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Chopped Marinated Vegetable Salad is a healthy side dish for your meal. Full of crunchy vegetables, it has a slightly sweet and tangy dressing that makes the flavors pop.
I am always on the look out for easy and healthy vegetable side dishes. This one fits the bill and uses vegetables that I don't typically include in my recipes so that makes it a great change.
The vegetables, except the carrots are, chopped fresh and then tossed in a light slightly sweet and tangy dressing.
Ingredients in Marinated Vegetable Salad
This salad is full of chopped fresh vegetables including broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, zucchini, and summer squash. Green onion is finely chopped for additional flavor.
The dressing is a simple mixture of extra virgin olive oil, wine vinegar, brown sugar, lemon juice, and salt.
Salad Preparation
This is a super simple salad that is quick and easy to prepare. Flavors improve the longer the vegetables are left to marinate in the dressing.
Carrots can be a little hard for this salad so I chop them fine and then boil them for 3-5 minutes.
You don't want them soft and mushy, just a little more tender than raw. I call that fork-tender After cooking rinse the carrots in cold water to stop the cooking process. Add to a covered dish.
Next wash the zucchini and summer squash. Chop into 1/2 to 1-inch cubes. No need to peel the vegetable, this adds color to the finished salad.
Bell peppers, choose any color you have on hand, are finely chopped.
Chop broccoli florets into bite-sized pieces, roughly an inch or so.
Finely chop green onion. Add all the chopped vegetables to the covered dish with the carrots.
The last step is mixing the dressing. Whisk wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and brown sugar together until sugar is dissolved. Drizzle in olive oil while continuing to whisk until the dressing forms an emulsion and no longer separates.
Add the dressing to the vegetables and lightly toss until vegetables are coated.
Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30-45 minutes before serving. Serve with a slotted spoon. One serving is approximately 3/4 cup.
What to Serve with Marinated Vegetable Salad
This tasty vegetable side dish is super easy and quick to prepare. It would shine next to beef, poultry or pork entries.
You might enjoy this salad with:
Grilled Chicken Kabobs - simple marinade recipe that is quickly grilled for a tender, juicy, and flavorful chicken,
Slow Cooker Pot Roast - an easy one-dish meal with roast, potatoes, and vegetables that are tender and flavorful without a lot of fuss,
Oven-Baked Turkey Breast - flavorful bone-in turkey breast with all the texture of a full bird, with less fuss.
Marinated Vegetable Salad
Equipment
- Covered Dish
Ingredients
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup carrot 1 medium, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup green onion 4-5 chopped
- 1/2 cup green pepper finely chopped
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper finely chopped
- 1 cup yellow squash 1 medium, chopped into 1/2-1 inch cubes
- 1 cup zucchini 1 mediucm, chopped into 1/2-1 inch cubes
- 1 cup water
Dressing
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Heat 1 cup water in a medium pan.
- Peel and chop a carrot. Add carrot to pan and boil for 3-5 minutes. Remove from pan and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- Wash and chop zucchini and squash into cubes. No need to peel.
- Chop bell pepper into fine cubes.
- Lightly chop broccoli florets keeping most of floret intact.
- Add vegetables to a covered dish and mix to combine.
Dressing
- Whisk vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and brown sugar until sugar is dissolved.
- Whisk olive oil into vinegar mixture until the mixture is completely combined and no longer separates. Pour over vegetables and lightly toss to mix.
- Cover and place in refridgerator to marinate.
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