Marinated vegetable salad is a great, fresh side dish, perfect to make the day before when hosting. Crisp green beans, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, celery, and red onion soak up a simple sherry vinaigrette overnight, giving it time to pick up all that tangy flavor while staying crisp. It is especially handy for potlucks, cookouts, and make-ahead meals because there is no worrying about wilted greens or a soggy salad by the time you serve it. You only need about 20 minutes of prep work, then set it in the refrigerator to marinate.
My son brought over the last of his fresh green beans from the garden, and I wanted to do something that would really let that just-picked flavor shine. I blanched them so they’d stay crisp, tossed them with garden cherry tomatoes, celery, red onion, and chickpeas, then whipped up a marinade dressing. It was a hit with the whole family the next day.
Main Ingredients Needed For Marinated Vegetable Salad
Here’s a quick overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. For the full list of ingredients and exact measurements, jump to the recipe card.
- Fresh green beans: These are what give the salad its crunch, so look for ones that snap cleanly when you bend them. Blanching them first keeps them bright green and crisp instead of dull and soft.
- Chickpeas: These are what make the salad feel like it could actually be lunch, not just a side. I always rinse them well; the canning liquid can leave a slightly tinny taste behind if you skip that step.
- Cherry tomatoes: These bring a little sweetness and color. Halving them lets the juices mix right into the dressing.
- Celery: This adds a nice crunch that holds up even after marinating overnight. Slice it thin and on the diagonal so it blends in with the other vegetables.
- Red onion: This gives the salad a little bite that mellows out beautifully once it marinates. Slice it thin so it’s not overpowering.
- Sherry vinegar: This is the backbone of the vinaigrette, tangy without being harsh. It’s worth keeping a bottle on hand if you cook Southern or Mediterranean-style dishes often.
- Honey: Just enough to keep the vinegar from being too sharp. I’ve tried it without, and the dressing tastes flat, so don’t skip it even if you’re tempted to.
- Seven Seas Garlic and Herb Dressing Mix: This is what pulls the whole vinaigrette together with real flavor, not just oil and vinegar. You’ll find it in the salad dressing aisle; it’s a small packet shelved right next to the other dried powdered dressing mixes. If you want a different flavor profile, their Zesty Italian packet works well too. I’ve tested it, and it’s just as good.
How To Make Marinated Vegetable Salad
This one comes together in a few simple stages, and the fridge does most of the real work.
Tip: Don’t skip the ice bath after blanching the green beans. That quick shock of cold water is what stops the cooking and keeps them crisp instead of turning soft and dull once they marinate.
Marinated Vegetable Salad Variations
I love using fresh green beans when my son brings them over, but blanched asparagus works just as well if that’s what’s fresh at your store. Multicolored peppers add a nice pop of color if you want to switch things up, and cucumbers are a good addition too if you want something extra crisp. However you build it, this veggie salad only gets better the more you make it your own. If you’d rather have a more Italian flavor profile, swap the Garlic and Herb dressing mix for the Zesty Italian packet instead. I’ve made it both ways, and they’re equally good.
Make Ahead Marinated Vegetable Salad
This is genuinely one of those recipes that’s better when you make it ahead. You can blanch and chop all the vegetables up to a day before you plan to serve, then just keep them covered in the fridge until you’re ready. Add the vinaigrette anywhere from 2 to 4 hours before serving so the vegetables have time to soak up all that flavor, or go ahead and let it marinate overnight for the most flavorful version. That’s really what makes this such an easy make-ahead vegetable salad for busy weeks, not just gatherings. It’s also a great recipe to prepare the day before a potluck. Just pack it in a tight, sealed container and transport it on ice in a cooler, and it’s ready to set out the moment you arrive.
Questions When Making Marinated Vegetable Salad
Blanching and shocking the green beans in ice water is the biggest factor. It keeps them from turning limp once they marinate. Adding the fresh basil right before serving instead of during marinating also keeps it from wilting into the salad.
Red wine vinegar works well if you don’t have sherry vinegar on hand. It has a similar tang and won’t throw off the balance of the vinaigrette.
No, this recipe is built around fresh green beans and works best that way. Frozen green beans tend to turn out watery once thawed, which waters down the vinaigrette and softens the whole salad.
Marinated Vegetable Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces green beans, fresh
- 15 ounces chickpeas, garbanzo beans, canned, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved, from 1 pint
- 3/4 cup celery, thinly diagonally sliced
- 3/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced, from 1 small onion
- 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Seven Seas Garlic and Herb Dressing Mix, or Seven Seas Zesty Italian Dressing Mix
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup basil, chopped, fresh
Instructions
Blanch the Green Beans
- Fill a medium bowl with ice and water.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
- Add the green beans and cook until tender-crisp and bright green.
- Using a slotted spoon or tongs, immediately transfer the green beans to the ice water and let stand until thoroughly chilled.
- Remove the green beans and pat dry with a paper towel, then cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces and place in a large bowl.
Combine the Vegetables
- Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, celery, and red onion to the bowl with the green beans.
- Set aside while you prepare the vinaigrette.
Make the Vinaigrette
- Whisk together the sherry vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, dressing mix, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl.
- Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly, until the vinaigrette is emulsified.
Marinate the Salad
- Drizzle the vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss until evenly coated.
- Cover and chill until the onions are tender and the vegetables are flavorful, at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours, tossing occasionally.
Finish and Serve
- Just before serving, toss the salad with the basil.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Gina’s Notes and Tips
- Make Ahead: Vegetables can be blanched and chopped a day ahead. Add the marinade 8 hours before serving so the vegetables can fully absorb the dressing, or let them marinate up to 24 hours for the most flavor.
- Storage: Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Vegetables are crispest for the first 2 days, then soften somewhat but remain good to eat through day 5.
- Substitutions: Sherry vinegar can be replaced with red wine vinegar. Seven Seas Zesty Italian Dressing Mix can be used in place of the Garlic and Herb mix.
- Variations: Blanched asparagus, multicolored peppers, or cucumbers can be used alongside or in place of the green beans and tomatoes, depending on what’s in season.
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Please consider Leaving a Review!Hospitality with Marinated Vegetable Salad
An End of Summer Cookout is my favorite way to close out the garden season before everybody’s back-to-school schedules and soccer practice. Drag the folding tables out into the yard, string up some lights, and let the kids run around barefoot until it’s dark. I keep the food simple on purpose: burgers or Thai chicken off the grill, a big pitcher of southern sweet tea, and a few sides that don’t need me hovering, this salad being one of them. Then pull up a lawn chair and relax. That’s the whole point, really: making sure people feel like family at your table even when it’s just paper plates and folding chairs.
