Vegetable Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

Vegetables

• 1/3 cup chopped onions or scallions (spring onions)
• ½ cup chopped tomatoes – chopped in 0.5 cm cubes
• ½ cup chopped red bell pepper or any colored bell pepper, chopped in 0.5 cm cubes
• ½ cup chopped cucumber – regular or English cucumber, chopped in 0.5 cm cubes
• 1/3 cup grated carrots – optional
• 1 avocado – medium to large
• 3 tablespoons chopped celery

Nuts And Seeds

• 1 tablespoon cashews – whole, chopped
• 1 tablespoon pistachios – unsalted and shelled, chopped
• 2 to 3 walnuts – chopped
• 1 tablespoon almonds – chopped, optional
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
• 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds – white
• 2 tablespoons golden raisins

For Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon minced garlic
• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper or ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon dried basil or 3 to 4 fresh basil leaves, torn
• ½ teaspoon salt or add as required
• ½ teaspoon raw sugar or white sugar or brown sugar

Other Ingredients

• ¼ cup crumbled feta – 25 grams
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley – flat or curly

For Garnish

• 1 tablespoon crumbled feta
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Instructions:

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

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).

NOTE: Peeling the cucumber is optional; during peak season, the skin is quite thin and can stay on. If the skin is thick and tough, I recommend peeling it.

• 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.

NOTE: You can also use ⅓ cup grated carrots or beets or ¼ cup grated radish for a different texture.

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. 

Toss Vegetable Salad

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!

Notes

1. Customize this vegetarian salad recipe to the veggies you have on hand. You can also choose to roast or steam some vegetables.
2. Feel free to use fresh seasonal vegetables.
3. If you are allergic to any nuts or seeds then simply omit them from the recipe.
4. This vegetable salad has the best flavors as soon as it is mixed. If you want to prep ahead then you can cut the veggies and refrigerate for a few hours. The dressing can be made and refrigerated for 1 to 2 days. You can roast the nuts and seeds and they will be good for about a week in an air-tight container.
5. For a vegan vegetable salad, skip the feta or use a plant based substitute.
6. The recipe is easily scalable to make for potluck or summer parties.