Italian vegetable salad

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I love pasta as much as the next person, and maybe even more than the average person, but sometimes I want an all veggie salad. This is where the ideas for my Italian Vegetable Salad was born. I wanted those Italian flavors, but wanted to keep it light! Plus. my track record recently has been leaning pretty heavy to the not so healthy side!

Veggies

The veggies you use will be a personal preference. If you like everything I put in mine, great. Want to add extras? You really should. So, I used cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, mushrooms and avocados. I also used a fresh mozzarella, which made everything feel right in the world.

As a side note, I used about 7 cups of veggies for my salad and 1 cup fresh mozzerella.

I like to seed my cucumbers, but this certainly isn't a necessity. You do this by cutting the cucumber in half lengthwise. Scrape a spoon down the center where all the seeds are, as shown in the photo below.

Once the seeds are removed, simply cut into semi circles.

All of these veggies are optional. Add in whatever suits you, or copy my recipe exactly.

I love artichokes too, but I promise you I will not be preparing these from scratch for a salad. Also, I am always looking for a deal, so Great Value is a must for me!

Dressing for the Italian Vegetable salad

Once all your veggies are cut and prepped, start your dressing. You can easily buy a Greek Salad dressing to save time. I prefer to make my own though and included the recipe below for a lemon oregano.

One way to get a really good, intense flavor is to use lemon zest. I use a microplane to get mine, and have loved it for a really long time.

I love a higher quality olive oil, but sometimes a cheaper one is more budget friendly. I got this jug from Costco and it is perfect.

For a sweetener you can use honey, like I did. Or you can even use sugar or maple syrup. It is entirely up to your personal preference.

I like to use fresh oregano, but didn't have any on hand. Dried will do!

Putting the Italian Vegetable Salad together

Now, I always salt and pepper my salad too. This is personal preference. If you prefer not to, no problem!

Next drizzle with your preferred dressing. I usually like it pretty light, but went a little heavier for photos.

The finished product

Here is the finished salad. Isn't it beautiful!

Let me just say though, while you want a little marinade time, you don't want to make this salad too far in advance. The veggies will start to get pretty soggy, and no one wants that!

Looking for other salad inspiration? I have got you covered. Check out all these lovely ideas!