Bloody Mary Salad

Yep, this salad is just like a spicy bloody mary, except slightly thicker! A vegetable-packed salad, perfect for potlucks, dieters and healthy eaters.

~ Skip Straight to the Recipe ~

So Many Choices: Another Perspective

The choices consumers must make every day can be overwhelming. How many mustards does a society need? What’s the point, exactly?

BUT THEN: I recall an animated family Thanksgiving turned silent as grace was spoken by a woman of a certain age, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother to many gathered round the table.

“Thank you, Lord, for taxes,” she began, “it means we have work. And thank you for the pile of dishes to wash after our meal, it means we share it with people we love.”

AND THEN: I recall a corner grocery in Moscow during the Soviet years. There were six shelves, bare but for a single jar of sour pickles. I learned that day that the wealth of capitalism, and democracy, is measured in food.

Despite its quirky name, BLOODY MARY SALAD represents the wealth of fresh produce – all choices – we find in our own supermarkets, day in, day out. Let us be thankful.

And will someone please pass the kumquat-chipotle-caramel mustard?

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BLOODY MARY SALAD

Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Refrigerator time: 6 hours or more
Makes about 6 cups

GELATIN
• 2 small (.3oz/8.5g) boxes sugar-free lemon gelatin (yes, jello!)
• 1/2 cup V8 juice

V8
• 4 cups V8 Vegetable Juice (Original)
• 2 cups chopped celery (about 4 ribs, about 235g)
• 1 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 an onion, about 125g)

VEGETABLES
• 2 cups chopped English cucumber (about 2/3 a cucumber, about 235g)
• 2 cups chopped bell pepper (about 1 large pepper, choose yellow for color contrast but red and green work great too)
• 2 cups peeled and grated, for texture contrast, or chopped carrot (about 2 large carrots)
• Zest from a lemon, optional
• Chopped fresh chives or dill, optional

COMBINE
• 1 tablespoon horseradish
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

GELATIN In a bowl large enough to eventually hold the whole salad, stir together gelatin and ½ cup V8. Set aside to softly gel.

V8 In a large saucepan, heat 4 cups V8 until just boiling. Add the celery and onion to the saucepan as they're chopped, this helps them "cook" just a tiny bit.

VEGETABLES Chop cucumber, pepper and carrot, add zest and herbs if using; set aside.

COMBINE A quarter-cup at a time, add a cup of the hot V8 to the gelatin mixture. Stir in the horseradish, salt and Worcestershire. Add remaining hot V8. Stir in other vegetables.

Transfer to serving dish and refrigerate until set. I usually use a clear glass jar for serving straight to the table but if you like, an old-fashioned gelatin mold will work too.

ALANNA's TIPS BLOODY MARY SALAD keeps but for a small household, I recommend a half batch. I stock up on sugar-free lemon jello, it seems to be very popular and even big stores are all out! Orange works in a pinch but don’t be tempted to substitute lime-lemon jello which yields an unappealing gravy-colored salad. Yellow peppers add color but red or green peppers are fine substitutes. Use real carrots rather than the tasteless, though convenient, carrot bullets. Chop the vegetables really fine, it's easier to eat. Sharp knives help! If yours is dull, take a moment before (and after, for the next cutting job) to hone their edges. Adults may prefer the bite of additional horseradish. BLOODY MARY SALAD is a great addition to the typical calorie-laden dishes at potlucks.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per 1/2 Cup: 44 Calories; 0g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 336mg Sodium; 8g Carb; 2g Fiber; 6g Sugar; 2g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS Old Points .5 & PointsPlus 1 & SmartPoints 2 & Freestyle 1

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More Make Ahead "Refrigerator Salad" Recipes (They Keep!)

(hover with a mouse for a description; otherwise click a photo to view the recipe)

~ Favorite Summer Salad Recipes ~
~ more salad recipes ~ ~ more refrigerator salad recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture, my food blog

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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