Crunchy Broccoli Salad Recipe

Reviewed on Apr. 01, 2013 by PerlaRose

Served this for Easter dinner this year and it was a HUGE hit...GREAT FLAVOR...Will definitely be making this again.

Reviewed on Mar. 31, 2013 by geopchick

My husband and I both loved this, though my son (who's normally a broccoli fan) was not keen on the cranberries. I was happy to have leftovers for lunch this week!

Reviewed on Mar. 14, 2013 by vsbell

Love this salad. A nice change to the usual mayo dressing types. No changes needed here!

Reviewed on Mar. 04, 2013 by christycincy

My boyfriend has been trying to lighten up and eat healthier, but he does not like raw broccoli and I am not fond of it either. I blanched the broccoli for 2 minutes as a few people had recommended in previous comments and it was perfect. We both loved it! It was also easy to make and what little we had left tasted better the next day. Great light recipe!

Reviewed on Jan. 13, 2013 by hershaw

This salad was instantly adopted as a favorite at our house and my companion has requested it be served on a weekly basis.

Reviewed on Aug. 23, 2012 by G.R.I.T.S.

I made this for Easter dinner 2012 and our guests kept calling me for the recipe. The rice vinegar gives the salad a very nice flavor. I would recommend this recipe over and over.

Reviewed on Jul. 28, 2012 by LBurkey

Good salad

Reviewed on Jul. 10, 2012 by nmbygodsgrace

I tripled this recipe for a huge church meal this past Sunday. People who don't like broccoli even scarfed it down! I tripled the main ingredients, but I had to make five times the amount of dressing for it to be moist enough. Worked like a charm, and I had a few people asking for the recipe! Enjoy!

Reviewed on May. 19, 2012 by wasoongu

Yummy! Light and fresh flavor; sweet and salty. I did substitute turkey bacon.

Reviewed on May. 03, 2012 by micheleclow

This wasn't bad, but it just didn't have as much flavor as another broccoli salad I make. This rating is more for me so I know not to try it again.

Reviewed on Apr. 16, 2012 by patshappymom

Have now made this at least 5 times and it disappears in 2 days! My husband loves it as well as everyone I serve it to!

Reviewed on Apr. 16, 2012 by rumbamel

My oil was a bit old and I didn't have any rice vinegar so I use Red Wine vinegar. It was pretty good. I always use real bacon bits instead of having to cook bacon.

I did blanch the broccoli and it was great. I felt like I needed to use the water for something afterwards so I made some mac n cheese for the kids for dinner. (I only halved the recipe of salad).

Reviewed on Apr. 08, 2012 by grjen

I made this with the following changes: olive and white vinegar (what I already had on hand) and one 3 green onions. I thought this was delicious and light. It had just the right sweetness and crunch. I will definitely made this again.

Reviewed on Apr. 08, 2012 by AdeleDegnan

Made for Easter dinner family get together. Most of it got eaten, but no applause. I may try this again with a basic slaw dressing

Reviewed on Apr. 06, 2012 by 421serenity

It's one of my families favorite salads for summer.

Reviewed on Apr. 05, 2012 by iamwildcookie

Love this broccoli salad...I have made it several times and everyone loves it too. If you do not have cranberries use raisins they are a great substitute..

Reviewed on Apr. 04, 2012 by RHergenroeder

Very good, my husband really likes it too. I blanched the broc first. The favors really come together when you let sit in the frig overnight, before serving.

Reviewed on Apr. 01, 2012 by ladydydy

Very yummy...a great use of broccoli

Reviewed on Mar. 18, 2012 by Nonna5554

It was a good recipe and the veggies kept their crunch. I did use a little extra bacon, and blanched the veggies for a brief 15 seconds. This gave them the bright green appearance while still maintaining the integrity of a raw salad. Since I didn't have cranberries, I sprinkled the salad with a bleu cheese cranberry crumble before serving.

Reviewed on Mar. 12, 2012 by ferretmama

Have made this one regularly for several years. Sometimes use red onion instead of green. We don't care for raisins mixed in so I sub. mandarin orange slices -- they're easy to peel and so worth the effort.

Reviewed on Mar. 12, 2012 by kranenburgk

My husband and I made this easy and delicious salad to go with our hamburgers on the grill!! We will definitely make it again. It is very easy and the leftovers stored well.

Reviewed on Mar. 11, 2012 by Kay oliver

This is aholiday favorite for years. Usually has raisins but since I don't care for them I have used green grapes halved. - delicious. My family always thought grapes were the normal ingredient.

Reviewed on Mar. 11, 2012 by jkids

i thought it was amazing

Reviewed on Mar. 10, 2012 by Chef KatyJ

To blanch means to bring water to a boil , should be just enough to cover your broccoli, I add a little salt to flavor the broccoli, and to cook in the water maybe 3 to 5 minutes. It will brighten the broccoli to a lovely green and soften it some so it is not so "raw / crunchy".  Don't cook it too long however or it can get soggy. Just long enough to be "crisp / tender "  especially for this salad.  But your not finished yet.  To stop the broccoli from becoming soggy because it is hot when you remove it from the boiling water, you must stop the cooking by plunging in an ice bath~  which is simply a bowl of water with ice cubes. When it feels cool to you then remove,  drain well and pat dry. Now you are ready to proceed with salad and your broccoli should be a beautiful green color. Have fun!!

Reviewed on Mar. 10, 2012 by skippydel13zone6KY

Just remember if you are using truly fresh (not gassed from mass producing to kill worms) you need to do the blanching and plunge in ice water cause a worm is NOT good to eat and it happens and like a previous reviewer, its still crisp.

