Broccoli Grape Salad

This Broccoli Grape Salad recipe combines the bright colors and flavors of broccoli and grapes with bow-tie pasta, bacon, and a creamy sauce. It’s a sure hit at any picnic, barbecue, or luncheon.

I gotta be honest here. I’m drawing a blank.

When you’re a food blogger, it’s hard to come up with new things to say about food all the time. Everything is “the best” or “amazing” or “delicious.” As whole, we need to come up with a greater variety of superlatives.

There is one word used to describe food (and all kinds of things) that I will never use. Why will I never use it? Because I think it’s ridiculous. It’s a word that falls into the “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means” category.

What is the word?

INSANELY.

“This cake is insanely delicious.”

“Learn the insanely easy trick to banish your belly.”

“This insanely cute wreath will make you the star of your neighborhood.”

I hope I’m not offending people here. I just like things to be precise. I think words should mean what they actually mean. And this is what “insane” means according to Vocabulary.com:

Afflicted with or characteristic of mental derangement.

Cake cannot be insane. Wreaths cannot be insane.

To be fair, the common vernacular has developed such that the word “insanely” means “extremely.” However, the root word is still “insane,” and that’s why I’ll never use it to describe my food or anything else. (Well, I have used the word to describe a certain public figure who shall remain nameless, but in that case, I am using the word properly  🙂 )

So if I’m not going to say that this Broccoli Grape Salad is insanely delicious, what will I say?

How about this:

Crisp, vibrant broccoli is nestled in bow-tie pasta which has been caressed with a light and creamy sauce. Crumbled bacon adds a salty, smoky foil to the violet, sun-kissed grapes which burst with sweet nectar. Elegant pecans finish this most refined salad, which is fit for a queen.

Do you want some now? You should, even though it’s not “insanely” delicious. It’s better than insanely delicious 🙂

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Broccoli Grape Salad

Author: Melissa Howell

Ingredients

For the Salad

• 8 oz. farfalle pasta cooked to al dente and drained
• 3 cups small broccoli florets
• 2 cups seedless red grapes cut in half
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 6 cooked bacon slices crumbled (or 3 turkey bacon slices, sliced thinly)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

For the Dressing

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp. sugar or 4 packets of Stevia to taste
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Instructions

1. Mix the pasta, broccoli, grapes, and red onion together.
2. Mix all the dressing ingredients together.
3. Gradually pour the dressing onto the salad. Mix well. (You may not want to use all the dressing).
4. Cover and refrigerate for three hours.
5. Just before serving, add the bacon and pecans.

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