Colorful Vegetable Salad

Submitted by Halcyon Eve

"This is my favorite salad to make for family gatherings and potlucks. It's very easy and so much healthier than potato salad. It can be made ahead--in fact, it's at its best after about 12-24 hours of marinating. It keeps well in the fridge for about 2-4 days before it starts to deteriorate in quality. Prep time is estimated; you can buy pre-washed broccoli florets and cauliflowerettes to speed preparation. Cooking time is minimum marinating time."

 

• Ready In: 3hrs 30mins
• Ingredients: 7
• Yields: 3/4 cup servings
• Serves: 20

ingredients

• 6 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 6 cups cauliflower florets, cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 (6 ounce) can sliced olives, drained
• 1 cup Italian dressing
• 1⁄4 cup grated parmesan cheese

directions

1. In a large bowl, combine broccoli, cauliflower, red onion, and olives. Toss to combine. Add cherry tomatoes.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together dressing and cheese. Pour over salad and gently toss to mix.
3. Refrigerate 3-24 hours before serving.

Reviews

[evewitch]

This was really pretty and colorful. I used Recipe #43522 for the dressing, which I actually did not like. It was too bland and oily, and I think it did this salad a disservice. I will probably try making this salad again once I find a better homemade Italian. (Or, barring that, with Kraft Zesty Italian, which is always an option I guess.)

 

[FrenchBunny]

This was a great refreshing salad. I had wanted to make my own italian dressing but it was too late when I thought about it. I had made this for 3 people for lunch today. It chilled for about 3 hours only but it still tasted great. I did use kalamata olives though, I don't like the taste of canned olives. It's great that it is so fast to put together with a wonderful taste. Can't wait to try it with homemade italian dressing. Thanks for sharing a tasty recipe HacyonEve.

 

[JFitz]

This is a great summer salad. I also added Hearts of Palm, a little less lite Italian Dressing and a little Apple Cider Vinegar. This is a great recipe!

 

[Acerast]

Great flavor and color combinations! We loved this very crunchy salad - such a change from the usual mayonnaise-based broccoli salads. I used diced kohlrabi because there was no cauliflower in the grocery store today (and because they are both white and have similar taste.) DS#2 (age 16) couldn't stop eating it so it only served six - though I must admit that it was so good that we all ate more than the 3/4 cup serving sizes mentioned above ;) Thanks for a great recipe Hacyon Eve!

 

[bellaluka]

This is a great recipe, but I like a few changes with mine. I add pitted kalamata olives instead of the black and omit the cheese. I also omit the salad dressing and make a different one. It's easy and I think tastes better. 1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix 2/3 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup vinegar