After posting the Bunny Tail Cake Balls yesterday, I thought I'd go "lighter" today and post a salad. Specifically, Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Homemade Sweet & Sour Dressing.
In about a zillion other places, this is called Oriental Broccoli Salad. But who wants to be like everybody else? 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: the dressing has vinegar and sugar. 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 . 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? I make it for large family get-togethers... like Easter. 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. 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! Darned uncooperative foods!!
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? 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!