Broccoli Sunshine Salad: Sweet & Salty Cold Summer Salad
This is one of my favorite camping salads to take to potlucks and picnics. My Broccoli Sunshine Salad is the perfect side dish for grilled meats and sandwiches. It is so yummy, broccoli-haters will be converted into fans after one bite!
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Recipe Prep
This recipe has just a small amount of prep work to do. You’ll cut up a bit of broccoli and dice some onion.
Cooking Methods & Equipment
The only cooking that is required is frying some bacon. You can use a skillet or cast iron griddle over a campfire or camp stove. You can even make it at home in your oven and just keep it refrigerated until you are ready to assemble the salad.
Recipe Steps
Step 1. Prepare your ingredients, heat source and equipment as directed.
Step 2. Fry the bacon, let drain and cool then crumble and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Step 3. Combine the veggies. Toss the broccoli, onion and raisins in a large bowl, mixing to combine all of the ingredients. Cold salads are one of my favorite ways to eat camping vegetables.
Step 4. Make the dressing by blending the vinegar, sugar and mayo.
Step 5. Add the dressing to the broccoli mixture, stirring to completely combine the salad and the dressing. Set in refrigerator or cooler until ready to serve. Try to allow the flavors to marry for at least 2 hours, if possible or several days if you want to prepare as part of your make ahead camping meals.
Step 6. Right before serving, add the bacon and sunflower seeds to the salad, mixing to combine all the ingredients. Top with cheddar cheese, if desired and serve cold.
Substitutions
- I like using regular seedless sweet raisins but golden raisins are fine too.
- If you don’t have white wine vinegar, you can substitute apple cider vinegar.
- To reduce the fat content, use light mayo instead of full fat mayonnaise.
- If you don’t have mayo, you can substitute with sour cream, just add a little more sugar to the dressing.
- This broccoli sunshine salad has great texture but if you want to give it a little more crunch, add a handful of chopped almonds or walnuts.
What To Serve With This Recipe
Some people refer to this recipe as a Sunny Broccoli Salad because it is a wonderful cold summertime side dish that is a gluten free camping food option. It pairs well with these main dish recipes.
I want "5 Secrets To Successful Camping Trips" plus weekly camping tips & recipes.
This Grilled Flat Iron Camping Steak is main dish that works really well with a cold salad.
Enjoy these Smoked Chicken Legs with a spicy dry rub and the sweet and savory flavors of this broccoli salad.
These Big Mac Sloppy Joes are better than the real thing with an awesome copycat sauce!
These 5 ingredient BLT Camping Wraps are a refreshing way to enjoy lunch or a light dinner at camp.
Quick sandwich and salad combinations make really easy camping meals that require very little work. Try this Bacon Basil Tomato Ciabatta Sandwich Recipe.
Scaling Servings
You can make this recipe several days in advance and just keep refrigerated until ready to serve. That’s what makes it a great side salad when serving easy camping meals for large groups.
Similar Recipes
These are some of my most popular camping side dishes.
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This Easy No Cook Healthy Southwest Camping Salad combines corn, black beans, onions, cheese and cilantro to make a fresh and filling side dish.
The flavors in this Greek Tomato And Feta Pasta Salad are bold and simple. The pepperoncini peppers and Kalamata olives put it over the top.
These Dutch Oven Baked Beans feature 5 types of canned beans, ground beef and bacon!
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Broccoli Sunshine Salad
SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT
Ingredients
- 15 slices bacon
- 1 head broccoli cut florets into bite-sized pieces
- 1/4 cup red onion diced
- 1/2 cup sweet raisins
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup sunflower seeds
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Sprinkle with cheddar cheese for serving optional
Instructions
- Prepare your ingredients, heat source and equipment as directed.
- In large skillet, thoroughly cook bacon over medium high heat until crispy.
- Remove bacon from pan and set on plate lined with paper towels to drain. Once cool, crumble and set aside. Camp Cooking Tip: I like to make the bacon while making breakfast so all of the cooking is done for this broccoli salad recipe. Then, I just have to assemble the raw salad later in the day or even the next day.
- In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, onion and raisins, mixing to fully blend the ingredients.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar and mayonnaise to make the homemade dressing.
- Stir the dressing with the broccoli mixture, toss until completely combined.
- Chill in refrigerator or cooler until ready to serve, at least two hours for best flavor and texture. This recipe can be made several days in advance as well.
- Toss the bacon and sunflower seeds with the salad and dressing immediately before serving. You want them to stay crunchy rather than get too soggy by sitting in the dressing.
- Sprinkle with cheddar cheese, if desired. Serve cold.
Notes
Nutrition
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Wow, I think you just made brocoli salad edible! Keep em coming.
So glad you liked it! Looking forward to trying some of your favorites too!