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Home » Side Dish » Salad » Marinated Vegetable Salad

Marinated Vegetable Salad

By Valerie · August 8, 2015 · Updated May 22, 2020 9 Comments

SD Side Dish H Holidays
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This beautiful Marinated Vegetable Salad is a great way to add a burst of color and fresh, healthy vegetables to your table.

Marinated Vegetable Salad in a glass bowl with a wooden spoon.

I realize that everyone pretty much feels like summer ends after Labor Day but it does not officially end until the Autumnal Equinox ushers in fall on September 23. So there! We still have over a month of summer left and I’m hanging on to every last gorgeous minute of it. And, I’m making Marinated Vegetable Salad, firing up the BBQ, and eating outside. Amen.

A good, old-fashioned Marinated Vegetable Salad is a classic dish that will never go out of style. There are many variations out there and I thought before summer came to an end, I’d share mine with you all.

A small bowl full of Marinated Vegetable Salad.

This is not strictly a summer recipe but I do love to add a fresh dish like this to a summer menu. Especially when you’re serving burgers, steaks, or any grilled meats. It is the perfect complement to those dishes and just perks up the whole situation with beautiful color and fresh taste.

Some of the veggies we are including here, namely the broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots, should be quickly blanched so they will have the perfect crisp but slightly tender bite that we want for this salad.

How to Blanch Vegetables

So, before we head into the recipe,  here is a quick lesson on blanching vegetables.

Broccoli and cauliflower florets in a pasta pot.

Place about 3 cups of broccoli florets and 2 cups of cauliflower florets into a pot of boiling water and allow to boil for a maxiumum of 2 to 3 minutes. We are not cooking them through, we just want to soften them oh-so-slightly so that they are mostly crisp and only slightly tender. You want to be very careful to not let them cook too long. Err on the side of undercooking or you might end up with mushy veggies which is just plain yucky. They’ll soften a bit more as they marinate so be vigilant.

A pasta pot with a colander insert like mine above is a great convenience when blanching vegetables. I’ve had this pot for…get ready for it…31 years! It was a gift from my sweet mother-in-law at my bridal shower and I had no idea it would become one of my most loved and well-used kitchen items.

If you are in the market for one, here are a few good choices that are available on Amazon:

  

The partially cooked broccoli and cauliflower in a glass bowl of ice water.

Pull the veggies out of the boiling water, drain quickly, and then immediately transfer them to a large bowl filled with ice water. This will shock them (burr!), stopping the cooking process and locking in their bright, vibrant color.

The broccoli and cauliflower in a mesh colander.

Once they are totally chilled, transfer to a colander and drain them well.

Partially cooked slices of carrot are added to the colander to drain.

Repeat the process with the carrots, cooking till “crisp-barely-tender”. After shocking them in the ice water bath, add them to the colander to drain with the broccoli and cauliflower.

Homemade Italian Dressing in a mason jar.

Time to mix up the homemade Italian dressing. It consists of olive oil, white wine vinegar, a touch of sugar, garlic, some Dijon mustard, Italian seasoning, salt, and fresh ground pepper. Shake it all together in a mason jar or other small container with a tight lid. You can make the dressing ahead of time and keep it refrigerated until ready to use, if you’d like.

How to Assemble the Marinated Vegetable Salad

The vegetables in a glass mixing bowl.

The blanched broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots join some chopped celery, sliced onion, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped mushrooms, and chopped red bell pepper in a large mixing bowl. You can add or substitute any veggies that make you smile.

Italian dressing pours from a mason jar on to the salad.

Toss the veggies with the dressing.

Marinated Vegetable Salad in a glass bowl with a wooden spoon.

Time to cover the bowl and transfer it to the refrigerator to chill and marinate for at least two hours or more. The veggies will soften a tad more as they marinate and all the flavors will intensify and very, very good things will happen.

The salad after it has chilled in the refrigerator.

Just before serving, stir in about 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. This is one gorgeous addition to your table.

A serving of the salad in a small bowl shot from over the top.

A bowl filled with colorful vegetables.

Marinated Vegetable Salad

This fresh, healthy, flavorful side dish will perk up any menu and bring vibrant color to your table.
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 189kcal
Author: Valerie Brunmeier

Ingredients

  • 3 cups broccoli florets
  • 2 cups cauliflower florets
  • 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4" rounds
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 cup thinly sliced sweet yellow onion
  • 1 heaping cup halved cherry tomatoes
  • 1 8 ounce package mushrooms, quartered
  • 1/4 cup grated or shaved Parmesan cheese

Dressing

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Combine dressing ingredients in a mason jar or small container with a lid and shake well. Refrigerate while you prepare the salad.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a large bowl about halfway with water and then fill with ice.
  • Place broccoli and cauliflower into the pot of vigorously boiling water and allow to boil for 2 minutes. Quickly drain and transfer to the bowl of ice water. Once vegetables are completely chilled, transfer to a colander to drain well. Pour off some of the water from bowl and replace with fresh ice. Repeat process with carrots, cooking about 3 minutes.
  • Combine all the vegetables in a large mixing bowl and toss with the dressing. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight. When ready to serve, stir in Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Prep time does not include marinating time. Allow for at least two hours to marinate.

Nutrition

Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 244mg | Potassium: 450mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3400IU | Vitamin C: 68.6mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 1.1mg
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Categories: Fourth of July, Holidays, Salad, Side Dish, Vegetables

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Reader Interactions

Latest Comments
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  1. Maureen Bennett says

    October 10, 2020 at 9:15 pm

    5 stars
    Hello! I’ve been making this for a couple of years now and thought I should let you know how much we like it. I’ve just made another batch for Canadian thanksgiving on Monday with orange and purple cauliflower from the farmers market. It’s such a colorful salad and keeps well. Thanks so much for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      October 11, 2020 at 9:05 am

      Great! Love the idea of adding colorful cauliflower. I bet that’s really pretty!

      Reply
  2. Deb Long says

    June 22, 2020 at 4:26 pm

    This was a BIG hit! My husband and sons thoroughly loved it, as I did. We added a lot of fresh cukes and tomatoes and fresh basil from the garden. We will be making this often- thank you, Valerie!

    Reply
  3. Judy says

    April 16, 2020 at 11:46 am

    5 stars
    I just made this. It is so tasty. I could eat the dressing all by itself. It makes a lot – perfect for a pot luck. Thank for sharing.

    Reply
  4. Linda says

    June 24, 2019 at 11:56 am

    I don’t see how many this would serve?

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      June 26, 2019 at 8:36 am

      You are right! I’ve updated the recipe card with servings and nutrition info. Thanks, Linda. I saying it will serve about 8 but if you are serving it at a buffet with a lot of other choices I think it could be even more.

      Reply
  5. Anne says

    May 15, 2017 at 11:18 am

    How many would this serve

    Reply
  6. Aggie says

    August 14, 2015 at 7:47 am

    This is such a gorgeous salad Valerie, love the colors. I could eat it every day!

    Reply
  7. Amy @ The Blond Cook says

    August 12, 2015 at 11:16 am

    Valerie, this salad looks absolutely amazing… so perfect for summer. I’m hanging on to summer as long as I can, too!

    Reply

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