Day 237: Marinated Vegetable Salad ♥

Today's oh-so-retro recipe: A can of corn, a can of peas, a few chopped vegetables plus oil and vinegar and – horrors! – sugar. And yet? This salad works in an old-fashioned retro way. Weight Watchers Friendly. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real. Naturally Gluten Free. And just slightly pickle-y ... and addictive.

Oh people, much to even my surprise, this easy make-ahead refrigerator salad was a true hit at a casual supper tonight. Even a two-year old thought it was yummy, eating the peas with his fingers, one at a time. Oh, pudgy two-year old fingers, aren't they just too wonderful?

This is an old-old recipe and yes, if you look closely, it uses, errr, dare I say? canned corn and canned peas. The note on my 3x5 recipe card is dated 1986 and reads, "too much oil". Ha! Even way back then I was "Alanna-sizing" recipes. So this time, I dramatically:

Increased the crunch factor with extra celery and carrot
Reduced the sugar by a quarter (by half was too much)
Reduced the oil by half

The balance, I think, tastes light and perfect! That said, the pea/corn combination added up to more calories and Weight Watchers points – and carbs – than I'd have guessed. This makes it best for small portions.

I love "refrigerator salads" that keep in the fridge for several days for easy additions to quick suppers and fast lunches. Add this slightly pickle-y salad to the win column!

RECIPE for MARINATED VEGETABLE SALAD

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 24 hours
Makes 5 cups

1/2 cup (110g) vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 15-ounce can white corn, drained
3 ribs celery, diced (about 200g)
2 carrots, peeled and grated (about 150g)
4 skinny green onions, white and green parts, cut into 1/2-inch lengths (about 30g)

1 15-ounce can LeSeur small green peas, drained

Combine all the ingredients except the peas in a large bowl and stir until well combined. Gently, so not to mash, stir in the peas. That's it, really! Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. Enjoy!

VARIATIONS During the summer months, I'd definitely make this salad with fresh corn and frozen peas. I think it'd be really fresh and pretty!

ALANNA'S TIPS & KITCHEN NOTES
Plain ol' white vinegar is traditional here but I use something slightly more gentle, either white wine vinegar or rice vinegar.
When I made Marinated Vegetable Salad for new photos, I accidentally picked up a can of LeSeur peas that included mushrooms and pearl onions. I liked those additions!

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Half Cup: 87 Calories; 3g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 299mg Sodium; 14g Carb; 2g Fiber; 6g Sugar; 2g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS WW Old Points 1.5, WW PointsPlus 2, WW SmartPoints 3, WW Freestyle 2 CALORIE COUNTERS 100-calorie serving = generous half cup.

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION Adapted from Shirley Y, an Iowa farm homemaker.

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MORE FAVORITE REFRIGERATOR SALAD RECIPES

~ Winter Tomato Salad (Quick Pickled Vegetables) ~
~ Swedish Beets ~
~ No-Cook Tabbouleh ~
~ more refrigerator salad recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture

~ Favorite Summer Salad Recipes ~
~ Greek Pasta Salad ~
~ New-Fashioned Sauerkraut Salad ~
~ Quinoa & Black Bean Salad ~
~ more salad recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade, my food column

SEASONAL EATING: THIS SAME WEEK ACROSS THE YEARS

Secret-Ingredient Cookies with Pecans Green Beans with Lemon & Pine Nuts Curried Cauliflower Veggies for Kids: One Very Sneaky Mom Marinated Vegetable Salad Weight Watchers Pumpkin Smoothie & Weight Watchers Mocha Smoothie How Not to Buy Acorn Squash (Essay) Surprise Weight Watchers Truffles Green Beans with Browned Butter & Pine Nuts Celery Salad with Dates & Walnuts Quick Green Chile Stew (< make this before starting to cook Thanksgiving dinner!) Caramelized Onion Tart Simple Scalloped Potatoes How to Cook Dried Chickpeas Especially for Hummus aka "Jerusalem Chickpeas" Roasted Eggplant “Hummus" (Eggplant & Chickpea Dip & Spread) No-Bake Pumpkin Cream Pie

A Veggie Venture is home of "veggie evangelist" Alanna Kellogg and the
famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.

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