This marinated vegetable salad is made with chopped red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots, all tossed in a sweet and tangy dressing. It's a little different from your typical salad because it's completely lettuce-free! Just fresh, crunchy vegetables that hold up beautifully in the marinade.
I love this chopped vegetable salad because it's fresh, crunchy, and made entirely from raw vegetables, but there's no lettuce or anything heavy like pasta or beans!
The marinade is a simple combination of olive oil, vinegar, and honey (similar to my popular maple dijon dressing). I love the sweet and tangy flavor it adds to the fresh veggies!
And better yet, you don't have to worry about anyone going hungry because this is a BIG salad! You'll use about 10 cups of fresh vegetables, so there's plenty to feed a crowd. Serve it alongside pesto pasta salad and grilled chicken thighs for a complete meal everyone will love!
Jump to:
Key Ingredient Notes
- Chopped fresh vegetables - You'll need cherry tomatoes, cauliflower florets, broccoli florets, zucchini, carrots, and red bell peppers. Cut the veggies into similar-sized, bite-sized pieces so they're easy to eat and evenly coated in the marinade.
- Marinade ingredients - You'll combine extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, fresh parsley, fresh basil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper for the dressing. The honey balances the tartness of the vinegar, while the Dijon, garlic, and fresh herbs add loads of flavor.
*See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Possible Veggie Additions
The vegetables I listed are some of my favorite options, but there are plenty of other fresh veggies you can use! Heartier veggies will hold up better, but feel free to experiment with what you have on hand! I think yellow squash, snap peas, radishes, green beans, and fresh corn would all work well, too.
Looking for more lettuce-free salad ideas? Try these recipes next: Mediterranean Tomato and Cucumber Salad, Mediterranean White Bean Salad, and Herbed Chicken Salad.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few ideas to make it your own!
- Add crumbly cheese: Crumbled feta, goat, or blue cheese adds a creamy, salty bite.
- Add nuts and seeds: For crunch, top it with pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or slivered almonds.
- Serve it over greens: While this chopped vegetable salad is fantastic on its own, you could also spoon it over a bed of leafy green lettuce, arugula, or spinach.
Step-by-Step Instructions with Photos
- Add all of the marinade ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Place all of the chopped veggies in a large mixing bowl and pour the marinade over top.
- Mix well to thoroughly coat.
- Cover and let the salad chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Then, transfer the salad to a serving bowl using a slotted spoon. This will allow excess marinade to drain out.
- You can toss out any leftover marinade in the bottom of the mixing bowl. Serve and enjoy!
Top Tips
- Why drain the excess marinade before serving? The vegetables will absorb some of the dressing while they marinate, but there will still be quite a bit leftover in the bottom of the bowl. I like to drain some of the excess before serving so the salad isn't overly wet.
- Cut the vegetables into similar-sized pieces. This isn't just for looks! Bite-sized, evenly cut veggies are easier to eat.
- Give the veggies time to marinate. You can serve the salad right away, but I recommend letting it sit so the veggies have time to absorb flavor and soften slightly.
- Don't over-marinate delicate vegetables. Hearty vegetables are best, as they hold up better over the long-term. If you want to add softer vegetables, such as overly-ripe tomatoes or cucumbers, you might want to wait to stir them in right before serving.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
- You can store this marinated vegetable salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- Keep in mind that as the salad sits, the vegetables on the bottom will continue to soak up the marinade and may become overly soft and mushy.
- If you're preparing this salad several hours in advance, chop the vegetables and make the dressing ahead of time, but keep them separate. Combine the vegetables and dressing about one hour before serving for the best freshness and texture.
More Recipes to Try
If you tried this recipe for a Chopped Marinated Vegetable Salad or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and tell me how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Lettuce-Free Marinated Vegetable Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 2 cups chopped zucchini
- 2 cups chopped broccoli
- 2 cups chopped cauliflower
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons diced fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons diced fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Make sure all of your vegetables are chopped into bite size pieces. Add all of the chopped vegetables to a large mixing bowl.
- Add all of the marinade ingredients to a small mixing bowl. Use a whisk to mix the marinade ingredients together.
- Pour the marinade over the raw chopped vegetables. Mix the marinade and vegetables together so that all of the vegetables are thoroughly coated in the marinade.
- Cover and refrigerate the marinated vegetable salad for 1 hour to let the flavors combine. After 1 hour, remove the salad from the fridge and transfer it to a serving bowl using a slotted spoon so that excess marinade drains out. Discard leftover marinade. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
- The vegetables will absorb some of the dressing while they marinate, but there will still be quite a bit leftover in the bottom of the bowl. I like to drain some of the excess before serving so the salad isn't overly wet.
- Cut the vegetables into similar-sized pieces. This isn't just for looks! Bite-sized, evenly cut veggies are easier to eat.
- Give the veggies time to marinate. You can serve the salad right away, but I recommend letting it sit so the veggies have time to absorb flavor and soften slightly.
- If you're preparing this salad several hours in advance, chop the vegetables and make the dressing ahead of time, but keep them separate. Combine the vegetables and dressing about one hour before serving for the best freshness and texture.
- The nutrition information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice.
Jane says
Can cucumbers be substituted for zucchini’s?
Katie Youngs says
Yes, you can use cucumbers instead. They might not hold up as well over time, but you could give it a try!
Katie says
I love all of the fresh flavors in this salad!