Marinated Vegetable Salad

Name: Marinated Vegetable Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 pint cherry tomatoes (halved); 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots; 1 yellow pepper (chopped); 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets; 1/2 bunch asparagus (cut into 1/2-3/4" pieces); 1/2 cup diced red onion; 1 1/2 cups chopped red cabbage; 1 1/2 cups cauliflower florets; 8 oz pepper jack cheese (cubed); 1/2 cup olive oil; 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 1 tbsp dijon or deli mustard; 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice; 1 tbsp ranch seasoning; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper

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Fill your plate with color, flavor and healthy nutrients with this delicious Marinated Vegetable Salad! It's perfect for lunch or as a side dish for lots of meals!

A dinner fork with a bite of vegetable salad on top.

Along with spring and summer comes delicious salad side dishes. A potluck just isn't complete without at least 5 varieties to choose from. Potato salad, Macaroni Salad, Pasta Salad, Broccoli Salad, Layered Salad, Cornbread Chicken Salad, Orange Jell-O Salad...you get the picture. What makes these great are the layers of amazing flavors and freshness!

A friend of mine requested a salad to contribute to a get-together that was heavy on the veggies and low in carbs. Challenge accepted! This marinated vegetable salad has only 7 grams carbohydrates (4 net grams) per cup and is PACKED full of veggies and yumminess. Adding the cheese is optional, but it gives it a great boost of protein and deliciousness!

Table of Contents

What You’ll Need

Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Recipe Card Below

Vegetables: Cherry Tomatoes, Carrots, Yellow Pepper, Broccoli, Asparagus, Red onion, Red Cabbage, Cauliflower
Pepper Jack Cheese
Olive Oil
Apple Cider Vinegar
Dijon or Deli Mustard
Lemon Juice
Ranch Seasoning (Homemade or Store-Bought)

The ingredients to make a marinated vegetable salad arranged nicely in a rainbow pattern

Tools You’ll Need

Large Mixing Bowl
Cutting Board
Chef's Knife
Tongs

Why You’ll like This Recipe

Marinated vegetable salad is a stunner of a side amongst a spread of yummy foods!
It's packed full of fresh veggies that are packed full of nutrients!
Gives you a chance to practice those chopping skills!
It tastes even better after it sits, so making ahead is a big convenience!

How to Make This Recipe

For the marinated vegetable salad, to a large mixing bowl, add tomatoes, carrots, yellow pepper, broccoli, asparagus, red onion, cabbage, cauliflower and pepper jack cheese.
For the dressing, in a small bowl, combine olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, ranch, salt and pepper. Whisk or shake with a fitted lid vigorously until well combined.

The ingredients to a oil and vinegar dressing for a salad.

Pour the dressing over the salad. Toss until well combined. Allow the vegetables to marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for at least two hours (or overnight). Give the salad a stir and it’s ready to serve!

A dinner plate with a roasted chicken quarter and a serving of a vegetable salad blend

Tips and Substitutions

It's important to give the salad time to marinate. It is a marinated vegetable salad, after all. At least 2 hours allows time for the raw veggies to tenderize and flavors to marry.
If you don't have time to make a homemade dressing, a good store-bought seasoned oil and vinegar based dressing would work just fine.
You can save time by purchasing pre-chopped vegetables. It might cost more, but it's a great option if you're in a hurry.
Pepper jack cheese can be substituted with cheddar, Colby jack, Monterrey Jack, feta or mozzarella.
Other ingredients that would be great in this salad are radishes, squash, zucchini, cucumber, sugar snap peas, mushrooms, green onion, green beans, and olives.

Storage

Stored in an air-tight container, this salad can be refrigerated up to 3-4 days.
This salad is not a freezer-friendly recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to include cheese?

Absolutely not. Just omit or replace with another cheese variety as noted under "Tips and Substitutions."

What if I don't like one of the vegetables in the recipe?

Like all recipes, this salad is customizable. You can add or take away ingredients to your palates desire.

How long can this salad sit out at room temperature?

Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40-140°F, doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. Never leave food out of refrigeration over 2 hours.

Can I use yellow mustard instead of deli or dijon?

Yes! you can use any mustard you like. Stone ground, yellow, cajun, spicy, honey, German all could work.

Is this salad gluten-free?

Yes, no ingredients used contain gluten.

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A bowl of raw mixed vegetables that have been tossed in a vinaigrette.

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