Broccoli Salad

Broccoli Salad with Bell Pepper, Cheddar Cheese Cubes, Red Onion and Sunflower Seeds tossed with a delicious Asian Sesame Vinaigrette is a favorite salad for the holidays, picnics, potlucks, or barbecues.

The recipe for Broccoli Salad comes from my sweet seester-in-law. Well, it's actually adapted because I can't find the original recipe she gave me 15 years ago, but let me tell you this is a must make.

I decided to make Broccoli Salad last weekend because the minute the weather becomes warm and sunny I crave salads, barbecues, and dinner on the patio so we did all 3 before the rain came.

The boys had a friend over for a sleepover, and they all gave the broccoli salad double thumbs up other then LJ, he said I lost half a thumb because I added cheese.. He's now decided he likes cheese but only when it's grated, we'll see how long that lasts.

As most of you know I don't cater to picky eating so I left him to pick out his little orange cubes of cheese, and share them with his brother.

Just for the record he did tell me I would have gotten two thumbs up if I didn't add cheese.

This is one of those salads that can be made ahead of time or the night before and becomes even better with age as the vinaigrette soaks into the broccoli softening it just slightly.

The perfect Broccoli Salad for all of those summer barbecues, gatherings and picnics.

In a large bowl combine: 

• 2 Raw Broccoli Crowns (medium sized), chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1/4 of a Red Onion, Diced 
• 1 whole Bell Pepper, Diced

To blanch the Broccoli or not to blanch? 

I never blanch my broccoli for Broccoli Salad and it always gets devoured. I prefer to leave it a little crunchy. If time allows the longer I allow the Broccoli Salad to refrigerate the dressing will soften the broccoli just slightly without the need to blanch it and also allows it to absorb the dressing.

If you prefer softer broccoli you can blanch it for no longer than 60 seconds until bright green in a pot of boiling salted water. Rinse under cold water and drain immediately. Allow broccoli to cool fully to room temperature before assembling salad. 

Cheddar cheese is optional but goes well with this salad. You could also choose another cheese to use if you prefer.

• Add 1 cup cubed cheese.

To make the Asian Sesame Vinaigrette in a shaker jar combine: 

• 3 tablespoons Rice Vinegar
• 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons Toasted Sesame Seed Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Granulated Garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Honey
• 1 teaspoon Soy Sauce

Shake, shake, shake it up! 

Drizzle vinaigrette evenly over the top and toss until well combined.

Broccoli Salad is best refrigerated for a few hours before serving or overnight but can be eaten immediately.

Sprinkle salad with sunflower seeds.

This salad serves about 4-6 side servings but can easily be doubled, tripled, or quadruple dependent on your needs! 

I wish I would have at least doubled it for leftovers.  

Some of our favorite Picnic, Barbecue, Potluck and Party Salads are:

• Tangy Pea Salad
• Easy Greek Salad
• Dill Potato Salad 

A few other favorite ways to use broccoli are:

• Easy Oven Roasted Broccoli
• Creamy Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli
• Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Pot Pie
• Broccoli Ham and Cheese Pockets 

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Broccoli Salad, Salad Recipe, Recipe, Thanksgiving, Picnic, Potluck, Barbecue, Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch

American

Yield: 6

Author: Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch

Broccoli Salad

Crunchy Broccoli Salad in a light Asian Sesame Vinaigrette filled with bell pepper, red onion, cheddar cheese, and sunflower seeds. This is the perfect Broccoli Salad to take to your next picnic, potluck or BBQ from Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch.

Prep time: 15 MinTotal time: 15 Min

Ingredients

Broccoli Salad

• 2 Crowns Broccoli Medium Sized, Stems Peeled and Florets Cut Into Bite Sized Pieces
• 1/4 whole Red Onion, Diced
• 1 whole Bell Pepper, Seeds Removed and Diced
• 1 cup Cheddar Cheese, Cubed

Asian Sesame Vinaigrette

• 3 tablespoons Rice Vinegar
• 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons Toasted Sesame Seed Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Granulated Garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Honey
• 1 teaspoon Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos (Add A Pinch Of Salt If Using Coconut Aminos)
• 1/2 cup Shelled Sunflower Seeds

Instructions

Broccoli Salad

1. In a large bowl mix together broccoli, red onion, bell pepper, and cheddar cheese.

Asian Sesame Vinaigrette

1. In a jar with a lid add rice vinegar, olive oil, toasted sesame seed oil, granulated garlic, honey, and soy sauce. Shake until well combined.

Assemble Broccoli Salad

1. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds.
2. Serve room temperature or refrigerate until cold.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

329.5

Fat

24.64

Sat. Fat

5.99

Carbs

19.57

Fiber

6.75

Net carbs

12.82

Sugar

6.28

Protein

12.72

Sodium

211.38

Cholesterol

18.83

The nutritional information and metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or metric conversion tool.

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