Broccoli Salad Recipe
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This easy Broccoli Salad Recipe is such a perfect side dish for any occasion.
Indifferent to broccoli? Not now. With this easy Broccoli Salad recipe, you may find that broccoli is your new best friend. Or at least you new favorite side dish. Plus, everyone needs a great go-to side salad recipe, and this one is just that. It’s a tried and true side-dish recipe and a favorite of many.
I’ve been making this Broccoli Salad for years now. My friend, Julie, shared it with me at a potluck get-together. Of course, that was long ago, when our kids were small, busy bees and non-stop, leaving any time in the kitchen always abbreviated and rushed, so dependable, easy recipes, especially those that could be made ahead, were essential. Quick and easy make-ahead recipes were almost like precious gold to us harried parents.
As our children have grown, so have the more complicated recipes, but this simple Broccoli Salad Recipe has remained a favorite standard. It’s the perfect side dish to serve for a summer cookout, tailgating, Easter lunch, or a ladies luncheon. I’ve even enjoyed it as an afternoon snack. This Broccoli Salad is full of flavor with crunchy broccoli, crispy bacon, red onion, raisins, and sunflower seeds, all mixed together with a sweet and savory dressing. So perfect!
Make this salad a day or two ahead to let it mingle. It likes to mingle. This Broccoli Salad gets better when it has time to mingle. It’s like one big broccoli, bacon, red onion, raisin, sunflower seed party going on! Plus, being able to prepare it ahead of time will give you more time to tend to other tasty preparations for your meal, like dessert. Serving a salad with healthy broccoli as a side dish, does mean when get to eat dessert later, right?
Broccoli Salad Recipe
Broccoli Salad Recipe
This flavorful salad is the perfect side dish for any meal.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 5 cups broccoli florets
- 1 cup raisins
- 3 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
- 1/2 cup salted sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
Instructions
- Whisk together sugar, mayonnaise, vinegar, salt and pepper until smooth and sugar is dissolved.
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients together and toss until coated with sugar, mayonnaise and vinegar mixture.
- Refrigerate covered until ready to serve.
I just enjoyed this yesterday for lunch at my mom’s. She used a bag of broccoli slaw instead of florets, and it was delicious!
I love broccoli salads!
My mother in law always buys a broccoli salad that reminds me of this, and now that you posted this lovely recipe I’l definitely have to make it and bring it over!
One of my favorite spring/summer salads! Love the combination of raisins with broccoli!
My mom has always loved broccoli salad. I may need to surprise her and show up with this for Easter.
Love broccoli and this certainly looks like an amazing way to prepare. Love this combination!
I love broccoli salad so much!! This sounds just like the classic my mom makes. So yummy!
I was planning to make my usual Sunflower Broccoli salad tonight, but since you shared this today, I decided to try it. I’m so glad that I did! The brown sugar is genius.
Having said that, I do substitute Craisins for the raisins, just personal preference.
Bacon? Yes ma’am. I cannot wait for broccoli to start tasting real again. 😉
This is one of my favorite salads ever! I happen to love broccoli and the raisins and bacon just make it that much better!
This looks so delicious. I grew up disliking broccoli but now I love the stuff.
I can’t wait to try this beautiful salad recipe Amy – we adore broccoli and love an easy, delicious super side!