Bodacious Broccoli Salad

This recipe is so good, my whole family loved it. My dad wanted me to make more, so he could take it to work the next day. since he is on a diet, i used non-fat plain yogurt instead of mayo and he didnt even know the differnace. using the yogurt instead of the mayo cut out a lot of the fat, and not a lot of the taste. will continue to make this recipe with yogurt.

I have made a version of this for years. I thought this one might be a different and delicious change. Not so... This was way too peppery, too much cheese and the red wine vinegar(and the lemon juice) made it almost bitter.

I love this salad! I use one head of cauliflower and one head of broccoli and the combination is remarkable. Great for pot-lucks.

I used a yellow onion as that is what I had and it worked fine. I think the cheddar cheese is a must. I would recommend chopping the broccoli rather small in order to incorporate the dressing for best flavor. Very good recipe.

Loved this dish. It's very pretty and easy to build and delicious. Couple of suggestions especially with some of the negative comments from other reviews in mind. 1st, cook the broccoli, it not only tenderizes it, it changes the flavor…I used steamed leftover broccoli and my wife and teen son loved it. You can choose the level of al dente to be satisfied with. Use the red onion but cook it just enough to knock down the “brightness” of the onion flavor. Use a dry, non-stick pan, and just cook it enough to dry it out a bit…don’t cook so much you start to change the color, and let it keep most of it’s crunchy texture. A word about the “bitter” flavor some reviewers ran into. There wasn’t a hint of it in our dish. Is it possible that these folks were using pre-squeezed products? If so, have to recommend against it. Bitterness is most likely from seeds or from product that’s turned in the fridge. But, really, just created the recipe as written…including the sugar, and loved it. Good this next day, too.

The salad was very good and I will definitely make again. I did not use the recommended amount of pepper after reading the other reviews. I used about 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper.

This was very good. I used a bag of frozen cut broccoli and splenda.

It was great! I bought fresh broccoli floweretts at the bulk food store and chopped them. I also substituted Splenda for the sugar to use in our low-carb diet. My husband really loved it

Easy, tangy and good.

This recipe was ok.

The salad is served with raw brocolli, as one reader asked. I have made the recipe with the following. 2 bunches broccoli, 8 slices of fried bacon, 3/4 cup cheddar or swiss cheese - grated, 1 thinly slice red or white onion. Toss together. For the dressing: 1 cup mayo (no miracle whip) 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons white vinegar. Pour over broccoli mixture before eating or ahead of time, the longer it sets, the better tasting.(I have doubled the dressing mixture, we like a saucy texture to this salad. This broccoli salad has been around for a while, but once you make it, you always come back for the recipe. (bacon bits can be substituted for the bacon, although better tasting with fried bacon).

My family loves this salad. I add sunflower seeds and raisens.

Super easy salad! I used a package of real bacon bits instead of frying up some bacon. Left all the other measurements the same. Loved the dressing this made, I didn't find anything to overpower another. I did, however, mix this up in the evening and let it sit over night. I think that probably helped the flavors to really come together.

I've been making this for several years now, and have made a small change. Instead of the red wine vinegar and lemon juice, I substitute balsamic vinegar, and no lemon juice. Add 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat for even more flavor!

Delicious.......I just made and can hardly wait to see how it tastes tomorrow!! I didn't have red onion....only brown and it was a little strong. Hopefully it will mellow overnight. Thanks!

Made this last night with French Dip sandwiches. To die for. Boyfriend asked me to make more today, so I did this morning. I did as others had indicated and increased the amount of mayo to make it a bit creamier. I also increased the amounts a little bit as it didn't seem like enough dressing. We loved it. Will definitely make again (I already have and it's only the next day!). Oh, and use 1/2 the pepper! Okay, I'm updating this review two days after originally posting. Boyfriend wants me to make it AGAIN (I've already made it twice two days in a row!). You've got to try it! I've got to go buy some more broccoli...

