Tomato Soup Vegetable Salad
My grandmother's 1960s favorite, updated

Back in the 1960s when this was my Gramma Kellogg’s favorite summer salad, there was no such thing as sugar-free gelatin, reduced-fat tomato soup and cream cheese, or Miracle Whip Light – and her salad was laden with calories.

Her version also skimped on vegetables, calling for a tablespoon of onion, half a green pepper, half a cucumber, a touch of celery, and so on.

A great way to update long-time favorite recipes is to reverse the proportions, as I have here. What was once Gramma’s jello-cream-cheese-salad- with-a-sprinkling-of-veggies is transformed into a virtual garden of multi-colored vegetables held together by a light-flavored creamy gelatin. This TOMATO SOUP VEGETABLE SALAD is a favorite at potlucks and barbecue suppers. Its pale salmon color and crunchy coolness contrast especially well with grilled meat.

ALANNA's TIPS Do chop the vegetables finely. It takes just a bit more time and makes the salad hold together better. While chopping, collect the vegetable pieces in a colander in the sink to drain excess liquid. The thin skin of an English cucumber doesn’t require peeling and adds both color and fiber. Don’t be tempted to substitute mayonnaise for Miracle Whip – only salad dressing works in this particular dish.
Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food writer Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Share a summer salad recipe via e-mail.

TOMATO SOUP VEGETABLE SALAD

Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Chill time: 4 hours or more
Makes 8 cups
  • 2 small packages sugar-free lemon gelatin
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 cup cold water
  • 1 can reduced-fat tomato soup
  • 3 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
  • 1 cup light salad dressing, such as Miracle Whip Light
  • 1 onion (preferably Vidalia or another sweet onion), finely chopped
  • 1 green, 1 red and 1 yellow pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 cucumber, preferably English, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 cups finely chopped celery

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water, then add cold water and stir well. Separately, heat tomato soup, cream cheese and salad dressing in a medium saucepan, stirring until combined and smooth. Removed from heat, add gelatin mixture and stir until well combined, then set aside to cool. Meanwhile, chop vegetables finely. Stir vegetables into the gelatin-soup mixture. Pour into a lightly oiled gelatin mold or serving bowl and refrigerate until set. If using a gelatin mold, unmold onto a bed of torn lettuce and garnish with grape tomatoes.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per half-cup: 115 Cal (35% from Fat); 11 g Protein; 5 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 0 g Mono Fat; 9 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; 293 mg Sodium; 8 mg Cholesterol, Weight Watchers 2 points

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July 13, 2003 printme Page Permalink |email E-Mail this Recipe
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