For A More Flavorful Salad, Marinate Your Ingredients

From the classic Caesar salad to simple mixed greens with vinaigrette, there are countless ways to enjoy the crunch of fresh veggies on your fork. A salad can be a simple side dish or an elaborate meal, but to elevate your next bowl of greens, we recommend marinating your vegetables — that way, you can enjoy them on their own or add them to your favorite recipe. The marinade adds a tangy zip while preserving a solid crunch. And the best part is, it's super easy to prepare.

Start with the veggies — garlic, onion, celery, cucumber, carrots, and cauliflower are excellent options. Slice them thin — halved cherry or grape tomatoes and chopped bell peppers also make nice additions. For the marinade, whisk together equal parts white wine vinegar and olive oil; add salt and pepper to taste, then pour it over your veggies. Let the mixture marinate in the fridge for at least two hours or overnight. The result? Fresh, flavorful, crunchy vegetables with a nice vinegar bite.

With your marinated veggies, you already have a great base — but you could also turn your marinade into a dressing. Adding Dijon mustard to the oil and white wine vinegar mixture creates a more fully-rounded vinaigrette. Sprinkle on some dried Italian herbs and serve it over a bed of lettuce or mixed greens. Frisée and radicchio are nice additions to introduce a slight bitterness that blends beautifully with the tartness of the vinegar and mustard.

You could also mix your marinated veggies into a pasta salad. This will require a bit more marinade, so make sure the veggies are fully covered with the liquid while in the refrigerator. Then, simply pour the mixture over warm, drained pasta. For an extra trick, overcooking the noodles slightly will make a better pasta salad — once refrigerated, the starches begin to re-solidify, so it's good to have them nice and soft at the start. From there, add your preferred components: olives, fresh herbs, feta cheese, or even canned tuna.

Marinated vegetables are also fantastic on sandwiches, similar to pickled giardiniera on a classic Chicago Italian beef. They're also delicious with any cold cut — add a pinch of chili flakes to the marinade for a touch of heat. The fresh veggie crunch combined with soft bread and tender meat creates an incredible contrast that elevates a simple sandwich to gourmet status. Stored in an airtight container and kept covered in marinade, the veggies can last for weeks in the fridge, so you can always have them on hand to experiment with.