before you add them to your broccoli salad. What you'll want to opt for, and what will most closely resemble dried cranberries, are dried currants. They'll typically be labeled as such at the grocery store — but these are likely Zante currants, which are dehydrated small grapes, as we mentioned. "Real" currants, which are black or red berries, are rarer and typically eaten fresh. But for broccoli salad purposes, you'll essentially want the tart raisins you'll find labeled as currants.

Once you've purchased the right type of dried fruit, adding it to your salad couldn't be easier. Simply pour them into the bowl and toss them with all your other ingredients before you add your dressing. You may want to use slightly fewer currants than you would cranberries since their flavor is a little more potent. If you'd prefer, you can also soak your fruit in hot water for about 10 minutes before draining it and dumping it in, which softens it a bit. Either way, the currant addition will bring a boost of tang to your flavor-packed broccoli salad.