Best Ever Broccoli Salad!

This is seriously the best broccoli salad I have ever eaten. Hence the name ‘Best Ever Broccoli Salad!’ If you are a fan of broccoli and want a salad that combines fresh, crunchy raw broccoli with the taste of salty and sweet, this is your salad!  This salad is perfect for Labor Day or any other barbecue or family gathering. It is also great alongside any grilled meat for a quick and healthy accompaniment to a meal. Even non-broccoli lovers will be happily munching on it, asking for more. You can be assured that if you serve it, it will be the delight of many. And you may just have a few people knocking at your door asking for the recipe.

I am getting this recipe out for you just in time for your Labor Day celebrations. Labor Day last year is when I first made this salad at a gathering with my husband’s family. I found the original recipe by Mrs. G.F. online several years ago. Then it just sat in a basket with dozens upon dozens of other recipes that I used to print with hopes of making someday and satisfying my palette. Now I use Evernote to save and collect all of the delicious recipes I find online and it is better for the environment too!

When I revisited the recipe – I knew it was a winner but made some changes to increase it’s nutrition.

I modified the recipe in several ways. First, I quadrupled the broccoli bringing you more healthy goodness. Broccoli is loaded with vitamins C & K, antioxidants and great at helping with inflammation and detoxification. The large amount of broccoli also ensures that the dressing on the salad remains very light and does not leave the salad tasting heavy or weighed down. I changed the vinegar from white to apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar offers many health benefits which is why I choose to use it in all of my recipes that call for vinegar. I reduced the sweetener (which was white cane sugar) in half and substituted honey. While the original recipe called for bacon, (which I know a lot of people love – if you are one of them, use regular bacon here!) I substituted turkey bacon which is healthier than regular bacon and lower in fat. I substituted organic mayonnaise by Spectrum which has great flavor and is much less processed. If you are not keen on using mayonnaise, feel free to experiment with Greek or plain yogurt. If you have success making substitutions, please let us know by leaving a comment!

Without further ado, here is the recipe! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I know you will. It tastes great leftover for 1-2 days. I like it so much, I often even eat the leftovers for breakfast! Good way to get your veggies in early, right?

Best Ever Broccoli Salad

• 4-5 heads of broccoli, cut into bite size flowerets
• 1 package turkey bacon*, baked and torn up
• 1 cup sunflower seeds*, I buy in bulk and get 1/2 salted and 1/2 unsalted
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cup raisins, I often throw in a few more too

Blessings, light and love,

Cynthia

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