Broccoli Salad

This Broccoli Salad is an easy, crunchy, and lightly sweetened side salad that’s perfect for BBQs and more! Made with fresh broccoli, grapes, cheese, sunflower seeds, bacon, and a delightful dressing!

This Broccoli Salad is going to be an absolute hit with friends and family! It’s loaded with crunchy broccoli florets, salt bits of bacon, sweet red grapes, and so much more!

A few weeks ago at a family get-together, my mother-in-law whipped up this salad. Normally, I’m not a huge fan of broccoli slaws and salads because I always find them to have an unpleasant amount of mayo and vinegar.

I reluctantly tried a little bit… don’t want to upset the mother-in-law, amirite?

Well, needless to say… I went back for seconds and then another two bowls of this Broccoli Salad that night! It was sooooo good!

I asked her where she got the recipe and she said one of her best friends had been making it for years. Clearly, I’ve been missing out on this vintage recipe!

So what was it about this broccoli salad that made me actually like love it?

SUGAR!

Yup, that’s right… this fresh salad has sugar in it and it completely changes the dynamic of the dressing… for the better!

It’s not sweet like a dessert, but it cuts the mayo and vinegar perfectly and pairs nicely with the saltiness of the bacon. Add the crunch of the broccoli and a few extra bits of deliciousness and this salad is a real winner!

How To Make It

This is a really simple recipe to make, simply cut broccoli crowns into small florets and add to a large bowl along with the bacon pieces, sunflower seeds, cheddar cheese, and grapes to the mix.

In a small bowl, whisk together mayo and red wine vinegar and add it and the sugar to the broccoli mixture and toss until evenly coated.

Let chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

Do I Need to Blanch the Broccoli in this Salad?

I don’t, but you can, if you do, make sure to let broccoli cool before mixing it with other ingredients.

How Do You Blanch Broccoli?

Once your pot of water begins to boil, carefully place the cut broccoli into the boiling water. Begin counting blanching time once the water returns to a boil. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

I loved that I could make this salad up in less than 20 minutes and I didn’t have to cook anything as you do with pasta and potato salads.

So, it might be late in the season, but I urge you to make an excuse to whip up this broccoli salad and serve it alongside some BBQ Chicken!

You won’t regret it and your friends and family will be begging for the simple and sweet recipe!

Is Broccoli Salad Good For You?

I’m no dietician, but I would say that while it’s not bad for you, it’s not a lean side dish. If you want to lighten this dish up, try an apple cider vinegar and an olive oil mayonnaise, and probably skip the sugar (sad, I know).

More Summer Inspired Recipes!

• Strawberry Spinach Salad
• Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad
• Sangria Slushies
• Antipasti Pasta Salad
• Spaghetti Salad
• Strawberry Daiquiri

Let’s Connect!

If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how you liked it in the comments below and leave a review. I love hearing from you!

Don’t forget to tag me – @sugarandsoulco – on Instagram and Pinterest with your photos or join our Sugar & Soul Show-offs Community and share them there, where you can join our recipe challenges!