Bird Seed Salad

Broccoli is delicious in bird seed salad.

There are as many and varied recipes for bird seed salad as there are grandmothers and aunts in the world. The defining ingredients are raw crunchy vegetables, nuts, seeds and Oriental-style noodles. The noodles are used uncooked. Some people use the seasoning packets that come with the noodles for flavoring, while others use a pre-made dressing such as a cole slaw dressing. It is also largely vegan, though some do add crumbled bacon for extra flavor.

Things You'll Need

• Large bowl
• Cutting board
• Knife
• Cabbage or broccoli
• Carrots
• Onion
• Cashews, peanuts or almonds
• Sunflower seeds
• Sesame or poppy seeds
• Oriental-style noodles
• Oil
• Vinegar
• Sugar

Instructions

1. 

   Shredded cabbage works well for salads.

   Cut or shred 3 stalks of broccoli or one head of cabbage. Cabbage works best shredded, while broccoli can be left chunky, according to your personal taste.

2. 

   Dice the onion.

   Dice 1 medium onion and add to broccoli or cabbage in a large salad bowl.

3. 

   Grated carrot

   Grate 1 large carrot and add to broccoli or cabbage and onion.

4. 

   Sunflower seeds are likely what give bird seed salad its name.

   Add in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cashews, peanuts or almonds, and 3 to 6 tablespoons of your choice of seeds. The amounts you choose depend on your preferences, but it is best that there are not as many nuts and seeds as there are vegetables.

5. 

   Oriental noodles give this dish a nice crunch.

   Crush up one package--usually containing 2 servings--of Oriental-style noodles into bite-size pieces. Stir them into the salad.

6. 

   A simple sweet vinaigrette serves as dressing for this salad.

   Combine 1 cup oil and 1/3-cup vinegar, and about 1/2-cup of sugar and mix until the sugar is dissolved. If desired, add the seasoning packet from your noodles.

7. Toss dressing into salad a minimum of 15 minutes before serving to allow the raw noodles to soften slightly. You may also marinate this longer if you prefer.

Tips & Warnings

• It's good to mix the vegetables and dressing and allow to marinate overnight. Then add in your other ingredients about 15 minutes prior to serving.

• You can use a pre-made cole slaw mix for this recipe to cut down preparation time.

• Mix your dressing in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake to combine.

• Don't cook the noodles. They are meant to be crunchy.

References

• A Corner of the Cosmic Canvas: Birdseed Salad
• Washington County Insider: Bird Seed Salad

Resources

• The Dollar Stretcher Community: Bird Seed Salad