We Call It Persistence Salad Because It Keeps So Well
I brought this marinated vegetable salad to an annual church event for more years than I can count. I made a triple batch in my giant Tupperware bowl. If there was any left, and the bowl was often empty, the ladies on the kitchen cleanup crew fought over the leftovers.
When we moved away, Connie, one of the church members, took it upon herself to be sure this salad would always be at the annual St. Mary’s fish fry. If a salad can be iconic, this is one. It’s a family favorite, can you tell? ❤
What’s wonderful about this old salad recipe is that it keeps so well my mom christened it “Persistence Salad.” It is a great way to use the last of a relish tray or stray veggies in the crisper. The recipe is a guideline, and you can take it from there.
It’s a salad you can make any day of the year because the base is three different canned vegetables plus freshly chopped vegetables that are always available in the produce department.
The white corn or shoepeg white corn is crispier, and the tiny peas and French-cut green beans absorb the marinade better than regular peas and cut green beans.
Our daughter recently got nostalgic for it and took a bowl to a weekend at the lake, where we enjoyed it with grilled chicken and again with sandwiches. People sometimes hesitate to try it, but once they do, they’re hooked like we are!
Come To The Kitchen Let’s Make This Vegetable Salad
Begin by draining the canned vegetables and putting them into a bowl you can seal and put in the refrigerator. Then start chopping the vegetable you’ll be adding. I’d chop the celery a little finer than this picture shows.
Now some pretty red onions. No red onions? Green ones are pretty, too.
Now chop some peppers, any color you like! You can add some of every color if you want!
You can add some chopped carrots, jicama, and cauliflower. I would choose firm vegetables and avoid cucumbers or zucchini unless you remove the seedy center before adding them.
To make the marinade/dressing, combine the ingredients in a saucepan and heat on the stove until the mixture boils and all the sugar is dissolved.
While the dressing is still hot, pour it over the happy vegetable salad mixture, stir it well, and put it in the fridge for several hours; the original recipe calls for twenty-four hours, so all those veggies can get acquainted.
The original recipe has sugar, vinegar, and oil in the marinade. Some sweetness is what makes this vegetable salad so good, but you could use the artificial sweetener of your choice or reduce the amount of sugar if you prefer. Don’t leave it out, though.
The oldest recipe I have found uses white wine vinegar, LeSueur brand tiny peas (they seem to be the “pea people”), chopped green onions, and pimento from a jar for color. I always use apple cider vinegar, but you can use plain white vinegar or flavored vinegar if you have one you like.
You can use either vegetable oil or olive oil. So there you go. Like all good old recipes, everyone has their spin on them, and you can, too!
Marinated Vegetable Salad
This a wonderful old recipe for a marinated vegetable salad that keeps so well we call it "Persistence Salad." It's good any time of the year!
Ingredients
- One 15-ounce can of tiny peas, like LeSuers brand
- One 15-ounce can crispy white shoepeg type corn
- One 15-ounce can of French-cut green beans
- 2 bell peppers, any color you like, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 1 cup finely chopped celery
- Half of a 4-ounce jar of pimentos, drained and chopped, optional
Dressing
- 3/4 cup whte granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup oil
- 2/3 cup viegar
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Drain all the canned vegetables thoroughly and put them in a bowl you can seal and keep in the refrigerator.
- Add the chopped vegetables to the canned vegetables.
- Heat the dressing ingredients in a saucepan until it boils and all the sugar is dissolved.
- Pour the hot dressing over the vegetable mixture and stir it well.
- Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours or at least overnight!
We love everything about this salad, and it has been a family favorite for literally decades! Here are some of our favorite salad recipes that have stood the test of time. Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad, Summer’s Best Colorful Pasta Salad, Sweet Corn Salad With Red Wine Vinaigrette. Does your family have a favorite you’d like to share?
MORE OF OUR QUICK AND EASY FAMILY-STYLE RECIPES:
The Ultimate Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe
The Number 1 Practically Perfect Poppy Seed Bread
One Perfectly Amazing Butterscotch Cake
If you like these recipes, you are our people! You can check some related articles below or search via categories on the right. But be warned; you will be on here for hours. Enjoy!
