Vegetable Salad Recipe

 Salads have always been known for their health benefits. Over the years, salads and their various ingredients have been used to ensure men and women both have healthy bodies but healthy skin as well. Raw or cooked, constituents of salads have various benefits that will start working on your body right from the first day but it is important to maintain a regular but healthy intake.

                          

Trying to include more vegetables in your diet? This Vegetable Salad recipe is a bowlful of sunshine that is sure to delight your senses. A melée of mixed veggies, crunchy nuts and seeds, sweet pops of dried fruit and tangy feta cheese are tossed with a light vinaigrette for an unbeatable summer veggie salad.

About This Veggie Salad Recipe

When the weather is hot, there is almost nothing that I crave more than crunchy, healthy veggies (especially when paired with a refreshing drink). This easy vegetable salad is packed with a variety of summer produce with all the textures and colors I could ever want.

And don’t feel limited by that particular mix of veggies, either! Add or swap in any of your favorite veggies like earthy beets or sweet bell peppers. You can also opt to use any grilled or cooked veggies that you like – summer squash, zucchini or mushrooms are all lovely options.

This healthy vegetable salad is great in the summer when all the produce is fresh and green! That said, you can easily substitute in seasonal vegetables to enjoy it all year round. It is a very important and healthy practice to include salads in the diet.

This mixed veggie salad is also super easy to make. Simply toast the nuts and seeds, chop the veggies and whisk up the quick dressing before tossing it all together. In under 15 minutes, you’ll have a colorful bowl of goodness ready to eat.

I personally like to add some creaminess to counteract the tart lemon-garlic vinaigrette, so I add avocado and feta. Note that are both are optional, though I highly recommend both. Feta cheese offers a briny, salty punch, while avocado offers more healthy fats in addition to nuts and seeds.

I usually make this vegetarian salad recipe to accompany a light khichdi or simple lentil-rice dish, but sometimes I’ll eat it with just some fresh fruit juice or a smoothie to accompany it. If eating a salad doesn’t seem like enough of a meal for you, try this recipe as a side with a main course dish.

Optional Variations

While my mix of juicy tomatoes, sweet carrots, cooling cucumber, crunchy celery, creamy avocado, sweet bell peppers and piquant onions is healthy, there are plenty of ways to customize this mixed veg salad to your liking. Here are some ideas:

• Try adding blanched, lightly steamed or roasted veggies like broccoli, french beans, corn, cauliflower, baby corn.
• Add lentils, beans or chickpeas or bean sprouts for more protein.
• Grate some of the vegetables for a different texture.
• Add marinated veggies like artichoke hearts for tang, or other veggies like radish for some pungency.
• Swap in your own favorite combination of dried fruits, nuts and seeds. I added what I had at home.
• Use fresh coriander or chives instead of parsley.

How to Make Vegetable Salad

Toast Nuts and Seeds

1. Heat a small frying pan or skillet. When it becomes warm, add the following nuts and seeds.

• 1 tablespoon pistachios, chopped
• 1 tablespoon cashews, chopped
• 2 to 3 walnuts, chopped – optional
• 1 tablespoon almonds, chopped or sliced – optional
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds, white or black
• 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
• raw nuts and seeds added to pan

2. Keeping them on the lowest heat, stir often. Roast the nuts and seeds until lightly golden, crisp and fragrant. This takes about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and set aside. 

Prep Veggies

3. Rinse the veggies well, then drain the water and set aside.

• Peel and chop the 1 small to medium-sized cucumber in 0.5 cm cubes (½ cup chopped).
• Remove the seeds and chop 1 small red bell pepper in 0.5 cm cubes (½ cup chopped).
• Peel, rinse and chop 1 small to medium onion (⅓ cup chopped).
• Dice 1 medium tomato to 0.5 cm cubes (½ cup chopped).
• Also chop 1 celery stick (about 3 tablespoons). Set aside.
• evenly diced onions, cucumbers, tomatoes and bell pepper on a cutting board

Make Lemon Vinaigrette

4. In a small mixing bowl, add 2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

5. Add the following ingredients:

¼ teaspoon minced garlic

¼ teaspoon ground white or black pepper

½ teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

NOTE: I used raw sugar, but you can also use white sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar or palm sugar.

6. Add the dried herbs – ¼ teaspoon dried thyme and ¼ teaspoon dried basil. You can also add Herbes de Provence in the dressing.

7. With a wired whisk, mix dressing ingredients briskly for 2 to 3 minutes until it thickens slightly. 

8. Take chopped veggies and celery in a bowl. 

9. Halve a ripe avocado ( 1 medium to large). Scoop the pulp. Chop and add to the mixed vegetables. Add all of the lemon vinaigrette dressing.

10. Add the cooled roasted/toasted nuts and seeds, 2 tablespoons golden raisins and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley.

11. Add ¼ cup crumbled feta.

12. Mix and toss thoroughly till the dressing has coated the veggies evenly.

13. Serve veggie salad straightaway, garnishing with some additional crumbled feta and parsley. Enjoy vegetable salad as is, or with any Mediterranean, Italian, European or American main course. Enjoy!

Veggie Salad Tips

This simple mixed vegetable salad with lemon garlic vinaigrette is easy to pull off, but I do have some tips to ensure that you have the greatest success:

If raw onions are too pungent for you, try soaking them in cool water for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain thoroughly, then add to the mix.

If you want to get a jump on meal prep, all of the vegetables can be prepped up to a few hours in advance with the exception of the avocado. Add the avocado right before tossing, or it will oxidize and become brown.

The vinaigrette can be made up to a 1 to 2 days in advance and kept in the refrigerator. The toasted nuts and seeds will also last for up to a week in a dry, airtight container on the counter.

If you have refrigerated your tomatoes, I suggest allowing them to come to room temperature before eating. They will taste so much better!

FAQs

Can I make this veggie salad ahead of time?

You can certainly prep this veggie salad ahead of time, though I don’t recommend tossing it until just prior to eating. All vegetables can be chopped a few hours before in advance and kept in the fridge. The dressing will keep for up to 1 to 2 days in the fridge, and the toasted nuts and seeds can stay at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to a week.

What if I am allergic to nuts?

Feel free to swap out the nuts for any mix of seeds that you like. Pepitas and sunflower seeds are already part of the mix, but flax and chia would be nice additions. You can also opt to swap in croutons or broken tortilla chips instead of using nuts or seeds to get some of the same crunch.

Can I make my own herbes de provence? Or what can I substitute?

Feel free to substitute any French, Italian or Mediterranean seasoning blend that you like. You can also opt to make your own herbes de provence if you prefer.

Can I make it vegan?

Of course! Feel free to omit the feta cheese or use a plant based alternative.

What can I use instead of golden raisins?

Any other dried fruit that you like! I love chopped dried apricots, but regular brown raisins, currants, or even chopped dates will work. You can also opt to omit the dried fruit entirely, if you prefer.