Broccoli Salad

Crunchy Broccoli Salad in a light sesame vinaigrette filled with bell pepper, red onion, cheddar cheese and sunflower seeds makes this a delicious salad for summer time barbecues, gatherings and picnics.

 

This recipes comes from my sweet seester-in-law Dana, 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 salad for all of those summer barbecues, gatherings and picnics.

In a large bowl combine 2 broccoli crowns (medium sized), chopped into bite sized pieces, 1/4 of a red onion diced and 1 whole bell pepper.

Cheddar cheese is optional but goes well with this salad. Add 1 cup cubed cheese.

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 and 1 teaspoon Soy Sauce.

Just shake it up! 

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

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 what your needs! 

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

Broccoli Salad

Recipe by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch

Crunchy Broccoli Salad in a light sesame vinaigrette filled with bell pepper, red onion, cheddar cheese and sunflower seeds.

Prep time: PT15M
Cook time: PT0M
Total time: PT15M
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients

• 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
• 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
• 1/2 cup Shelled Sunflower Seeds

Cooking Directions

1. In a large bowl mix together broccoli, red onion, bell pepper and cheddar cheese.
2. 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.
3. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds.