This is probably my favorite kind of side dish. Anything I can dump into a container and let stand in the fridge until I’m ready to eat it, is ideal. The best part of a refrigerator salad is that it gets better the longer it chills and the more time the flavors have a chance to come together and percolate. Make this extra easy by using all pre-cut/sliced veggies, and the only actual work you have to do is the measuring, the mixing, and the eating.
This is a great side dish to take to a potluck or other gathering, as it keeps for a while and can be made ahead of time. It also makes a lot. I divided this into 8 large servings, but honestly, you could easily get more mileage out of this recipe and feed a crowd by divvying it up into smaller portions.
Notes: Make this part of a vegetarian meal by subbing out the crispy bacon for roasted, salted pepitas.
PrintRefrigerator Salad
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Side, Salad, Vegetables
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 (1 lb/ 434 g) bag dry coleslaw mixed veggies (preshredded cabbages, etc)
- 4 c (approx 10 oz/ 283 g) broccoli florets
- 2.5 oz (71 g) red bell pepper, sliced
- 2 oz (57 g) red onion, diced
- 8 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled (OR use 1/4-1/3 c roasted and salted pepitas for a vegetarian option)
- 1 c (8 fl oz/ 237 ml) mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp spicy brown mustard
- 4 tbsp. (2 fl oz/ 89 ml) cider vinegar
- 2 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp celery seed
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 2-4 drops liquid stevia, to taste
Instructions
- In a very large bowl, mix all the vegetables and crumbled bacon (or pepitas) together.
- Make the dressing by whisking together the mayo, mustard, vinegar, and all seasonings. Taste and add liquid stevia, as desired.
- Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat.
- Transfer to a large covered dish and refrigerate until well chilled and flavors have melded, 4 hours, minimum and better if left overnight.
- Makes 8 very large servings.
Notes
Per 1/8 recipe: 278.7 cal, 4.6 g protein, 25.3 g fat, 7.3 g carbs, 2.6 g fiber, 4.7 g NET carbs
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 recipe
Keywords: refrigerator salad, coleslaw, vegetables, salads
Tracy says
Uh oh this is so salty. I’ll put it in the fridge and see what happens. Any advuce?
Mandy Pagano says
There are a couple of things you could do to adjust it to your own taste. The first would be to add some additional portions of vegetables so that the dressing is spread over more servings. That will yield less salt per serving. The other thing you could try is to add some extra acid. Either a little more vinegar or maybe some lemon juice. Extra acidity will cut the salty taste a bit. I would start with a tbsp, stir it in then taste and only add another tbsp if it still needs it.
LINDA says
I NEVER add the salt they list. You could wait until you have added EVERYTHING else and then add the salt to taste.
Brenda says
Mandy, I made this yesterday and it was a big hit with my family. Thank you for sharing.
★★★★★
Mandy Pagano says
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.