This is a delicious salad. A great way to enjoy broccoli. I used real bacon bits from the jar and used 3 broccoli crowns. I also added roasted sunflower kernels and raisins for texture and crunch. I used fat free grated cheddar cheese. I am going to take this to a ladies' Christmas lunch because it is so good. Thanks for the great recipe.

made it as is.. the dressing is awesome. I forgot the cheese but added some choppped pecans and raisins and it was awesome@

5 stars IF you cut the pepper to 1/2 a tsp instead of 2 tsp. I also substituted nonfat greek yogurt for the mayo.

Too peppery and a bit bitter from the one we're used to. Also, the second day, the flavors hadn't melded more, just more bitter.

This recipe was a huge hit! I have made it quite a few times now and always blanch the broccoli first. Even my 7 year old niece loves it!

I added cauliflower to this recipe as well. I took it to an event at our church, I got many compliments on it, and when I was walking by one of the tables I heard one guy say, "whoever made this brocolli salad rocks!" Will definately make this salad again, but may leave out some of the onion next time, It was slightly overpowering for me, althoug everyone else seemed to like it.

When my wife asked me what I was making, I told her, Broccoli Salad. She made a disgusted face. "Sounds terrible." I took a spoonful, stuck it in her maw and watched her expression change. "Take me now."

Fabulous! I substituted half the mayo with plain yogurt and added walnuts and dried cranberries...so good!!

Awesome salad! I have made this several times. We like it with shelled sunflower seeds added to it as well.

This is very good, someone brought a similar salad to work and it was good but the broccoli was too crunchy (hard)a complaint I heard by a few others. When I found this recipe I very lightly blanched then chilled my broccoli. I also used only a tsp. of pepper....yummy good stuff!

We had guests for dinner who are doing a loose version of the South Beach Diet (low carbs). I made this using a sugar substitute and light mayo in the dressing and it turned out just fine.

The Best!! I add toasted almonds to this

Good dish. Others complained it was too tangy and tart. I found it to be fine. We did adjust the recipe by doubling the dressing. We all agreed that it was better once we doublled the recipe and allowed it to marniade.

I made this twice this weekend and I strongly recommend adding about HALF the black pepper first, taste it, then add more if needed. My first batch was VERY peppery. The second one turned out better. I liked it.

We all devoured this salad, even the kids! Very easy, and a delicious blend of ingredients. I, too, quickly blanched the broccoli as I find raw broccoli just too crunchy. Blanching it brought out the flavour in the broccoli while maintaining the crunchy texture for the salad. This will be made many times over! Thanks so much for sharing it!

I have been making this amazing salad for years and it is always a favorite at family gatherings. Instead of two heads of broccoli, I started using one head each of broccoli and cauliflower, and it is delicious! Bear in mind that this dish is best after it has been refrigerated for a few hours. The dressing needs time to settle in, and permeate through the broccoli (and cauliflower in my case). It always tastes just slightly off when you eat it immediately.

This is to die for! I cooked the bacon in the microwave to get it super crunchy, and had to eliminate the lemon juice because I was out of it. Didn't matter.....it was delicious. Will be making it again this weekend for a bbq. Can hardly wait!

This was great! My boyfriend wasn't sure about eating raw broccoli when I told him about the recipe but in the end he devoured it and almost licked the plate clean. Tasty sauce and we loved the cheese and bacon in there. I used white wine vinegar and doubled the dressing to coat evenly. I chopped and crisped just one chicken breast and topped the salad with it - made a great, healthy feeling meal. Thanks.

this was very good. I did add shredded carrots and cauliflower and sunflower seeds. Dressing was excellent.

This was OK--WAAAYYY too much pepper with 2 tsp! I only used one and that was over the top pepper-y. I did not read other reviews, just had my son read it to me as I was making it =-) Double checked with him 3 times with that amount and he finally said that I could just do what I wanted! It seems like there is way too much cheese in here too-- guess this one isn't my favorite form. (I did add some raisins to try to combat the pepper--not a complete fix but I do like raisins in my broccoli salad)

This is an absolute FAVORITE! I have been making this recipe for a year now and continue to expand the list of fans across the country. We find this to be a satisfying lunch unto itself. The only modification I make is to add somewhat less sugar than called for here. Be sure to use SHARP cheese. Yellow cheese as opposed to white, adds to the visual appeal.

