Sweet Tomatoes Joan’s Broccoli Madness Salad – Easy Copycat Recipe
Few salads have achieved the legendary status of Sweet Tomatoes’ Joan’s Broccoli Madness Salad. This beloved cold salad proved that raw broccoli could be absolutely irresistible when paired with the right combination of flavors and textures. What made this salad truly special was the perfect balance of fresh, crisp broccoli florets with sweet raisins, salty cashews, smoky bacon bits, and sharp red onions, all brought together with a creamy, slightly sweet dressing.
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Why This Recipe Works
The genius of this salad lies in its contrast of textures and flavors. The raw broccoli provides a fresh, slightly bitter base that’s perfectly balanced by sweet raisins and rich cashews. The bacon adds a smoky, salty element that makes the salad feel indulgent, while the creamy dressing ties everything together. The key is using fresh, crisp broccoli cut into perfect bite-sized pieces that are easy to eat and don’t overwhelm the palate.
Remembering Sweet Tomatoes/Souplantation
Sweet Tomatoes (also known as Soup Plantation in some regions) was a beloved family restaurant chain renowned for its impressive salad bar, homemade soups, and fresh-baked bread. This Broccoli Madness Salad was one of their most popular offerings, always fresh and made in-house daily. Although the restaurant permanently closed in 2020, the chain is starting up operations in Arizona, so hopefully, it will return.
Joan’s Broccoli Madness Salad ingredients
This Sweet Tomatoes Joans Broccoli Madness Salad has these delicious ingredients.
For the Salad:
- Fresh broccoli – Provides the nutritious base with a perfect crunch when cut into florets
- Red onion – Adds a sharp bite and beautiful color contrast
- Raisins – Contribute natural sweetness that balances the broccoli’s slight bitterness
- Cashews – Provide rich, buttery crunch and healthy fats
- Bacon – Creates a smoky, salty flavor that makes the salad irresistible
For the Dressing:
- Mayonnaise – Forms the creamy base that coats all ingredients
- Apple cider vinegar – Adds tangy acidity that brightens all flavors
- Vegetable oil – Helps create smooth consistency and adds richness
- Granulated sugar – Balances the acidity and enhances the raisins’ sweetness
How to make broccoli salad
- Fry the bacon in a skillet until crispy. Drain and chop it into bits.
- Combine mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, vegetable oil, and sugar in a small bowl.
- Beat with a whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
- Place the broccoli, cashews, raisins, bacon bits, and red onion in a large bowl.
- Pour the dressing into the bowl.
- Fold in the ingredients until evenly coated with the salad dressing.
- Refrigerate this tasty salad for at least 4 hours before serving.
Substitutions and variations
- If you’re not a fan of broccoli, you can leave it out. Replace it with some mixed greens and enjoy it as a side salad.
- The cashews can be omitted if you have a nut allergy.
- To make this salad vegetarian, substitute a vegan mayonnaise and omit the crispy bacon bits.
- You can lighten up the salad by using low-fat Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise. Note that it will add a tangy flavor to the salad.
- To make this salad low-carb and keto-friendly, substitute a suitable sugar substitute (such as Swerve) for the sugar, omit the raisins, and use pecans instead of cashews.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator Storage: Store covered salad in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The salad actually improves after the first day, as flavors meld.
- Reheating Method: This is a cold salad that doesn’t require reheating. Serve chilled directly from the refrigerator.
- Freezing: Not recommended, as the mayonnaise-based dressing and fresh vegetables don’t freeze well.
More side salad recipes
This Broccoli Madness Salad is the perfect accompaniment to any meal. It’s especially great with chicken, beef, or fish. Here are a few similar recipes that are also delicious.
- Marinated Beet Salad
- German Hot Potato Salad
- Cold Spaghetti Salad Recipe
- Pasta Salad with Ranch Dressing and Bacon
- Pea Salad
- Cole Slaw
- Easy Homemade Potato Salad
- Broccoli Salad Recipe
- Dill Potato Salad
- Cucumber Onion Salad
Love Broccoli? Try these recipes
And there’s more! Take a look at my copycat restaurant salad recipes and the best side dishes recipes.
