Vegetable Salad Recipe (Healthy & Easy)

vegetable salad topped with crumbled feta and parsley with a spoon in a white bowl

5 from 14 votes

Vegetable Salad Recipe (Healthy & Easy)

This Vegetable Salad recipe is a healthy and delicious summer salad made with fresh raw veggies, avocado, nuts, seeds, herbs and feta in a light vinaigrette dressing.

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Total Time15

Course: Starters

Cuisine: World

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Difficulty Level: Easy

Servings:

Calories: 318kcal

Author: Dassana Amit

Ingredients

Vegetables

⅓ cup onions - chopped, can swap with scallions (spring onions)
½ cup tomatoes - chopped in 0.5 cm cubes
½ cup red bell pepper - chopped in 0.5 cm cubes, use any colored bell pepper
½ cup cucumber - chopped in 0.5 cm cubes, regular or English cucumber
⅓ cup carrots - grated, optional
1 avocado - medium to large
3 tablespoons celery - chopped

Nuts and Seeds

1 tablespoon cashews - whole, chopped
1 tablespoon pistachios - unsalted and shelled, chopped
2 to 3 walnuts - chopped
1 tablespoon almonds - chopped, optional
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
2 teaspoons sesame seeds - white
2 tablespoons golden raisins

For Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper or ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon dried basil or 3 to 4 fresh basil leaves, torn
½ teaspoon salt or add as required
½ teaspoon raw sugar or white sugar or brown sugar

Other Ingredients

¼ cup (25 grams) feta - crumbled
2 tablespoons parsley - chopped, flat or curly

For Garnish

1 tablespoon feta - crumbled
1 tablespoon parsley - chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

First heat a small frying pan or skillet. Add the chopped nuts and seeds except raisins.
Roast them on a low heat stirring often until crisp and lightly golden. Make sure not to burn them. Set the pan aside.
In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients listed under "For Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing" briskly for 2 to 3 minutes, till the consistency thickens slightly.
Rinse all the veggies. Peel and chop the the cucumber and onions. Chop the tomatoes, red bell pepper, celery. If using carrots, then grate one small carrot. Set the veggies aside.
Take all the chopped vegetables and celery in a bowl.
Cut one avocado in two halves. Scoop out the pulp from both the halves and chop them. Add to the mixed vegetables in the bowl.
Pour the prepared lemon dressing also in the bowl.
Add in the toasted/roasted nuts, seeds and chopped parsley.
Next add crumbled feta.
Toss and mix well so that the veggies are coated evenly with the dressing.
Serve the vegetable salad immediately. While serving garnish with feta and chopped parsley.

Notes

Customize this vegetarian salad recipe to the veggies you have on hand. You can also choose to roast or steam some vegetables.
Feel free to use fresh seasonal vegetables.
If you are allergic to any nuts or seeds then simply omit them from the recipe.
This vegetable salad has the best flavors as soon as it is mixed. If you want to prep ahead then you can cut the veggies and refrigerate for a few hours. The dressing can be made and refrigerated for 1 to 2 days. You can roast the nuts and seeds and they will be good for about a week in an air-tight container.
For a vegan vegetable salad, skip the feta or use a plant based substitute.
The recipe is easily scalable to make for potluck or summer parties.

Nutrition