This vegetable salad is simple to make, and you can use almost any vegetables you have on hand--tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, onions, carrots, radishes, etc.. Fresh herbs--parsley, dill, basil, cilantro, etc.--also are great, but, if you don't have them, use dried herbs. They'll work! The star of the salad is a creamy Parmesan dressing that is thick, velvety, and full of flavor without a huge amount of fat. I add the dressing to whatever vegetables and herbs I have on hand, mix them up, and then serve the vegetable salad atop lettuce leaves. Keeping the lettuce and vegetable mixture separate means the lettuce won't get soggy before serving time. Also, if you have extra vegetable salad left over, minus the lettuce, it will keep well for several days in the refrigerator--a bonus for another day when you need a salad in a hurry. Enjoy!
Vegetable Salad With Low-Fat Creamy Parmesan Dressing -- Serves 4+
1/2 cup of low or fat-free plain yogurt
1/4 cup of low-fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
1/4 teaspoon of lemon pepper
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped yellow or orange bell pepper (or a combination)
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2-3 green onions, chopped
1 large handful of fresh parsley (about 1/2 cup) washed well and chopped
Lettuce or fresh spinach (optional)
In a salad bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, and lemon pepper until smooth. Add the remainder of the ingredients and mix everything well. Refrigerate the vegetable mixture for at least an hour, if possible. Serve the vegetable salad atop lettuce or fresh spinach, if you'd like.
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