Marinated Assorted Vegetable Salad
Who else is always looking for easy, make ahead recipes for parties and entertaining? They are SO convenient, especially for when you want stress-free, simple recipes for the days that you are hosting a gathering of family and friends. This recipe fits every requirement: minimal prep work, very quick to make, can be made ahead of time and is always a big hit with guests.
My Mom and a bunch of my relatives have been making this Marinated Vegetable Salad Assortment for years and it’s a favorite for many good reasons. All the reasons that I already mentioned are really important, but the most important is taste, of course. I love how crunchy this salad is and so full of robust flavor and is vibrant and colorful.
Especially during the summer months when people are entertaining much more often, this salad is perfect to be added to your menu for the next bash. Ingredients:
1/2 of a cabbage head, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cauliflower head, cut into florets
2 broccoli stalks, cut into florets
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1-2 bell peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small onion or 1 large shallot, sliced
3-5 garlic cloves, peeled
Brine:
5 cups water
4 1/2 Tablespoons kosher salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
3/4 cup distilled white vinegar
3/4 – 1 cup sunflower oil
Instructions:
Prep all the ingredients. 
Mix to combine in a large bowl or pot. 
Make the brine by brining the water to a boil, and adding the salt and sugar, mixing to combine until they dissolve and then off the heat adding the vinegar and the oil. 
Pour the brine over the vegetables and let it stand for about 15-20 minutes. The vegetables will wilt slightly. You might want to put some kind of weight on top of it to make sure the brine covers the vegetables completely. 
Place the salad into glass canning jars or even into a large bowl or bowls. Make sure that the vegetables are covered completely with the brine. Store in the refrigerator. Marinate for 24-48 hours before serving.
- ½ of a cabbage head, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- ½ cauliflower head, cut into florets
- 2 broccoli stalks, cut into florets
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 1-2 bell peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 small onion or 1 large shallot, sliced
- 3-5 garlic cloves, peeled
- 5 cups water
- 4½ Tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- ¾ cup distilled white vinegar
- ¾ - 1 cup sunflower oil
- Prep all the ingredients.
- Mix to combine in a large bowl or pot.
- Make the brine by brining the water to a boil, and adding the salt and sugar, mixing to combine until they dissolve and then off the heat adding the vinegar and the oil.
- Pour the brine over the vegetables and let it stand for about 15-20 minutes. The vegetables will wilt slightly. Place the salad into glass canning jars or even into a large bowl or bowls. Make sure that the vegetables are covered completely with the brine.
- Store in the refrigerator. Marinate for 24-48 hours before serving.
16 Comments
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yelena
Thanks Olga for this recipe, will do this weekend! Looks much easier to make than other recipe I have. I enjoy your blog and recipes, may God bless you and your family !!!!
olgak7
Thank you, Yelena! I hope you’ll enjoy the salad.
Tanya
Thank you Olya for posting this recipe. Vegetables are really expensive where I live; however, right now we have them in abundance at a lot lower price. It was like you read my mind and now I know what to do with my vegetables and get my family to eat vitamins. 🙂 Thank you again and again! I love your site and every recipe that I’ve tried always comes out tasting and looking good! May God Bless you for all of your hard work!
olgak7
It’s awesome to take advantage of all the fresh vegetables available during the summer and fall.
Marina | Let the Baking Begin!
I have been looking for this kind of recipe for a while now, thanks for posting this!
I love your new kitchen too 🙂
olgak7
Perfect timing, then, Marina:). Enjoy.
We are really enjoying our new home and I just LOVE the spacious and bright kitchen.
Vadim (@NatashasKitchen)
Great post Olga, I actually prefer assortments like these vs just canned tomatoes or cucumbers. You’ll get a unique flavor and some variety :).
olgak7
Thanks, Vadim. I agree; it is nice to have some variety. It’s a great option for parties.
Diane
Do you pour off the brine after 24-48 hours? How long do the vegetables keep in the refrigerator?
olgak7
No, keep the brine over the vegetables, Diane. I don’t keep them longer than a week or two, unless I sterilize the jars first, in which case, they will keep for months.
Marina
I was out of half portion of the vinegar so I added some apple cider vinegar. It has a distinquitive smell, but I tried it and it tastes ok. Do you think I shouldn’t have used the apple cider vinegar? I’m getting nervous as to how it will turn out after being marinated………..
olgak7
I don’t use apple cider vinegar in pickling because it has a very specific taste, while regular vinegar is mild and doesn’t have a specific taste. I don’t think it will ruin the dish, but it depends on your taste preference, Marina.
Vitaliya
Hi Olga, thank you so much for this recipe! I fell in love with this recipe after I tried it at your housewarming party! It was delicious and I have been craving it since! I have a question though, I want to sterilize the jars so I can store the salad for longer than just a week or two, how do you sterilize your jars? I pour boiling water into the jars and close the lid right away, do you do it any other way?
olgak7
That’s awesome, Vitaliya! I’m so glad you liked it:).
I use the oven to sterilize jars. I place the jars in the oven, preheat the oven to 225-300 degrees Fahrenheit and then keep them in the oven for 10-15 minutes. I usually boil a pot of water on the stove, and put the lids in the boiling water. If you will be storing the salad for a long time, it would be a good idea to also place the sterilized jars, already filled with the salad in a large pot of water, submerge the jars completely in water and cook for 15 minutes.
Marieta
Olga what if you don’t care the sunflower and use canola what will be just a different taste?
olgak7
Use a different oil, if you don’t like sunflower.