Marinated Salad

This old-school marinated salad is the kind of dish that shows up at every Southern potluck and church supper. French-style green beans, shoe peg corn, peas, chopped pimentos, celery, and onion rings all get doused in a warm sweet-and-sour dressing and left to soak up the flavor.

Pouring the dressing hot over the vegetables is what sets this apart from a regular vinaigrette salad. The warm liquid softens the onion rings, opens up the pores of the canned vegetables, and dissolves the sugar completely so the dressing coats everything evenly.

This tastes better the longer it sits. Make it the night before and let it marinate in the fridge overnight. The flavors meld and the vegetables absorb the tangy-sweet dressing.

Kitchen Tips

• Drain all the canned vegetables thoroughly before mixing. Excess liquid dilutes the dressing.
• Use shoe peg corn if you can find it. The small, narrow kernels hold the dressing better than regular corn.
• Stir the salad once or twice while it marinates so all the vegetables get equal time in the dressing.
• Serve cold or at room temperature. This keeps well in the fridge for up to a week.

Variations

• Add diced bell peppers for extra color and crunch.
• Swap red wine vinegar for apple cider vinegar for a mellower, sweeter tang.
• Toss in a can of drained chickpeas for added protein and heartiness.