Crunchy Refrigerator Salad
This Crunchy Refrigerator Salad is so simple to throw together and makes a great snack, side dish for supper, or quick lunch! Crisp coleslaw, fresh broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots all come together in a light, tangy vinegar dressing that’ll have you sneaking back for “just one more” forkful… and then another, and another 😉.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Crunchy Refrigerator Salad
- Serves: 4
- Main Ingredients: coleslaw mix, broccoli and cauliflower florets, matchstick carrots, onion, Dressing, water, sugar, white vinegar
- Why You'll Love It: Crunchy Refrigerator Salad is loaded with coleslaw mix, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and onion, tossed in a sweet and tangy Italian-style dressing. It’s perfect for meal prep or potlucks because it stays crunchy for days and only gets better the longer it sits.
The Salad That Stays Crunchy for Days
I love cold vinegar salads like my Fire and Ice Salad. I could honestly dive into a vat of that stuff, but that salad really needs to be eaten within a few days, and I was looking for something that would last longer in the fridge so I could always have it on hand. So I developed this crunchy refrigerator salad as a spinoff salad using veggies that will stay crunchy longer, with a light coating of a dressing based on the same principle – but with a little added kick.
Now, for anyone who has never had a salad like this before, you might think that the sugar will make it sweet, but it doesn’t. The sugar is just there to offset the vinegar slightly. It still has a good vinegar taste to it, but with this amount of sugar, it keeps your face from puckering!
Speaking of making the most of your meals, try this Cheeseburger Salad with Special Sauce Dressing! It’s great if you’ve got leftover ground beef!
Reader Review
“My family loves this salad. I have been making it for years, since finding it here, Even my hubby, who does not like vinegar, will eat this. It is so delicious and refreshing, I find everyone will eat it as a snack too. We eat it up pretty fast, lol” – Lydia
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Coleslaw mix
- Broccoli and cauliflower florets
- Matchstick carrots (or diced, or baby, or crinkle cut)
- Onion
- Sugar
- White vinegar
- Italian dressing mix
My Best Tips for This Crunchy Salad
- I like to chop my veggies the night before to save time. Just store them in separate containers in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble.
- Don’t stress if the sugar doesn’t fully dissolve when you first mix the dressing! It will work its way in as everything marinates.
- The longer you let this salad sit, the better it tastes. I usually make it the night before and it’s perfect by lunch the next day.
- Grab yourself a bowl that’s a good bit bigger than you reckon you’ll need. You’ll be glad you did when it comes time to toss everything together without spilling it all over the counter!
- If you’re serving this delicious summer salad at a BBQ or potluck, give it a good stir right before serving to redistribute all that delicious dressing from the bottom. (And while we call it a summer salad, don’t let that stop you – it’s just as good any time of year!)
How to Make Crunchy Refrigerator Salad
1. Mix Your Veggies
To start, dump all of your veggies into a large bowl along with the onion. Mix that up pretty good.
2. Make the Dressing
Now in a 2-cup measuring cup, mix together water, vinegar, sugar, and Italian dressing mix. Stir this for a few minutes until well combined and the sugar begins to dissolve (it won’t dissolve completely at this point).
3. Toss Salad in Dressing
Next, pour your dressing over the salad, stirring well until completely coated.
Note: This isn’t going to seem like enough dressing, but as it sits, the veggies will create more water, and we will stir it every now and then until it is ready to eat. You’ll be surprised! But if you want to add more, add an extra ¼ cup of water, ¼ cup vinegar, and ¼ cup sugar. I prefer a lighter coating, though.
4. Let It Sit
Cover and let your salad sit out for an hour at room temperature. After that hour is done, stir it really well and then refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
When it’s all done, stir the salad one more time before serving.
Enjoy!
Storage
This refrigerator salad will keep for up to 1 week and actually gets better as the week goes on! Just be sure to mix it well before serving.
Crunchy Refrigerator Salad FAQs
Yes. Apple cider vinegar would be a great substitute. It gives the salad a slightly different flavor, but it is still delicious! Just be sure to cut back on the sugar a bit since apple cider vinegar is on the sweeter side.
Absolutely! I love throwing in some sliced radishes or cherry tomatoes for extra color and flavor. Just make sure any extra veggies you add are firm enough to hold up in the dressing overnight. If you’re looking for another veggie-packed salad to try, be sure to check out my Low Carb Broccoli Cauliflower Salad!
