Broccoli Delight Salad--Vegetarian

Broccoli Delight Salad is one of those foods that wake up your taste buds. It’s crunchy, sweet, sour and savoury with every bite.  

Even if you don't say it out loud your mind is shouting, "Mmmm...this is soooo good.  I want more!"  Of course, some of us do say that aloud which brings more people to the bowl which means there's less to share because everyone is thinking and saying the same thing.  Yes, this is one delicious broccoli salad.

Broccoli Delight Salad has many faces.  Just about any recipe you google contains similar ingredients, but with variations in amounts and sometimes one or two new ingredients the recipe is usually a little different on each search.  Most (maybe all) googled recipes for Broccoli Delight Salad contain bacon but because we are a vegetarian family I make it with simulated bacon bits. This satisfies the smokey, salty element to the salad.

This is a very forgiving recipe and you can make lots of substitutions as I've indicated in brackets.  The original one is my favourite but I could be coaxed to try any of the variations listed. 

Printable recipe at end of post.

Broccoli Delight Salad

• 1 or 2 heads broccoli cut into bit-size pieces to make 5-6 cups
• 1 cup golden raisins (or sultanas or dried cranberries or dried cherries)
• ¼ cup diced red onion (or green onion)
• ¼-⅓ cup simulated bacon bits
• 1 cup sunflower seeds (or pumpkin seeds, sliced almonds, etc.)

Dressing:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 3–4 tablespoons sugar or to taste
• 1–2 tablespoons cider vinegar

How to make it:
In a large bowl toss broccoli pieces, raisins, diced onion, simulated bacon bits and sunflower seeds together.

In a small bowl mix the dressing ingredients together.   Start with the lowest amount of sugar and vinegar and taste to see if this is sweet and tangy enough for your taste and adjust accordingly.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.   Chill for at least 1 hour.  Before serving stir the salad to evenly distribute the dressing.  Transfer to a nice serving bowl.  (Make sure you make no comments on how good this is because there may not be any left for your plate.)

Yummy!

Makes 6-8 servings. 

The ingredients for Broccoli Delight Salad... broccoli, raisins, simulated bacon bits, red onions, sunflower seeds.

Mix all salad ingredients in a large bowl.

To make the dressing, mix the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar together.  Taste and adjust the sugar and vinegar, if needed.

Toss the dressing with the salad ingredients. Chill for at least one hour.

Place the salad in a pretty serving bowl.

See all those delicious ingredients.  The dressing pulls it all together in one tasty, mouthwatering salad.

Broccoli Delight Salad makes a tasty dish at a family dinner.

Just one more mouthful.  

There won't be any salad left if I don't stop tasting.

Delightful Broccoli Delight Salad.

To print click on arrow upper right side.⇩