Marinated Vegetable Salad
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I tried this Marinated Vegetable Salad at my sister-in-law, Alina’s, baby shower. Her Mama made this marinated salad and I loved it. It’s pretty and tasted amazing. Oh and it can be made a day in advance. Awesome, right?
It seems like every time I visit California, I come home with new recipes. I guess I should travel more! P.S. the credit for posting this recipe goes to my hubby. He did it all; start to finish. He’s a great cook you know. You’ll love this salad. I had 3 refills in one sitting.
Marinated Salad Ingredients:
1 small cabbage, cubed into roughly 1″ pieces
1 bell pepper or 5 mini peppers, sliced into strips (red, orange or yellow)
1 cucumber (cut in circles and halved)
1 carrot, sliced into thin rings
1 small onion sliced into half rings
Marinade Ingredients:
4 cups water
3/4 cup vinegar
3/4 cup sunflower oil OR vegetable oil
2 1/2 Tbsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
How to prepare Marinated Vegetable Salad:
1. Start by making marinade. In a medium pot combine 4 cups of water, 3/4 cup of vinegar, 3/4 cup sunflower oil, 2 1/2 Tbsp salt, 3/4 cup of sugar and bring everything to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Once the mixture starts to boil, remove from heat and cool to room temperature. In winter, place the pot outside to cool faster.
2. While marinade is cooling, wash and prep all the vegetables. Start with cutting cabbage in half, then cut out the root. Cut cabbage in 1″ strips than cut the strips in 1″ cubes. Place cabbage in large bowl.
3. Peel 1 carrot and slice it into thin circles.
4. Cut 5 mini bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds, then thinly slice across. Add cut bell peppers to the bowl.
5. Cut 1 small purple onion in half, than slice it in to thin half circles and add them to the bowl.
6. Cut off and discard the ends of the cucumber then slice it in half. Next, cut the cucumber into thin half circles, adding them to the bowl afterwards.
7. After the marinade has cooled down to room temperature, pour it over the vegetables in the bowl. Mix the salad really well and let it stand on the counter for around 3 hours. Don’t worry if the marinade won’t cover the entire salad, eventually it will soften and be covered in marinade.
8. Place the salad in the jar, fill it with marinade, close the lid and refrigerate over night before serving. You can also eat it after marinating 3 hours and once it’s just chilled. We’ve tried it both ways and it was great either way! Marinated salad was also perfect after 3 or 4 days in the fridge; still crisp.
Marinated Vegetable Salad
Ingredients
Marinated Salad Ingredients:
- 1 small cabbage, cubed into roughly 1" pieces
- 1 bell pepper or 5 mini peppers, sliced into strips (red, orange or yellow)
- 1 cucumber, cut in circles and halved
- 1 carrot, sliced into thin rings
- 1 small onion sliced into half rings
Instructions
- Start by making marinade. In a medium pot combine 4 cups of water, 3/4 cup of vinegar, 3/4 cup sunflower oil, 2 1/2 Tbsp salt, 3/4 cup of sugar and bring everything to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Once the mixture starts to boil, remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
- While marinade is cooling, wash and prep all the vegetables. Start with cutting cabbage in half, then cut out the root. Cut cabbage in 1" strips than cut the strips in 1" cubes. Place cabbage in large bowl.
- Peel 1 carrot and slice it into thin circles.
- Cut 5 mini bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds, then thinly slice across. Add cut bell peppers to the bowl.
- Cut 1 small purple onion in half, than slice it in to thin half circles and add them to the bowl.
- Cut off and discard the ends of the cucumber then slice it in half. Next, cut the cucumber into thin half circles, adding them to the bowl afterwards.
- After the marinade has cooled down to room temperature, pour it over the vegetables in the bowl. Mix the salad really well and let it stand on the counter for around 3 hours. Don't worry if the marinade won't cover the entire salad, eventually it will soften and be covered in marinade.
- Place the salad in the jar, fill it with marinade, close the lid and refrigerate over night before serving. You can also eat it after marinating 3 hours and once it's just chilled.
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Hi Natasha! Do you think avocado oil would work for this recipe?
Hi Brooke, I haven’t tested that, but I bet it may work with this recipe. Avocado oil is light, fresh, and buttery tasting, making it possible to marinate meats, seafood, and vegetables. I hope this helps!
Hello! I love this site. The salad is very good, I make it often, and everyone loves it.
I was adding radish:)
Thank you for that wonderful compliment, Lyudmila! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This was sooo good! We ate it in two days. My little girls told me “you need to make this again tomorrow!” Will be making it again for sure! And I used grape seed oil, didn’t have the others on hand. Delicious!
