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This summer veggie salad is a celebration of seasonal vegetables! With crunchy garden-fresh cucumbers and peppers, juicy tomatoes, and herby dressing, we keep this in the fridge all summer long. This top-rated recipe is perfect for bringing to BBQs or serving as an easy summer salad side dish.
save this recipe!I’m a big fan of salads that…aren’t salads. Case in point, summer veggie salad.
You basically chop up every summer-fresh vegetable growing in your garden (or that you find at the farmer’s market) and toss it together with a deliciously herby dressing!
It’s foolproof and the perfect side dish for bringing along to summer dinners and BBQs (and with dozens of 5-star reviews, it’s a community favorite)!
Reader rating
“I’m all about eating light for lunch in the hot Texas heat. I really liked this. Don’t feel so groggy after eating it as compared to a burger or sandwich. Plus I’m kinda of a veggie person anyway.” —Kevin
For the salad, you’ll need:
- Tomatoes: Fresh tomatoes will serve as part of the base, adding consistency and flavor! While Roma tomatoes are great here (more meaty, less juicy), you can use whatever tomatoes you have on hand, like diced heirlooms or halved cherry tomatoes.
- Cucumber: I love English cucumber here for the lack of seeds, but again, use what you have on hand!
- Red Bell Pepper: When it comes to the pepper, I like to use red for the flavor, though any color pepper will do the job.
- Red Onion: Finally, add about ½ cup of chopped red onion. You can use more or less depending on your love (or lack thereof) for raw onions!
- Feta Cheese: For a much-needed creamy component, we’ll be using ½ cup of diced feta.
For the Dressing, grab:
- Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil will serve as the base of the dressing.
- Parsley: Fresh parsley adds flavor and texture. Italian and flat parsley both work well here.
- Lemon Juice: Tangy lemon juice brightens up the salad more than you’d think. Fresh juice is best! White vinegar could be used as a lemon juice substitute here.
- Garlic: Garlic? Please and thanks. 1 clove minced will be perfect for this dressing.
- Salt, Pepper, Oregano: We’re keeping the seasonings simple here!
Ready in 10!
Nothing’s better than a quick-to-make summer dish. Come inside to escape from the hot sun and whip this together in less than 10 minutes!
- Chop the vegetables: First, chop all of the salad ingredients into equal-sized blocks.
- Make the dressing: Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients.
- Assemble the salad: Add the dressing to the salad, tossing evenly to coat. For tastiest results, let the salad chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour prior to serving.
Incredibly customizable
As to be proven by your first bite, this salad is nothing short of delicious. But that doesn’t mean that it can’t be further customized to fit your palate! Here are some ways that you can switch up this salad depending on your mood.
Add crunch
Why not add some crunch and healthy fat with a handful of almonds or pistachios?! Crush ‘em up and toss them in for an easy and filling add-on. You can also take it up a notch by using glazed nuts. Too delicious!
Switch up the veggies
You can switch up the ingredients however you like. An easy way is by using a white or sweet onion, or green or orange bell peppers. Really any summer vegetables work well, like grilled or roasted zucchini, or corn (either grilled or kernels straight from the cob) is also delicious here. Take your favorites and run with them!
Substitute feta for your favorite
Not a big fan of feta? Use a cheese you do like! Bleu cheese would be downright delicious in this salad.
10-Minute Summer Veggie Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 tomatoes, 1 cup diced
- ½ cucumber, 1 cup diced
- 1 red bell pepper, 1 cup diced
- ½ red onion, ½ cup chopped
- ½ cup diced feta, 125 g
Dressing
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, 30 mL
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, 15 g
- 1 tsp lemon juice, 5 mL
- ½ tsp oregano
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Salad: Chop all salad ingredients into equal-sized blocks. Toss together in a large bowl.
- Dressing: Whisk together the dressing ingredients.
- Assemble: Add the dressing to the salad, tossing to evenly coat. For tastiest results, let chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour prior to serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
How about “VeggieQuik” Meals?
Oh I like it!! 😀
Nicely done. The dressing was delish. I didn’t use red pepper only because I don’t digest them well at 71.
I’m all about eating light for lunch in the hot Texas heat. I really liked this. Don’t feel so groggy after eating it as compared to a burger or sandwich. Plus I’m kinda of a veggie person anyway. Keep up the good work girl.
So happy to hear it, Kevin! Enjoy! 😀
No flavor need something more won’t make this again
This is so goodbye itself or pears nicely with the roasted chickpea gyros. Yum yum yum❤️
Great job live eat learn team keep it up!
It was a burst of flavors on my taste buds.
Thanks for the healthy recipe!
I make a very similar salad with a vegetable base of English cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, carrots, onions, and a few peppers (green and/or colored with red being my favorite). In reality you should use whatever veggies you prefer, about 1 cup each! But my dressing is very calorie conscious. Separately I mix 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/8 cup white vinegar, and 1 packet of dry Italian seasoning, NO water, then after mixing the dressing I add 1-2 Tbl extra virgin olive oil and about 1/5 cup Splenda. You can make your own Italian dressing packet if so inclined. Sometimes I’ll add shredded 5 cheese Italian blend and/or some grated Parmesan cheese to change it up a bit.
The Summer Veggie Salad was excellent. I served it on a bed of Romaine lettuce and we really enjoyed it.
I substituted basil for the parsley, which I didn’t have. I also added more garlic. It was very good.
Such a great way to serve this one! Thanks for letting us know how it went, Kathy! 😀
So easy. I couldn’t help myself wnd added some watermelon. This is a great alternative to the usual salad greens we have.
That’s such a great idea! 😀
Another GREAT quick refreshingly healthy salad! Thanks Sarah