Marinated Vegetable Salad – let’s talk about it! How I’m loving the lettuce-less-ness of it. How it’s not only bright, beautiful, and colorful, but crazy-healthy too. How it’s make-ahead! Yep, chop all your favorite vegetables before going to bed then toss with a simple homemade vinaigrette, refrigerate, and serve the next day.
Watch How to Make It!
How it’s sugar free. You know I love me a good sweet and savory combo but when it comes to fresh vegetables? I gotta go savory. Many marinated vegetable salad recipes call for tossing the vegetables in a dressing that includes equal parts sugar and vinegar, but I just can’t get down with sweet cauliflower when I know how delicious it can be tossed in a tart and snappy dressing instead!
Now, I’ve chosen to highlight my favorite summer vegetables in this Marinated Vegetable Salad including cherry tomatoes, cucumber, cauliflower, carrots, and bell pepper, but you could swap in any vegetables you happen to love and/or have growing in your garden. Raw zucchini, summer squash, broccoli, sweet onion, celery, and/or corn would all make excellent additions to this easy dish.
I know a lot of you guys have fun 4th of July plans (we’ve got a concert/fireworks show, parade, and friend’s BBQ on the calendar!) so I’ll let you get to it. Wherever you are and whatever you do have a wonderful, safe and happy holiday – but first, zee recipe!
Start by chopping up a big bowl o’ summer vegetables. Like I said, the variety is totally up to you as long as it adds up to roughly 10 cups (it’s a big salad!)
I used 2 cups each cauliflower florets (about 1/2 medium-sized head,) carrots (roughly 4 medium carrots,) and cherry tomatoes (a 10oz package.)
Plus 1 cucumber that I seeded before chopping so the dressing wouldn’t get watery (use an English cucumber if you don’t want to scrape out the seeds,) plus 1 chopped bell pepper. I chose yellow for the beautiful color, but it’s totally up to you!
Last step is to drizzle on the vinaigrette, which is 1/2 cup each extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar, 2 Tablespoons minced shallots, 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 2 pressed or minced garlic cloves, salt, and pepper shaken in a jar or whisked in a bowl. Pour 3/4 of the vinaigrette over the vegetables then toss and stash in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight (it just gets better as it sits.)
FYI this vinaigrette is very tart (I love the bold, savory flavor against the mild vegetables.) That said, if it’s a little too tart for you, add more oil and/or honey to taste.
Toss with the remaining vinaigrette then season with salt and pepper just before serving, and you’ve got yourself an easy, healthy, fresh side dish that’s perfect for the 4th of July or really ANY summer day or occasion! Enjoy, enjoy, everyone – catch you on the flip side!
Satisfying Salads That Don’t Suck
FAQ
What vegetables are good to put in a salad?
What are the common vegetables used in salad presentation?
What to eat with salad to get full?
What vegetables make a Good Salad?
1. Spinach: Spinach is a versatile leafy green that can serve as the base of your salad. Packed with iron, vitamins A and C, and other essential nutrients, spinach is a great option for adding some bulk and nutrition to your salad. 2. Cucumbers: Cucumbers add a crisp and refreshing crunch to your salad.
What vegetables go well with celery?
Celery is a vegetable with several therapeutic properties and can be used in salads, soups or even eaten on its own. It can be prepared alone or accompanied by onions, nettles, parsley or cabbage.
What vegetables go well with pasta salad?
The best vegetables to add to pasta salad are broccoli, bell peppers, olives, cucumber, carrots, red onion, tomatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, roasted squash, feta cheese, chickpeas, artichoke hearts, corn kernels, mushrooms, and avocado.
Which vegetable salad should I eat if I don’t have lettuce?
Whether you’re looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle or lose weight, vegetable salads are a great choice. 1. Chopped Vegetarian Greek Salad (No Lettuce) Let’s face it. The best part about a Greek salad is the fillings. Ditch the greens for this chopped Greek salad. It’s one of my all-time favorite salads without lettuce .