Southern Marinated Vegetable Salad Recipe

I have several Southern salad recipes on the site, but this marinated vegetables salad is particularly special. It was shared with me by a dear friend many years ago, and I’ve continued to make it every summer! My version of the recipe is easy to prep in just 20 minutes with simple veggies like corn, peas, and pimentos, combined in a tangy-sweet apple cider vinegar marinade. I chill the salad in the refrigerator for a few hours, until every bit of veg has soaked up those vibrant flavors. It keeps well in the fridge for at least a week, so it’s a great make-ahead dish… But it never lasts that long in our house!

This tried-and-true Southern marinated vegetable salad recipe was passed on to me from a friend who grew up deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It came from his sister, a notable southern cook, and is a truly unique salad dish I have never tasted before. While I’m familiar with marinades for cooked veggies and proteins, like my grilled vegetables marinade recipe, today’s salad features simple vegetables soaked in a tangy marinade and chilled in the fridge for several hours. And the veggies stay firm and refreshing! It’s a delicious and unexpected side dish recipe for summer, that I’m always happy to pass along to others, too.

Jackie – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Made this up last night & it turned out delicious! In fact, my daughter is enjoying some right now & ask me if we can make it up again. That is a true testament to success! Thank you so much for sharing this with us!

Sommer’s Recipe Highlights

Amazing Taste and Texture – Like my corn succotash recipe, this classic vegetable salad recipe includes a lovely combination of fresh, canned, and frozen vegetables. The variety of tangy tastes and various textures makes this dish unforgettable!

My Unique ‘Lil Twist – Ok, so it’s mostly classic… My rendition of the recipe has only two slight variations (in case you want to make the original shoepeg corn and pea salad.) I reduced the sugar and the marinade by half for a less sweet salad, and then added a little bit of garlic powder for depth of flavor.

Make Ahead Magic – This is a great dish to make in advance for summer parties and potlucks. Because the marinade is made with sugar and vinegar, it can keep for up to a week in the fridge! (More on that later)

Key Ingredients and Tips

Vegetable marinade – The marinade is made with only 4 ingredients (if you don’t count salt and pepper, which I don’t). I use apple cider vinegar, sugar, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. If you don’t have ACV, white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar will do!

Frozen or canned veggies – I use frozen peas and canned shoepeg corn. But feel free to change things up however you like and use canned peas and frozen corn.

Pimentos – This is a tangy surprise that you might not expect in a non-creamy Southern salad. But trust me, they work!

Fresh veggies – I also include fresh sweet onion (or red onion), celery, and bell pepper. I typically use green bell pepper, which aren’t quite as sweet, but you can use yellow, orange, or red peppers, if you prefer.

How to Make

Find the full Marinated Veggies recipe with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, and storage tips in the printable form at the bottom of the post.

Make the Marinade – I start by thawing any frozen vegetables in a colander to drain off any excess moisture. Then I add the marinade ingredients to a small pot on the stovetop: Apple cider vinegar, granulated sugar, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. I turn the heat to medium-high, and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Immediately remove the pot from the heat (and turn off the stove, of course) and set it aside to cool.

Prep the Veggies – While the marinade is cooling, I drain the peas and corn (if canned) and pimentos. Then I finely dice the bell pepper, celery, and onion. Try to make the pieces as uniform in size as possible! Next, I add all of these veggies to a large mixing bowl.

Add the Marinade – Once the apple cider vinegar mixture is cool, I carefully pour it over the veggies in the bowl. It’s important that the marinade is actually cool and not cool-ish… If it’s at all warm, it will cause the veggies to become overly soft and take longer in the fridge to chill.

Stir and Chill – I use a spatula or spoon to gently stir and toss the vegetables until they’re well coated in the marinade. Then pop a lid on the bowl, or cover with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator. I let the vegetable salad marinate for at least 6 hours so it gets super cold and the veggies really soak in all of those sweet, tangy, and bright flavors.

To serve this pea salad, you can either drain off the marinade before serving or serve it with a slotted spoon. Or, put out a “regular” solid spoon so people can scoop up as much marinade as desired to dip with bread.

It’s a great addition to the table at potlucks, picnics, and cookouts! I usually serve the marinated vegetables as a side with summertime favorite proteins like –.

Storage Notes

This is a great make-ahead dish for summer parties and potlucks! Or just to have in the fridge for a refreshing afternoon snack. It can be made several days in advance and kept refrigerated, and because the marinade is made with sugar and vinegar, it will keep well for up to 10+ days.

Can you make marinated vegetables ahead?

Definitely, you can, and you should! The veggies get infused with more and more flavor the longer they sit in the marinade. I like to prepare the veg salad at least a day or so before serving. Be sure to keep it chilled until it’s time to eat.

Can I add other vegetables to the salad?

Sure, you can! Finely diced carrots, cauliflower, chopped green beans, or broccoli florets are all good options. Feel free to mix in any veggie you like, and omit others.

Can I serve this salad warm?

No, I don’t recommend heating marinated vegetables. If you are looking for another fun and delicious salad that’s great to enjoy warm, check out my roasted root vegetable salad recipe.

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For the Marinade –

For the Vegetable Salad –