This Vegetable Salad recipe is made with fresh onion, bell pepper, tomato, cucumber and avocado. Nuts, seeds, dried fruits and feta add texture and flavor. The salad is tossed in a simple lemon garlic vinaigrette. Serve this Veggie Salad fresh as a side dish or light meal.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 5 minutes
  • Total time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Starters
  • Cuisine: World

Ingredients

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

Method

  1. First heat a small frying pan or skillet. Add the chopped nuts and seeds except raisins.
  2. Roast them on a low heat stirring often until crisp and lightly golden. Make sure not to burn them. Set the pan aside.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Take all the chopped vegetables and celery in a bowl.
  6. 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.
  7. Pour the prepared lemon dressing also in the bowl.
  8. Add in the toasted/roasted nuts, seeds, raisins and chopped parsley.
  9. Next add crumbled feta.
  10. Toss and mix well so that the veggies are coated evenly with the dressing.
  11. Serve the vegetable salad immediately. While serving garnish with feta and chopped parsley.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.