After posting the Bunny Tail Cake Balls yesterday, I thought I'd go "lighter" today and post a salad. Â Specifically, Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Homemade Sweet & Sour Dressing.
In about a zillion other places, this is called Oriental Broccoli Salad. Â But who wants to be like everybody else? Â Not me!! So I call it Crunchy Broccoli Salad and it is one of most favorite salads ever.
Now, since it is actually posted in about a zillion other places (as I've already mentioned), you may all already know about this recipe.
But if by some miracle, you haven't had this salad before - I'd encourage you to give it a try!  It's pretty easy to put together and it's really really good.
It has multiple flavors: Â the dressing has vinegar and sugar. Â There are pecans and Ramen noodles and butter... and broccoli and lettuce (of course).
But I must warn you - it makes a lot and for us, it's not a good salad for leftovers . Â Even with my large family of 8, this makes more than we can eat in a meal.
So... what's a girl to do who loves this salad, but hates to throw out the extra? Â I make it for large family get-togethers... like Easter. Â Or I make it for Potluck dinners at church.
And it's always, always, always a hit!
One more thing about this salad... I had a hard time getting a picture of it that really captured how yummy it is.
I love the overall look of these pictures, but you can't see the dressing that I drizzled over it all. Â It's there, I promise - you just can't really see it.
And I had to individually place every single pecan and ramen noodle... because they wouldn't play nice and sit right on top to have their picture taken! Â Darned uncooperative foods!! Â Â Â Â
So if you make this salad, be sure to let me know what you think!
You might also like to try my Spinach, Strawberry & Artichoke Salad... spring is in the air and I can't wait to whip out all of my favorite salad recipes!
PrintRecipe
Crunchy Broccoli Salad & Homemade Sweet & Sour Dressing
Ingredients
Salad:
- 1 head of Romaine lettuce or Green Leaf Lettuce
- 1 large bunch of broccoli (crowns only)
Crunchy Toppings
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 package Ramen noodles, crumbled up into small pieces
- 1 stick of butter
- chopped green onions (optional - I skip 'em because I don't "do" raw onion)
Sweet & Sour Dressing:
Instructions
- For the salad, finely tear the lettuce and chop the broccoli. Toss together, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- For the crunchy toppings, start by melting the butter in a skillet. When the butter is hot (careful not to scorch it!), add the pecans and broken noodles; cook until brown and crispy. Drain on a paper towel and store in a Ziploc (with paper towel) until ready to serve.
- For dressing, heat vinegar in the microwave until boiling (1-2 minutes). Add the sugar, then shake or stir vigorously until dissolved. Add soy sauce and oil and shake again. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Immediately before serving, toss the salad and toppings together. Shake dressing until mixed well and pour over the other ingredients, lightly tossing it until it's all coated!
- This salad can be prepared ahead of time and mixed up at the last minute.
Love broccoli? Â Check out my other recipes here:
Easy Broccoli Rice & Cheese Casserole
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken with Steamed Broccoli
Suzie
Loved this and I simply love your blog. You have a new follower & fan! Thankful to find your blog at the motivation monday hop yay!
Marie
This looks super yummy! I love broccoli in my salads anyway so a salad that features it is even better. 🙂 Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday this week!
Cynthia Rusincovitch
I adore sweet and sour dressing! It makes salads feel like the perfect meal. Thanks for linking up with Delicious Dishes Link Party!