Glad that worked out well, Olga. Thank you for your good comments and feedback!
I taste as I cook. I tasted the marinade after it cooled and thought that this was going to be a disaster. I was so wrong. The vegetables are delicious! It’s a dish that perfectly accompanies anything barbequed.
Awesome! So good to know that it turned out great, thanks for giving this recipe a try, Pat!
Outstanding. Made exactly as written. The 2 of us ate it all in 3 days, taking another jar to a potluck with several friends.
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe Diane!
Can you substitute for the sugar? Maybe Stevia?
Hi Maggie, I have not experimented with that so I can’t advise. If you experiment please let me know how you like that
Amazing salad became one of my favorites! Thanks again for another delicious recipe! Also thank you for adding the detailed measurements in the description on all your recipes, soooo much easier and convenient than scrolling up and down for them. Love you and your recipes!!!!!!!
You’re welcome, Julia! I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
Can apple cider vinegar be used instead of regular vinegar?
Hi Angie, I honestly haven’t tried that substitution so I’m not sure. Regular vinegar has a little more potent flavor so I don’t know if you can sub them straight across to get the same great flavor. I just haven’t tested it.
Hello Natasha,
I’ve been looking for a recipe for this type of salad, similar to the salad many Russian weddings have. Does this salad have a similar taste?
Also, do you think it would be ok if I added peppercorns and bay leaves to the marinade as well? I would just take them out before using the marinade.
Thanks for your time!
Hi Vika, without knowing exactly which salad you are talking about, I’m not sure. I think peppercorns would be ok if they are removed before using the marinade.
Hi Natasha. sunflower oil from russian store its fine to use it?
Hi Olya, yes that’s perfect! That’s where I buy my sunflower oil 🙂
Thank you:)
Hi Natasha – have you ever canned this salad for winter?
I really haven’t tried canning this one. I think the method would have to be a little different and I’m not sure how that would affect the overall recipe. I just haven’t tested it to say. Sorry I’m not more helpful!
my favorite salad since i was a child. my mom would always add celery for an extra crunch and some minced garlic, always so delicious.
Ooh I love the sound of both of those add-ins! thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Hi Natasha! This look yummy and fresh! I’ment looking for a sofierce texture to my vegetable while still retaining the crunch. Will that texture be possible if i marinated over night before serving the next day? 🙂
Yes, the texture is how you described it even after marinating in the fridge overnight. Enjoy!
Hey Natasha I am making this salad all I have is olive oil will that work???
The sunflower oil is the tastiest, but olive oil should work fine 🙂
Natasha , what size jar is used for this recipe? And if I want to double the recipe enough for 12 people, should I also double the marinade for it? How have you done it for a large crowd?
I think that was a 1 liter Jar. You can double it easily by doubling everything including the marinade and putting it in a 2 Liter jar or a pot. You don’t necessarily need a jar.
Natasha,
What kind of white vinegar to use? Can I use white wine vinegar? Also, can I use olive oil instead of sunflower oil? Thank you so much for posting your recipes. You help a lot of women in their kitchens!
It’s just plain white vinegar. I haven’t tested it with white wine vinegar so I’m not sure how it will change the taste. I think olive oil would work fine, but sunflower oil will taste slightly better 🙂 You’re so nice Daria. I sure appreciate your comment 🙂
How long does this salad last once marinated?
PS – thanks for your recepies – I’m a newlywedd and I can always rely on your site to make delicious, no fail recipes :), so thank you!
The longest I’ve kept it marinated was 3-4 days so I can’t vouch for it beyond that 🙂 It’s such a tasty salad! I hope you and your hubby love it! I’m so glad you are benefiting from my site. That is music to my ears and totally motivating for me to post more,… forever. 🙂
Wow this salad is really delicious! Will definitely make it again! As soon as it was mixed in marinade, I couldn’t stay away from the bowl munching on it. You can make it several days before the guests arrive and it will be fresh and crunchy 🙂 Thank you for awesome recipes. Anything I tried from your site turned out perfect!
Thanks so much for a great review! I love that you are enjoying the recipes 🙂
My husband and I love this salad especially at this time of season. I also add cauliflower, it tastes so great!
Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
You are welcome Julie and I like the idea of adding cauliflower :).
Oh we loved this salad!!! My hubby loves mushrooms so I added some marinated opyata from russian store!! I could drink the juice!!! Thank u for great recepie!!! God bless!!!
What is opyata? I’m the same way about this salad; I love everything about it! It’s especially amazing with mashed potatoes 🙂
Opyata, eto gribi na tonkoy nozhke I oni malenkie!:)
Thanks Tanya! 🙂
Natashka thank you for such wonderful recipe, love this salad and so does my whole family, i have a question could the marinade be reused again??
