Broccoli is a vegetable that has its origins in Italy and belongs to the cabbage family. In fact its Italian name is Broccolo which means "cabbage sprout" and this vegetable provides wonderful taste and texture to a meal. It is crunchy in the stem region and the flowery potion is rather soft. This vegetable is extremely nutritious and can be easily used to cook up a wonderful salad that is extremely healthy too. Broccoli in its raw nature tastes quite like cabbage or cauliflower. But some people may not like the raw florets and for that you can blanch the broccoli for a minute or two. This will make it taste much better. Blanching the broccoli also brings out the green color and makes it look beautiful. Here are some wonderful broccoli salad recipes.

Broccoli salad with bacon and almonds

Ingredients

• 5-6 cups fresh broccoli (around 1 pound Broccoli florets)
• ½ cup toasted almonds (slivered)
• ½ cup crumbled and cooked bacon
• ¼ cup chopped red onion
• 1 cup fresh peas (thawed if the peas are frozen)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons vinegar (apple cider)
• ¼ cup honey

Process

• Get a pot of water and add some salt to it. Bring the water in the pot to a boil. Add broccoli to the water and let it cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain the hot water in the pot and put the broccoli in ice water. Let it cool. Don't cook the broccoli in hot water for too long or it will turn mushy.
• Mix the broccoli florets in a large bowl with the crumbled bacon and other ingredients such as almonds, chopped onion and peas. In another bowl whisk the mayonnaise together with honey and cider vinegar. Add this dressing and salt to the salad and toss the salad so as to mix well. Chill the salad and then serve.
• You can also add sunflower seeds and raisins to give it a rich taste. Alternatively you can also use balsamic vinegar.

Broccoli salad with cauliflower

Ingredients

• A bunch of broccoli (separate the florets)
• 1 cauliflower head (separate the florets)
• 1 cup raisins
• ½ cup chopped onions
• ¾ cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup vinegar

Process

• Blanch the broccoli and cauliflower florets as mentioned earlier. In a large bowl mix the broccoli and the cauliflower florets with the raisins, chopped onions and sunflower seeds. In another bowl mix the mayonnaise with the vegetable oil, vinegar and sugar and whisk this dressing well.
• Add the dressing to the salad and toss it well. Serve chilled.

Broccoli Bacon Salad with tomatoes and cheese

Ingredients

• A bunch of broccoli (separate the florets)
• 8 slices of bacon (crumpled)
• ½ cup raisins
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese (cut in tiny pieces)
• ½ cup chopped red onion
• ½ cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons vinegar (white)
• ¼ cup sugar
• Freshly ground pepper
• Salt to taste

 Process

• Blanch the broccoli as indicated and drain the water. In a bowl mix the broccoli with bacon, onion, cheese, raisins and cherry tomatoes. In another bowl mix the mayonnaise with vinegar and sugar.
• Toss the salad with the dressing and add freshly ground pepper and salt. Serve chilled.

Marinated Broccoli salad with Tomatoes

Ingredients

• A bunch of broccoli (separate the florets)
• ¾ cup olives (drained and pitted)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• ¼ cup fresh mushrooms
• 1/3 cup olive oil (Salad oil can also be used)
• 1 minced onion
• 1 finely chopped garlic clove
• 2 tablespoon parsley (freshly chopped)
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ tablespoon salt
• ¼ tablespoon pepper (freshly ground)

Process

• Blanch the broccoli as indicated and drain the water. Trim the mushrooms and mix broccoli, olives, tomatoes and mushrooms in a bowl.
• Mix the oil, vinegar, onion, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, pepper and salt in another bowl and blend these ingredients well. Pour the dressing over the salad. Refrigerate the bowl after covering it for around 3 hours and then serve. 

Broccoli Salad with Pasta

Ingredients

• A bunch of broccoli (separate the florets)
• 2 cups pasta (spiral acroni)
• 1 medium can of black olives (pitted and sliced)
• 2 cup fresh mushrooms
• 1 small jar of Pimento
• 1 bottle Italian salad dressing

Process

• Cook the pasta well and then cool it. Blanch or steam the broccoli so that it is tender with a hint of crispiness. Clean and slice the mushrooms. Mix all the ingredients. Toss the salad with Italian salad dressing and serve.

Thai Broccoli Salad

Ingredients

• 3 Cups Broccoli florets
• ½ cup red bell pepper (chopped)
• ¼ cup green onion (sliced)
• ¼ cup peanut butter (Creamy or chunky)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 garlic (crushed)
• ¼ tablespoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons vinegar (white)

Process

• In a bowl mix the peanut butter with sugar, sesame oil, lime juice, red pepper flakes and soy sauce. Blend the mixture well.
• Take a large skillet and heat the vegetable oil till it is medium hot. Stir fry broccoli, pepper, onions and garlic in this skillet for a few minutes till the vegetables are tender and crispy. In a separate bowl put the cooked vegetables and add the peanut butter mixture. Serve hot.