Why We Love This Marinated Vegetable Salad Recipe
This tried-and-true Southern Marinated Vegetables Salad recipe was passed on to me from a friend who grew up deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It came from his sister, a notable southern cook, and is a truly unique salad dish I have never tasted before. It includes a great combination of fresh, canned, and frozen vegetables. My rendition of her recipe has only two slight variations (in case you want to make the original shoepeg corn and pea salad.) I reduced the sugar and the marinade by half, and then added a little bit of garlic powder for depth of flavor. The combination of tangy taste and crunchy texture makes this salad unforgettable! This is a great make-ahead dish for summer parties and potlucks. It can be made several days in advance, and because the marinade is made with sugar and vinegar, can keep for up to 10+ days!
Ingredients You Need
For the Marinade –
Apple cider vinegar (white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar) Granulated sugar Olive oil Garlic powder Salt and pepper
For the Vegetable Salad –
Frozen or canned petit peas Canned shoepeg corn Chopped pimentos Sweet onion (or red onion) Celery Green Bell pepper (or yellow, orange or red bell pepper)
How to Make Marinated Vegetable Salad
Set a small sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add the apple cider vinegar, sugar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix well with a whisk. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, stir and remove from heat. Allow the marinade to cool as you prepare the salad ingredients. Drain the petite peas, shoepeg corn, and pimentos. Finely dice one cup each of onion, celery, and bell pepper into bite-size pieces. Set out a large bowl. Combine the canned and fresh vegetables in the bowl. Pour the cooled marinade over the top. Mix well to combine. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least six hours, or overnight if you can. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Serving Suggestions for Marinated Vegetables
To serve this pea salad, you can either drain off the marinade before serving, or serve it with a slotted spoon and allow people to spoon up as much marinade as desired to dunk with bread. It is a great addition to the table at potluck, picnics, and cookouts! Enjoy the marinated vegetables as a side with summertime favorite main dishes like simple Grilled Chicken or BBQ Chicken, Hamburgers and Hot Dogs, or other crowd-pleasing proteins. The fresh and crunchy veggies are also a tasty balance for other Southern side dishes. Serve with Corn Spoon Bread, Cheesy Hominy Casserole, or Stewed Okra and Tomatoes for a true comfort food meal.
Looking for More Southern Side Dish Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
Retro Cornbread Salad Cool and Creamy Grape Salad Fresh Corn Succotash Perky English Pea Salad Southern Coleslaw Recipe Crispy Ramen Noodle Salad Broccoli Cauliflower Salad Best Ham Salad
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