Hmmmm. I haven’t tried it, but I imagine its best to start fresh. 🙂
love this salad, I am making it right now, can’t wait to try it, I also add garlic and celery, your recipes are amazing. Keep them coming.
Thank you Veronica :), I should try garlic and celery next time.
AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! especially for the summer!!!!!!!!!!
Now this is the salad that I’ve been looking for to make! Looks yummy!! Cant wait to try it one of these days:))
Let me know how it works out :).
So im making the salad right now 🙂 i have a question though. Would you happen to know if the marinade can stay out over night? i cut up the salad but the marinade hasn’t cooled off yet, and im buying some big jars tomorrow, i just realized i dont have any big jars to put the salad in loll i was so excited to finallyyy make this salad that i didnt think of that!
Refrigerate the marinade once it cools. You can also put everything in a pot over night and transfer it tomorrow when you get the jar.
I always loved my mom’s marinated salads, and this one is amazing as well. Thank you!!
You are so welcome Tanya :).
Another question.. can the cabbage be shredded?
That should work fine 🙂
Hey Natasha. Did you ever make this salad with lemon juice from a fresh lemon instead? I am wondering how much lemon juice to put in. Is it the same amount as vinegar? Thanks. Can’t wait to try. It has great reviews and I love marinated salads.
I never made it with lemon juice before Lina, so can’t really recommend the amount needed. If you decide to test it, let me know what you did :).
Hi Natasha,
Is it okay to not use the Red onion or use regular onion instead?
Regular onion is fine as well Olga :).
its our favorite salad know .thanks for the recipe
I’m glad you like it Galina :).
Hi Natasha! Thank you so much for posting wonderful recipes! I love how you have a photo for each step! This is extremely helpful for people like me! I want to make his salad for this weekend and i just want to be sure that im using the right vinegar. I have the Distilled white vinegar 5% acidity. I never use vinegar for cooking so i just want to be sure. Thanks!
You are welcome Nadia :). I used the same vinegar as you.
Natasha, absolutely love your site! Everything I try turns out great. The amoount of seasonings in each dish is perfect! I made this salad for New Year’s and everyone was surprised that I made it. (I honestly dont know why they were surprised, I thought they always said I cooked great, makes me wonder now…:))
Your adjika recipe was the very first recipe I tried from your blog, and it was a hit with my hubby. In fact, he told me not to share a single canned jar with anyone-they were all his!
Ha ha. Thanks for sharing your stories; they made me chuckle. You can enjoy those adjika jars all year long! 🙂 I’m just giddy that you like the recipes 🙂
Hi Natasha, I made this salad and it’s BOMB!
Just wondering how many days/weeks can it stand in the fridge?
It was in our fridge for up to a week. It would probably be good longer, it just got eaten!
WOW! I made this today for an Ukrainian themed New Year’s party tomorrow – half of it is gone! I thought it seemed like too much sugar but the balance is great!
That was my concern to, but we loved it as well 😉
amazing salad!! It reminds me of some salad at russian weddings 🙂
I made this salad for our families dinner on Saturday. It was a great hit. It was a perfect addition to our table, my hubby’s famouse shashlick, your potatoes with bacon and cheese and olivye…thank you for these awesome recipes …keep em coming 🙂
Wow sounds like a fancy feast! 🙂
Made it tonight, can’t wait to give it a try tomorrow 🙂
We ate our salad for the whole week, just kept it in the jar, and it was good and crunchy the whole week :).
I used to make this salad, only I substitute the vinegar to fresh lemon juice 🙂
Ooooh I love that idea. Will try it next time. Thank you!
Another wonderful recipe, Natasha!
I also have a variation – you add a small beat, thinly sliced. Then all the veggies turn slight pink! Pretty!
(sorry for all this ” I made it this way”…., only want to give you more creative ideas)
Cheers
I love “I made it this way” comments. It gives me great ideas. Thank you!! 🙂
hi,
can i use a substitute for peppers? I happen not to like them.
Maybe try some shredded beat or just leave it out. It doesn’t really taste like bell pepper once its marinated, so maybe you might like it 😉
Natasha did you see this on Cooking Time on fb? We’re all talking about how you should do it!
You gals are so sweet 🙂 No I missed that post. Sounds like fun though; maybe once our new camera comes in the mail,.. maybe 🙂
Are we using lettuce or cabbage?
It’s cabbage. Sorry about the lettuce slip 😉
My family makes all the time for the holidays. We just don’t use cucumbers.
You should try it. They are great and they stay perfect. It just amazes me that this salad stays crisp even after several days.
Yes, I agree.