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Sweet Tomatoes Joan’s Broccoli Madness Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 pounds broccoli florets
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 1/4 cup cooked bacon bits
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
Instructions
- Place mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, vegetable oil, and sugar in a large bowl.
- Beat with a whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add broccoli, cashews, raisins, bacon bits, and red onion.
- Fold in the ingredients until evenly coated with the salad dressing.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
Video
Notes
- If you’re not a broccoli fan, you can leave it out. Just replace it with some mixed greens and enjoy it as a side salad.
- The cashews can also be taken out if you have a nut allergy.
- To make this salad vegetarian, you can switch to vegan mayonnaise and leave out the crispy bacon bits.
- This keeps in the refrigerator for a couple of days wonderfully, so it is the ideal salad to make ahead of time.
This tastes exactly like Sweet Tomatoes broccoli salad. It is a great take along to a pot luck or gathering. I modified it once for the vegans in my family and it was still very good and SO healthy!
Could I pre steam the broccoli a little bit to make it not quite as hard, then cool in fridge before making salad, would it still workout well?
If you only steam it for a very short time. Blanching the broccoli would be another option if you wanted it not to be completely raw.
Just like Souplantation. Everyone loved this recipe!
So sad to see them close, but I love this salad, and now I can make it at home.
Any hints on how to use less sugar to make this recipe?
Start with adding half of the sugar and see if you like it.
My 7 year old son wolfs this down every time we go to Sweets. He doesn’t love the other stuff- so I made this solely with broccoli and the dressing. HE LOVES IT! So excited to continue making this!
We love Sweet Tomatoes and each time we visit I reserve one entire plate for Joan’s Broccoli Madness. At home, this recipe keeps me happy for several days and then it’s gone and I feel the need to return for more. Broccoli is a super food and this salad, while high in potassium, is still a very tasty part of my otherwise boring “kidney disease” diet. Healthy AND delicious. What more could you ask for?
Have taken many liberties with this basic recipe, adding raw mushrooms, baby corn, dried cranberries instead of raisins and omitting the salad oil. It is same, but different.
This recipe is 12/10, must have. I’m sad that Souplantation is no more so I’m glad I’ve come across this recipe. Currently on keto/low-carb so I subbed the sugar for Lakanto monkfruit (erythritol), the cashews for unsalted roasted pumpkin seeds, and omitted the dried fruit.
Thanks so much!! Since they closed all of the Sweet Tomatoes in Illinois I really miss this salad!!
I hope this recipe works well for you!
I LOVE this salad and eat it every time I go to Soup Plantation. I’m happy that you published it and I already made it and taste the same!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!
Delish! I made this for a family gathering and everyone loved it! Thanks for posting!
I have missed this place as I have moved to a very rural location. Thank you for the recipe, it is superb!
I am glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Thanks Stephanie,
great salad recipe
This sounds yummy and good on a hot summer day or any day for that matter. I am not fond of cashews in salad so thinking maybe walnuts would be a good option??
I am sure your salad will be great with whatever nut you put in the salad.
We are vegan now but I love this salad. Is there a way I can substitute the mayonnaise for something else without compromising flavor?
I think you can purchase ovo vegetarian mayonnaise. You could try using Baconnaise, it’s ovo vegetarian and would still give you the smoke flavor of bacon.
Hi! Quick suggestion — Just Mayo by Hampton Creek or Veganaise are great vegan mayo options! Also, many bacos — the salad topping bacon bits — are actually not meat and vegan!
Baconnaise contains egg yolk so is not actually vegan.
Thank you for clarifying that for me. I will change that term to ovo vegetarian.
I make this same recipe,but use sunflower seeds instead of cashews. Never any leftovers family gatherings!
Stephanie,
I have been known to drive across three states just to eat at Sweet Tomatoes, since there is not one near where I live. And when I go there, Joan’s Broccoli Madness Salad is one of my favorites. It is sooooo good.
Thanks for sharing their recipe with us.
I hope you give it a try!
It is also a nice add to a gin and tonic 😉
If you click on print recipe the recipe comes up and you can print or save it to your computer. Hope this helps you Tanya Campbell
I cant find the recipe….
I think so this recipe is great.
I will follow and make my family crazy 😀