So, I served this salad at a JazzVox pre-concert meal on Sunday, May 14th. The following Tuesday morning we left for Europe. So, I’m pretty sure you understand why I didn’t post this recipe until we returned.

But I must say, for being such a simple recipe, this salad was a hit, thanks to Kate from the cookieandkate.com cooking site. (A great site BTW. Check it out!) And of course, being me, I did make a few insignificant changes. But boy oh boy, this is one terrific tasting salad. Crunchy and very easy to make. And not only is it healthy and mayonnaise free, its vegetarian and vegan as well. (At least I think it’s vegan.) (I’m not really an expert on vegan.)

Anyway, now that I’m home and finished posting my trip report (always a priority), I am back to posting recipes.

So, I hope you make this salad and enjoy it as much as our guests did. And I know, no bacon. How can you possibly make a broccoli salad without bacon? Well, take it from me, no one seemed to mind the lack of bacon at all. Not one person came up to meet ranting and raving about the lack of bacon in the salad. They just told me how much they loved it. And I must say, our guests have pretty decerning palates. These are jazz lovers! I rest my case!

And sorry, no picture. But I was crazy busy and completely forgot to photograph the salad. But take it from me, it looks like every other broccoli salad you have ever seen.

Well, that’s it for today. Both of us have colds. (And no, we didn’t catch our colds on our return flight from Europe. I woke up with a scratchy throat the day we were leaving. And since have generously shared my illness with Mr. C.) Not Covid, because we have tested multiple times. Never-the- less, we have not had a cold as nasty as this in years. So, take care. Our friends report that they too have had really bad colds. Something very contagious is definitely making the rounds.

So, take it easy if you can. Pamper yourself and those around you.

And as always, peace and love from our house to yours.

⅓ c. finely chopped red onion

ice water

⅓ c. extra-virgin olive oil

2 T. apple cider vinegar

2-3 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 T. honey

1/8 tsp. granulated garlic

1/8 tsp. granulated onion

1/8 tsp. fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper (not too much)

1 lb. (about 6 cups) broccoli florets and peeled stalks roughly chopped

½ c. sunflower seeds  

⅓ c. golden raisins, chopped

Combine the red onion* and ice water in a small bowl. Make sure the onion is under water. Let the onion mellow out while you make the dressing and chop the veggies. Then drain the onion and pat dry before adding it to the bowl with the broccoli.  

In a salad bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, granulated garlic, granulated onion, salt, and black pepper together.

Add the chopped broccoli, sunflower seeds, golden raisins, and chopped red onion.

Stir until all ingredients are coated with the dressing.

I highly recommend letting the salad marinate for at least 20 minutes, or overnight in the refrigerator is even better. Give the salad a good stir before serving. You might even want to give the salad a taste and add salt if required.

*It seems to me that red onions seem to be getting “hotter” than I remember them being in the past. So, letting the cut onion spend some quality time in ice water helps reduce the onion’s bite. This is true for other onions and shallots too.