Reviewed on Mar. 10, 2012 by Kaybee1

I realize I am late to the game, but blanching really helps if, like me, you don't like raw broccoli. Don't blanch for longer than 2 min or it gets mushy. Also, I use homemade mayo instead of canola oil (although I use commercial if I take to a potluck) also use organic honey instead of sugar...don't think any of this changes the taste. Nice recipe!!

Reviewed on Mar. 10, 2012 by kiltyone

The only reason I am giving this one star but it is because Broccoli, cauliflower or any other cruciferous vegie should be blanched in boiling water for at least 3 minutes and immediately cooled. This type of vegie harbors any number of pathogens or bugs, worms and even infant snails and one should really blanch first any raw vegie.

Keep yourself healthy. Treatments for Parasites are not pleasent.

Reviewed on Mar. 10, 2012 by TX-sashay

I love this recipe...and like it with raisins as well. Does kiltyone have a stick up her back side or what? WHO blanches vegetables for a salad? NO ONE. This is a great spring recipe...fresh and alive tasting.

Reviewed on Mar. 10, 2012 by dsicard

Have used this recipe for several years....one of the best!

Reviewed on Mar. 10, 2012 by Honeydawn

One of my sure to please salads! I often add either seedless green grapes, cut in half or golden raisins...and I use a good cole slaw prepared dressing...saves lots of time and very yummy:)

Reviewed on Mar. 10, 2012 by allenakt

HAVEN'T MADE YET, BUT WILL, I GAVE IT 5 STARS BECAUSE I LIKE ALL INGREDIENTS LISTED, AND ALSO HAVE USED THAT "SLAW" BOTTLED DRESSING, ALTHOUGH IT ISN'T CHEAP.

I AM 65 AND LEARNING MY WAY AROUND THE KITCHEN, SO I AM WONDERING WHAT IT MEANS TO "BLANCH."

Reviewed on Mar. 10, 2012 by coreena

use fresh cranberries bit sour, but better for you

Reviewed on Mar. 10, 2012 by dak97

I have been making a very similar version of this recipe for 20 years - it is so delicious. I will try this version soon!

Reviewed on Mar. 10, 2012 by mojomo

L:ove this recipe however, I don't like the big chuncks of the florets, so I buy the shredded broccoli in the bag, like the carrots. It is still crunchy but I like the presentation better.

Reviewed on Mar. 10, 2012 by rickymom1

very good crunchy

Reviewed on Mar. 10, 2012 by CurlyChef

I've made this salad before, and sometimes use raisins instead of cranberries. I find it best made 2 hours prior to serving.

Reviewed on May. 28, 2011 by Mitla96

I took this to a work party where it literally was the only healthy dish at the party. THIS was more popular than brownies. It is yummy-yummy.

Reviewed on Apr. 21, 2011 by valcomm5

I would replace Cranberries with cauliflower

Reviewed on Apr. 21, 2011 by Roxie2010

Family favorite for years. Hint if you're pressed for time or feeling lazy: Buy a jar of Marzetti Slaw Dressing (or the lite version of same) and use that for the dressing. Really can't tell the difference.

Reviewed on Apr. 21, 2011 by arkypam

I haven't tried this but plan to soon. I just wanted to comment that the American Dietetic Association believes that washing your broccoli in cool water is sufficient. Blanching is not necessary

Reviewed on Apr. 21, 2011 by jenngamm1

I have been making this for years and my family loves it. :)

Reviewed on Apr. 21, 2011 by kiltyone

You all seem to be forgetting that this salad should be made using only blanched broccoli or other vegetables. There are too many pathogens and other critters living in unblanced products. In todays world with all the recalls be sure and blanch your products at least three mins and then plunge into ice water so everything is still very crispy.

Reviewed on Apr. 21, 2011 by PrestonCountyCook

I love this broccoli salad recipe. It is even better after a night in the refrigerator marinating.

Reviewed on Apr. 03, 2011 by sands351

Excellent. I have made this twice now and it's a permanent recipe in our house. I did leave out the bacon and added extra cranberries. Very good dressing. Not overbearing.

Reviewed on Nov. 09, 2010 by howdu

Very good. I used cider vinegar instead of rice, vidalia onion instead of green, and pumpkin seeds instead of sunflower. Didn't have the originals called for, and felt these were close subs. The dressing is just enough to cover thoroughly without drowining the broccoli. I'll make it again.

Reviewed on Jul. 25, 2010 by kkoerner

Awesome, fast & easy!!

Reviewed on Jul. 14, 2010 by twhite67

We LOVE this recipe. It tastes so good. We are happy just eating it alone and without anything else. It is so good.

Reviewed on Jun. 13, 2010 by lap84

Light & sweet and so yummy. Even the family members not so crazy about brocolli -loved it!

Reviewed on May. 10, 2010 by chandyc

Wow...this salad is so good. The tangy, sweet and salty taste works well together. Everyone wants me to make this dish at family gatherings.

Reviewed on May. 08, 2010 by pososkid

FANTASTIC! I love the combination of the dressing with the cranberries with the saltiness of the almonds (I used sliced almonds instead of sunflower kernels). So good!

Reviewed on Apr. 23, 2010 by MrsMetz

This was even better than I anticipated! I reduced the oil to 1 tablespoon and used real bacon bits. Next time I will try reducing the sugar and the seeds to lower the calories further. I can't wait to have my leftovers tonight!

Reviewed on Apr. 21, 2010 by nepatriotsfan@hotmail.com

I used regular vinegar with some sugar in it and it was amazing. it is better after it sits in refrigerator for a couple of days. would definetly make it again.

Reviewed on Apr. 14, 2010 by lwmvca

This recipe is amazing! I have made it numerous times. It's really good days after you make it.

Reviewed on Mar. 26, 2010 by clanks

great salad. Tastes as good as traditional one made with mayo. Will definitely make again.