So many great options! My personal favorite is an Italian dressing mix, but if you’re in the mood for something a little more savory, a ranch seasoning packet is a fantastic choice too. Honestly, the best part about this salad is how flexible it is, so don’t be afraid to mix things up and see what you love most!
Did you give this crunchy refrigerator salad a try? Tell me all about it in the comments and don’t forget to leave a star rating!
Ingredients
- 14 ounces coleslaw mix
- 12 ounces broccoli and cauliflower florets
- 10 ounces matchstick carrots or 1 cup and 1/2 of diced carrots
- 1 onion chopped
Dressing
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup white vinegar
- .7 ounce package dry Italian Dressing Mix enough to make 8 ounces of dressing
Instructions
- In a very large bowl, combine all vegetables.14 ounces coleslaw mix, 12 ounces broccoli and cauliflower florets, 10 ounces matchstick carrots, 1 onion
- In a 2-cup measuring cup, pour water, vinegar, sugar, and dressing mix. Stir for a few minutes until well combined and sugar begins to dissolve (it won't dissolve completely at this point).½ cup water, ½ cup sugar, ½ cup white vinegar, .7 ounce package dry Italian Dressing Mix
- Pour dressing over vegetables and stir well to coat. Cover and let sit at room temp for one hour. After one hour, stir again, cover, and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Before serving, stir well. It will keep in the fridge for up to a week. It actually gets better as the week goes on!
Notes
- I like to chop my veggies the night before to save time. Just store them in separate containers in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble.
- Don’t stress if the sugar doesn’t fully dissolve when you first mix the dressing! It will work its way in as everything marinates.
- The longer you let this salad sit, the better it tastes. I usually make it the night before and it’s perfect by lunch the next day.
- Grab yourself a bowl that’s a good bit bigger than you reckon you’ll need. You’ll be glad you did when it comes time to toss everything together without spilling it all over the counter!
- If you’re serving this delicious summer salad at a BBQ or potluck, give it a good stir right before serving to redistribute all that delicious dressing from the bottom. (And while we call it a summer salad, don’t let that stop you – it’s just as good any time of year!)
I made this last summer to take on a camping trip. Cool and refreshing, great on a hot summer day!
Bought the veggies for this today thinking I had a packet of Italian dressing mix in the pantry. I do not 🙁 I do have a packet of ranch dressing mix, do you think that would work? We live a distance away from the store and don’t want to make a trip just for that. Was really looking forward to giving this a try, I love cold veggie salads.
Sure it will! Let us know how you like it. Yours may be our new favorite recipe!
Thank You! Just whipped it right up and it tastes great! The ranch packets are a bit bigger so its very flavorful. I used baby carrots that we had on hand and chopped the broccoli into smaller pieces. My 3 year old daughter was helping in the kitchen and saw the big bag of broccoli and asked if I was making her that for dinner. So instead of the whole bag, I used half and cut them into small pieces. That way I can use the other half for dinner tonight – she LOVES broccoli!
I will still have to give it a try with the Italian dressing packet, but for now it is amazing! I will try to send a pic of it to your facebook page so you can see. Thank You so much!!!
I LOVE your recipes, your blog and your great sense of humor! However, please delete or do something with the videos that play over and over on your page. Very distracting and honestly, a bit irritating. There’s no way to turn them off! 🙂
Hey Diane! Where are they located? It may be an ad that I have to look into it perhaps one of my videos with a player issue. I’m happy to look into it!
***my last post was messed up due auto texting grr.. should have read…*(nothing like being thankful your blessed lil house. …:)
This is my Go To Glad To Be Home Comfort Food. Sigh…..nuttiness like beingb Ty thankful for your lil blessed house even if the laundry ain’t done 🙂 Thanks so much Christy for a super easy, yet delicious side dish recipe…We luv ya bunches up here in West Virginny. Please Come stay a spell n visit anytime!!!
Thank you so much for the invite Mandy!!! I agree, nothing like being home no matter how much laundry there is!!
Christy, I love your sweet spirit and enjoy trying your recipes. This is the first one that I didn’t like. 🙁 I love all the ingredients, so I was excited to try it and be able to have it for up to a week. It was too sweet (to me), and I really didn’t like the taste the Italian dressing gave it. I am used to making all dressings from scratch with fresh ingredients, so that could have been the problem. I found it NEEDED seasoning of some sort, and I thought it might have benefited from some added oil. Nothing I tried redeemed it.
Can’t wait to make this when I get home tomorrow. Love the vinegar dressing! Sound’s so yummy!! Thank you Christy.
I hope you enjoy it Brenda!!!