The red wine vinegar and lemon juice made the dressing far too bitter. I tried adding some raisins and more sugar but the recipe was a flop. I've asked my friend for her broccoli salad recipe- I KNOW hers is good!

I've been making this since 2003, and the only change is that I leave out the onions. I've gotten many requests for the recipe over the years, and it's my go-to when asked to bring a dish, summer, winter, spring, and fall! Some reviewers have complained that it's too peppery, but that's personal preference. Try it! You'll become addicted!

I make a similar salad on a regular basis as it is everyones favorite - the only difference is I also add 1 cup red grapes - halved, and 1/2 cup salted, peeled sunflower seeds - tastes great!!

I got one word-BIZARRE! I think it would be good without the pepper. I even used half of the recommended amount and it really tasted funny. My husband said he wanted to like it but then you just get this weird taste in your mouth. The pepper throws everything off. Word of caution-make the dressing without the pepper than take a teaspoon out and try it with the pepper to see if you like it before ruining the whole dish. I wish I would of done this!

This was a great salad dish for our Thanksgiving. I did blanch the broccoli and used a bit less salt and pepper and it was just great! The kids liked it too. My only mistake was not making more.

I will try this again with less vinegar and black pepper and maybe add a little garlic.

Did not like it

My family LOVED this recipe! I did make some alterations though. I used Splenda instead of sugar, and 1/2 cup mayo instead of 2/3, and 1/8 cup red wine vinegar instead of 1/4.

Faboo! It's absolutely perfect. I don't think it calls for too much pepper, and my family didn't complain (they don't like pepper).

This was a great recipe! We were looking for a non-traditional salad and this will defiantly be a staple in our house. The only thing I would change is adding only 1/3 red onion. :)

This recipe looks fantastic! I look forward to making it. I have made a similar dish, one that I discovered at a church pot-luck. Just mix together fresh broccoli flowerets, sunflower seeds (the more, the better), and honey mustard dressing. Dee-lish!

Amazing! Great flavor and loved the combination of broccoli, bacon and cheese. I cheated and used 2 bags of pre-washed broccoli from the grocery store, and crisped up a bag of Oscar Mayer recipe-sized bacon bits in the microwave. Per other reviewers I did cut the pepper back to 1 teaspoon but that was the only modification. Simply delicious just as written!!

Very good, our guests liked it but the kids found it a little peppery (and I had already reduced the pepper).

Always a hit. I use a little less cheese and add craisins. Also, right before serving, add some chopped cashews. Yum! Everyone loves it. Thanks for the great recipe!

This salad was GREAT! I made it as stated (Except a little less cheese and mayo) and it was fabulous...I took it to the park for my sons birthday party. I would recommend eating it as soon as the bacon is crumbled in it because if you leave it in the refrigerator overnight (as I did because I made a few other salads), the bacon is soggy and it takes away from the fabulousness of the salad. I also put craisens in the leftover salad and loved it.

Since I am allergic to sunflower seeds, I never get to enjoy broccoli salad at gatherings. Finally I found someone who can live without them also! I'm making this for company on Christmas Eve so I will add dried cranberries! Thank you Cassandra!

I would have enjoyed this more with less of the red onion. I didn't even use a half of one as the recipe calls for, & it was still too much for my taste. I will make this again, but with much less red onion.

WOW WOW WOW!!!!!! This is the best salad I have ever had! I too cut the pepper amount down to 1 tsp, but otherwise, it was perfect. My 4 year old downed a ton of it! This will be one of our new favorites! I'll be making it for our Labor Day Cookout today!!!!

