As avid home cooks, we love experimenting with recipes, be it a seasonal specialty to use up produce or a dinner twist to answer our weeknight woes. Lucky for us, there is plenty of inspiration right here on our site to steer us in the right direction. But for every new recipe we test out, there is also an old standby we go back to again and again. From cozy casseroles to easy cakes and slow cooker soups, these dishes are woven into the fabric of our family memories around the dining table.

One such recipe is a dish my mother-in-law stumbled upon years ago, but is now expected at every gathering. It is requested for birthdays and holidays alike, and it’s kind of an unexpected favorite. Why? Because it’s a salad. And the best part is, it comes from Allrecipes.

The Broccoli Ramen Noodle Salad My Mother-In-Law Makes On Repeat

Though she makes a mean Shrimp Fra Diavolo and always has a pan of brownies at the ready (using Ghirardelli box mix, of course), this Crunchy Romaine Toss is the family favorite side she’s perfected over time.

We call it Mimi’s Broccoli Ramen Noodle Salad, but the recipe is the same. It combines chopped romaine, raw broccoli, and green onions with a sweet and sour vinaigrette and crunchy bits of toasted walnuts and ramen noodles that elevate it to a new level. Each bite has layers of flavor and texture from the mellow, earthy nuts, the fresh, crisp veggies, and the crave-worthy umami dressing. Eating broccoli has never tasted better.

We’re not the only ones that love it. The five-star reviews on the recipe page agree this salad is “Always a crowd pleaser!” and “A wonderful recipe. It is different and easy and perfectly delicious.” Allrecipes user Nancy D. says, “I have served this many times, and every time, everyone wants the recipe. Very tasty and easy to make—followed directions exactly and delicious every time.”

How to Make Broccoli Ramen Salad (aka Our Crunchy Romaine Toss)

While this salad is a little more work than most (in that you need to turn on your stove), it’s only for a short time—and certainly for good reason. The crunchy bits are what make the dish what it is.

Start by melting 1/4 cup butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add in a cup of chopped walnuts and a 3-ounce package of crushed-up ramen noodles. Cook and stir until they get nice and toasty, about 5 minutes, before transferring to a paper-towel-lined plate to cool. The stove stays off from there. Then it’s just a matter of chopping up a head of broccoli, a couple heads of romaine, and a few green onions—and making the dressing.

The dressing, along with the crunchy bits, is the other component that makes this salad memorable. The recipe on-site calls for 1 cup of vegetable oil, 1 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, and salt and pepper to be whisked together. My mother-in-law makes a small modification here, using white vinegar and doubling the soy sauce for extra oomph.

The dressing gets tossed with the lettuce, broccoli, green onions, nuts, and noodles right before serving, with extra crunchy bits and green onion slices to garnish the top.

Reviews on the site give other helpful suggestions, like breaking up the ramen and broccoli into small pieces to make it even easier to eat, and making sure not to burn the walnuts and ramen mixture by cooking it too long.

Make our family’s go-to your own by customizing the nuts or adding in more veggies and fruits like bell peppers, red onion, mandarin oranges, or dried cranberries. It also makes a great entrée salad when you add in a protein—grilled chicken or salmon work perfectly.

However you make it, serve it in a big, beautiful bowl “Mimi-style”, and bring extra recipe cards to hand out to those who ask. We guarantee it’ll be a new family favorite.