I have brought this marinated vegetable salad to an annual church event for more years than I can count. When I did, I made a triple batch in my giant Tupperware bowl. If there was any left, and the bowl was often empty, the ladies on the kitchen cleanup crew fought over the leftovers.
When we moved away, Connie, one of the church members, took it upon herself to be sure this salad would always be at the annual St. Mary's fish fry. If a salad can be iconic, this is one. It's a family favorite, can you tell?
What's wonderful about this old marinated vegetable salad recipe is that it keeps so well my mom christened it "Persistence Salad." It is a great way to use the last of a relish tray or stray veggies in the crisper. The recipe is a guideline, and you can take it from there.
It's a salad you can make any day of the year because the base is three different canned vegetables plus freshly chopped vegetables that are always available in the produce department.
The white corn or shoepeg white corn is crispier, and the tiny peas and French-cut green beans absorb the marinade better than regular peas and cut green beans.
Our daughter recently got nostalgic for it and took a bowl to a weekend at the lake, where we enjoyed it with grilled chicken and again with sandwiches. People sometimes hesitate to try it, but once they do, they're hooked like we are!
Begin by draining the canned vegetables and putting them into a bowl you can seal and put in the refrigerator. Then, start chopping the vegetables you'll be adding. I'd chop the celery a little finer than this picture shows.
Now, chop some pretty red onions. No red onions? Green ones are pretty, too. Now chop some peppers, any color you like! You can add some of every color if you want!
You can add some chopped carrots, jicama, water chestnuts, and cauliflower in any combination. I would choose firm vegetables and avoid cucumbers or zucchini unless you remove the seedy center before adding them.
To make the marinated vegetable salad dressing, combine the ingredients in a saucepan and heat on the stove until the mixture boils and all the sugar dissolves.
While the dressing is still hot, pour it over the happy vegetable salad mixture, stir it well, and put it in the fridge for several hours; the original recipe calls for twenty-four hours, so all those veggies can get acquainted.
The original recipe has sugar, vinegar, and oil in the marinade. Some sweetness makes this vegetable salad so good, but you could use the artificial sweetener of your choice or reduce the amount of sugar if you prefer. Please don't leave it out, though.
The oldest recipe for marinated vegetable salad uses white wine vinegar, LeSueur brand tiny peas (they seem to be the "pea people"), chopped green onions, and pimento from a jar for color. I always use apple cider vinegar, but you can use plain white vinegar or flavored vinegar if you have one you like.
You can use either vegetable oil or olive oil. So there you go. Like all good old recipes, everyone has their spin on them, and you can, too! Remember, this salad is such a good keeper you can even add vegetables to the dressing if it gets skimpy. If a few stragglers are left on the relish tray, now they have a home!
This is a recipe for a delicious marinated vegetable salad that you can modify according to your taste and the ingredients you have on hand. It keeps so well that we call it "Persistence Salad." It's good any time of the year!
Summer and salad go together like picnics and ants! Here are some of our favorite salads, and I hope you watch them for more recipes! Mexican Pasta Salad, Kraut Salad, and Snickers Salad.
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Love, GB (Betty Streff)
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sounds quite tasty altho i am a bit dubious about the canned peas.....i think my late aunt jeane's recipe might be even better despite being simpler:
4-BEAN SALAD
1 can wax beans
1 can cut green beans
1 can dark kidney beans
1 can chickpeas
1 medium onion, halved then thinly sliced
1 small green pepper, chopped
Drain and rinse the four cans of beans and chickpeas. Place in large bowl. Add sliced onion and chopped pepper and mix together. Make the dressing.
DRESSING:
In a saucepan, combine 2/3 cup sugar, 2/3 cup cider vinegar,
1 tsp salt, 1 tsp celery seed, and ½ tsp pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring, and boil just until the sugar melts (which does not take very long).
Allow the dressing to cool in the pan, then add 1/3 cup vegetable oil (preferably canola).
Pour the dressing over the vegetables, mix well, and allow to stand (refrigerated) for at least 4 hours or overnight.
That sounds like a delightful recipe similar to a "four bean salad" I have made many times- I have used kidney beans instead of chickpeas. As for the canned peas, leave them out and substiute whatever you like as I said in my post! Freewheel to your heart's content! Our kitchen should be our own lab and playground!! My husband happens to love canned baby peas and so do our kids and grandkids- that's what makes the world go round!! Have an amazing day!!