I went with this recipe for a baby shower because it was tried and true by so many reviewers. I now know why! I doubled the recipe and used Apple Cider Vinegar because that is all I had on hand. (I'm sure this altered the taste as intended but it was still good.) I used half of the pepper called for (w/out doubling). It looks like there might not be enough dressing but it works out perfectly. I made it the night before and it was a hit! Thanks for the recipe - it is now my staple broccoli salad.

A co-worker brought a version of this recipe to a pot luck one time and I loved it. Served it to a bunch of teenagers a few weeks ago and they actually loved it too. Some of them came back for seconds. I added fresh red grapes to my recipe and I think the spices (pepper/salt) you add to taste.

This is such a great recipe and it keeps so well! I think it tastes even better when it sits in the fridge a day or two. To cut down on the fat, I've omitted the cheese, used fat free mayo, and added a bunch of red or green grapes to the salad. This salad was a hit at the office potluck!

This was pretty good. Next time I will leave out the sugar.

Yum! This was delicious! Great to bring to a BBQ!

found it a little rich with the sharp cheddar... next time may try regular cheddar.

THis is now a family & guest favorite. I added cauliflower, sunflower seeds & raisins. I think it is best if the broccoli & cauliflower are made very small. LOVE IT!!!!

This was really yummy! For me a little too runny. I added Craisins and thought about adding sunflower seeds may next time! Great "new" salad to introduce to the boring old traditions! I recommend making this for your next gathering.

cut pepper

This recipe is awesome....or better put, BODACIOUS!!! I love this. My hubby and I ate the whole thing in one evening. The only things I did different were I used white wine vinegar instead or red wine vinegar because I didn't have any on hand. I also didn't have onions on hand so I omitted them and added extra cheese and bacon. Hey! You can NEVER have too much cheese and bacon. Also Iadded some of those cherry flavored dried cranberries (Craisins). Sooooo goood! You've gotta try this recipe!

My friend makes this and everyone loves it. She makes hers with halved red grapes (instead of raisins) and honey-roasted peanuts (instead of sunflower seeds).

This really is a bodacious salad! I added tortelli and black olives which were both nice additions. Even better the next day!

This is terrific! I wasn't sure how fine to chop the broccoli...I ended up chopping it into marble-sized bits and I thought that was probably about perfect for this recipe. Delicious!!

This was very tasty but I would not add onions next time. It had a horrible overpowering onion smell the next day.

I'm not lying when I say this stuff is like candy for me, I keep saying that I'm just going to make this recipe and not eat so much, and I end up wanting to down the whole thing. I cut back on the vinegar (one cap full) and add 3/4 cup of sugar to my dressing, also I completely omit lemon juice. No one who tries this doesn't like it.

I looked at it and say that it was way too much pepper, so I only used one tsp. and that was still way to much. It was bitter and just not good at all.

I like to add Raisins and Cashews too.

I served this on 25 Nov 2010 - Thanksgiving Day and received rave reviews and someone wanted the recipe. This recipe is so delicious. The red wine vinegar is the key ingredient. Also, I never use mayonnaise on anything. I always use Miracle Whip instead.

My husband's favorite!

This was absolutely brilliant! Didn't change a thing!

Absolutely delicious! I put the dressing ingredients in my food processor and it blended very well. I might add sunflower seeds next time. Will definitely make this again! I wonder how long it keeps in the refrigerator before it gets soggy?

Tried this recipe for Thanksgiving. I left out the lemon juice as one reviewer had mentioned. It turned out delicious. I purchased 2 bunches of broccoli, but only used one. It was just right for the amount of dressing this made. I wish I'd doubled the recipe. Thanks for sharing this lovely salad, Cassandra!

too much cheese, will use only half of what's called for. Otherwise this is a do over recipe!

I used 3 small heads of broccoli.I mixed two batches of the dressing for trial and error reasons.The first batch was mixed as instructed using apple cider vinegar instead of red wine vinegar and is was horriable to my dismay.Way to much vinegar and with the lemon it was way too much bitter.The second dressing batch was perfect.I used 1 cup mayo(I mixed miracle whip light and an organic soy mayo together),2 tablespoons of white vinegar,NO lemon and 2 table spoons of sugar.I used only a dash of salt and pepper and a dash of onion powder since I dont like whole onions.I also shredded a little bit of carrots and mozz cheese for some kick.

