Broccoli – Grapes – Bacon – Sunflower Seeds – Sweet Red Onions – Salad Dressing – all wrapped up in a delicious package, what’s not to love? This crunchy cold Broccoli Grape Salad Recipe is perfect for potlucks, cook-outs, and easy enough for a weeknight side dish!
As Summer comes to a close and the holiday season is not far away, our minds begin to think about recipes to serve family and guests. I remember my Mom serving big bowls of different salads when we had family a get together. Sometimes it would be a pasta salad, other times potato salad, and often she would simply mix up a salad with ingredients she had on hand.
There would always be grapes in her kitchen, and since I learned from the best, we always have grapes in our kitchen. The variety of ways to enjoy grapes is really pretty remarkable, of course we all love just eating them fresh. And the health benefits of grapes is amazing!
Right now grapes are at their best. And adding them to a salad is the perfect way to add extra flavor and crunch. During my busy day I often forget to eat lunch, I enjoyed this Broccoli Grape Salad for a nice change of pace for lunch. And actually had it for several days in a row, as it kept really well in the refrigerator.
Sometimes we overlook all that a fruit or vegetable can do, I feel like grapes are just that way. Here are 8 fun facts about grapes that I found on WebMD…
8 Fun Facts about Grapes
- Grapes were brought from Spain – Spanish explorers introduced the fruit to America about 300 years ago
- Grapes are actually berries – Grapes are a type of berry, with their leathery covering and fleshy inside, they are similar to blueberries
- Grape Varieties – There are more than 8,000 grape varieties. The main types are American and European.
- Calories and Nutrition – One cup of grapes, which is about 100 calories, provides more than a quarter of the daily recommended values of vitamins K and C. And grape seeds are full of antioxidants.
- Turn Grapes into Wine – It takes about 2 1/2 pounds of grapes to make on bottle of wine
- Dried Grapes are Raisins – Grapes are dried naturally when left in sunlight
- Concord Grapes – These plump blue grapes get their name from Concord, MA where they were developed.
- Colors of Grapes – Grapes come in many colors, including green, red, black, yellow, pink and purple. However, white grapes are actually green.
Broccoli Grape Salad Recipe
Cold and crunchy salad that is perfect for potlucks, cook-outs and easy enough for weeknight meals.
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 5-6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound bacon (about 8 slices) cut into small pieces, cooked and drained
- 3 cups fresh broccoli, cleaned and cut into small pieces
- 1 cup grapes, red and/or green, halved
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds – reserve some for garnish if desired
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
- 2 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Cook and drain bacon, set aside
- In a large bowl, combine broccoli, grapes, onions, and sunflower seeds
- In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and sugar until smooth
- Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat
- Add bacon, reserving a little for garnish if desired
- Cover and place in fridge for at least 1 hour up to 24 hours
- Before serving, add remaining bacon and sunflower seeds to the top
Notes
This recipe can easily be doubled to feed a crowd.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Category: Salad
4 Comments
This looks so delicious! I love crunchy broccoli and in a salad with salty bacon, crunchy sunflower seeds, sweet grapes and more, like you said what’s not to like? Stopping by from SITS Pin-teresting Link-Up and sharing on Pinterest!
Thank you for joining Delicious Dishes Recipe Party this week! We pinned your recipe to our board! Hope to see you again next week!
This looks fantastic Liz! Every time I see a Broccoli Salad recipe, they always have raw red onion in them and I hate that… but THIS… I can’t wait to try it! Pinning!
Thanks so much Rose! We loved it!
~Liz