Serving Up {Salad}: Crunchy Broccoli Salad

This recipe is kind of a fusion between broccoli salad (yum!) and my favorite oriental salad recipe.  I didn't fuse the two together, but when I saw this recipe I knew that I had to try it and it did not disappoint!  In fact, after making it the first time I ended up making it again like two days later, with no leftovers either time.  I also took it with me just two weeks ago to our 4th of July neighborhood potluck and there was nothing left of it then either, so I am not the only one that has fallen hard for the flavor of this salad.

You can prepare this salad in advance, but to maintain the "crunchy" you don't want to dress the salad with the dressing until just before you plan to serve it.  I found that the amount of dressing that the recipe makes is more dressing than I have needed any of the times that I have made it.  I find that about 1/2 (maybe just a touch more) of the dressing is the right amount of dressing for my taste.  You may want to play with it for your own tastes.  The size of your "head of broccoli" would also make a difference in how much dressing you ultimately use.

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CRUNCHY BROCCOLI SALAD     
(recipe from Your Homebased Mom)
printable version

4 Tbs. butter, melted
1 cup pecans, chopped
2 pkgs. Ramen noodles, crushed (discard seasoning packet)

1 large head broccoli, cut into small pieces

4-6 green onions, sliced
1 lb. bacon, cooked crisp and broken into small pieces

Dressing
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbs. soy sauce

Mix melted butter, nuts and crushed noodles together. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees until lightly brown; stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool.
Mix together chopped broccoli, onions, bacon and cooled noodle/nut mixture.
Mix together the dressing ingredients.
Toss salad with dressing right before serving.  **I find that I don't need the entire dressing.  It largely depends on the amount of broccoli but I find that 1/2 to 3/4 of the dressing is plenty for my taste**