I steamed the broccoli for just a minute to bring out the bright green. I added plumped dried cranberries and raisins, and shredded carrots. Used green onions and less cheese. Might try diced ham rather than bacon next time. Very versatile and the raisins and carrots gave it great color!

This is a great salad. I brough it for a church picnic and the 4th of July celebration with friends. I did make a few alterations and they were sucessful. First...I used turkey bacon (fried in olive oil) and not regular bacon. Many people that had not had turkey bacon couldn't tell the difference! Also I used walnuts (because that is what I had) and toasted them. Lastly, I can not have sugar...so I used Splenda and it worked perfectly. VERY Good! Truely, my salad was the first to go and no-one could believe it was sugar free and low fat!

almost perfect. Our family thought there was a tad too much pepper. Also, adding rasins and sunflower seeds was a big plus.

I soaked the chopped red onion in water for about 20 mins while chopping the broccoli and followed the rest as directed (except used a sqeeze-lemon instead of fresh). Let it sit in the fridge for 2-3 hours. Oh, used bacon bits instead of frying bacon. Family loved it.

I par boiled the broccoli, just for a minute. Will make this again definatley.

Unreal - I had my reservations but this is awesome (and it hasn't even chilled yet)! I halved the salt & pepper based on other reviews, and left out the lemon juice because I generally hate it. I will try this dressing on other veggie salads - Those who reviewed suggesting you carry the recipe with you when serving it were right on - VERY good!

If you double this recipe DO NOT double the pepper. Yikes. I would cut the pepper in half for single recipe, also. I added raisins and it was terrific.

Loved this! Have taken it to several events now and every time I get a request for the recipe. Thanks!

Absolutely fabulous! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. I made this as written, and it was perfect. Everyone loved it, and there were no leftovers for me...so I guess I'll have to make some more!

I made this for the first time last night and it was awesome! Me and my fiance' both loved it. With him being diabetic, I'm always looking for low carb recipes. I substituted the regular sugar with whey-low (a new all natural sugar substitute which is better tasting and better for you then Splenda). He couldn't stop eating it. Needless to say, I'm making another batch tonight. Thanks for the recipe!

Everyone just gobbled this up. It wasn't until the next day, I realized I had forgotten to add the cheese.

I make this salad all the time, I usually make extra so I can take some to work for a few days after ( if there is any left) My 15 yr old twins LOVE this dish..

I liked how peppery the dressing was (although it seemed a little too thin); I bet it'd be a great cole slaw dressing, too.

My son's friend's parents have been serving this salad in their homestyle Texas diner for years, but I just heard about it. Wonderful mix of sweet and tangy. I sweat out the onion in a little of the bacon grease, and then mixed the rest of the dressing ingredients in the pan to dissolve the sugar well. Also subbed low fat yogurt for half the mayo. New staple for us for potlucks and picnics.

We loved it, but thought there was just a bit too much pepper in this recipe. The next time I'll just cut it back a little. Other than that, it was excellent. I added white grapes and toasted almonds.

So good I flash steam my broccoli because of my thyroid so so good it's a hot with the whole family

I was really surprised and loved it!

WAY too sour with the Vinegar. If you substitute the orange juice for the vinegar, and use craisins instead of raisins.. this is terrific

My husband LOVES this salad. Atkins friendly too.

I used this recipe as a guide, but I made a lot of changes for my own convenience. I used lightly steamed broccoli, had to substitute the red wine vinegar with white wine vinegar, added smoked pancetta instead of bacon, and grated swiss cheese instead of cheddar. I also guessed the measurements of the dressing ingredients, probably using a bit less of everything. I definitely used less cheese in the salad. Delicious! I like the idea, and I like the ability to play around with the recipe. Thanks!