Green Week
Crunchy Broccoli Salad
Welcome to the last day of Green Week!
It has been a little quiet here on the blog this week – maybe you don’t like green food?!
Today’s recipe is the perfect side dish to go along with your flank steak with pesto. When I started eating green food, at least something other than green beans, one of the first things I learned to like was broccoli. I prefer my broccoli raw, I am not a big fan of cooked broccoli but I will eat it in Chinese food such as Beef & Broccoli. Just don’t overcook the broccoli.
My favorite way to eat broccoli though is in broccoli salad. I have shared my favorite broccoli salad recipe here before. Today’s recipe is a lighter version – Crunchy Broccoli Salad. I love the crunchy part especially!
It is a combination of broccoli (I like mine cut up small), green onions, bacon, ramen noodles, butter and chopped pecans. Lots of crunch!
It is all coated with a nice light dressing.
It’s a fresh and delicious side dish for any meal but is just the perfect shade of green for your St. Patrick’s Day celebration. I love all the texture that is in this dish, the crisp broccoli and bacon and the crunch of the nuts and ramen noodles.
Recipe slightly adapted from CJaneinthekitchen
Ingredients
- 1 large head broccoli, cut into small pieces
- 4-6 green onions, sliced
- 1 lb. bacon, cooked crisp and in small pieces
- 2 packages of Ramen noodles, crushed. Throw away the seasoning packet
- 4 Tbsp melted butter
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- 1 C canola oil
- 1/2 C red wine vinegar
- 1 C sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Mix butter, nuts and crushed noodles together. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake until lightly brown at 350 degrees. Stir occasionally. About 10 minutes. Set aside to cool
- Mix together chopped broccoli, onions, bacon and noodle/nut mixture.
- Mix together the dressing ingredients.
- Toss with dressing right before serving.
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Well, I for one love green foods! I will definitely be trying this delicious looking broccoli salad!
Jessica J recently posted..Insomnia + Jessica= Mrs Grumpus
Lighter and healthier??? 1 cup canola oil and bacon and 4 TB butter.
What was it before?
Ok so not that much healthier – but lighter. The original recipe used mayo.
That looks delicious. Cant wait to try it.
That looks really good. Can’t wait to try it.
Looks good.! But I really like the unhealthier version! It would be hard to beat!
You’re right Melissa that version of mayo is so good!
That looks delicious! I love anything with broccoli, truly I do!
I have sme in my fridge, all the ingredients, I belive I will get in the kitchen and make some for supper right now.
Thanks for the recipe. I just came across your blog on stumbleupon. Glad I did, I signed up for your emails.
Mary – glad you found me!
Leigh Anne,
I made that salad to go with our supper Friday night, we loved it so much that I am making it again to go with tonights supper. Is a very good recipe. Thanks for posting it.
So glad you enjoyed it. It’s a great way to eat your veggies!
I love broccoli salads. We’re having this with Sunday dinner this weekend. Thanks for the recipe!
Karen recently posted..Some Reasons To Love America
This looks delish; I’m not fan of raw onion but I would imagine a sprinkle of onion powder in the dressing mix would suffice?
Vicki recently posted..Where there’s stuffing…
Would think that would be fine and give it a little onion flavor – enjoy!
I wouldn’t have thought to put bacon, noodles and broccoli together but it looks like it works! I can’t wait to try it. Thanks.
Most people around here make that salad with coleslaw mix – the cabbage chopped up in a bag. All the other ingredients are similar. I hear there’s even a broccoli slaw mix, so you could use it to get a similar taste to yours but change the texture up a little.
And I have a friend that toasts her ramen noodles before throwing them in the salad – it’s heavenly. You’ll have to try it sometime.
I’ll try your way with the whole chopped broccoli head. It’ll be nice to take to a potluck. Thanks for the idea!!
This was SO good but I did change the dressing up a bit. I thought those measurements would make too much dressing. I don’t like my salad swimming. I used barely 1/2 cup oil, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, teaspoon soy sauce, 1/2 cup sugar, and whisked that all together. Really spectacular. Who knew toasted ramen noodles was such a treat!!! Where has this trick been all my life!?