Specially prepared for wintertime, this canned salad was one of the most popular in the Soviet Union. But you can also try it warm immediately after cooking!

"Get your sleigh ready in summer and your cart in winter," is a famous Russian proverb that meansit's necessary to stock up ahead of the cold months. Today's highlighted salad made of zucchini, carrots and peppers is a perfect example of this. And it's also a spicy flavorful vegan snack that can be eaten immediately.

I remember how when I was a child, the zucchini crop was so plentiful that it was impossible to eat it in a season. So, my grandmother and my mother made a salad with all the zucchini grown in their garden.

These vegetables do not have a strong taste and smell, but other vegetables can improve it. Carrots are added to the salad for sweetness, tomatoes for color, and peppers for spicy flavor.

I still remember the smell coming from the kitchen when the canning season started. We always got a bowl for dinner of leftovers that didn't fit in the cans. Fresh and rather warm, I love this salad just as much as I love canned salad.

That's why I'm making it now for dinner. The most delicious thing is to serve it with potatoes, whether mashed or boiled. Or keep it for winter.

Ingredients for 10 servings, or a 0.8 g jar:

Yulia Mulino

• Medium zucchini - 2 pcs
• Sweet bell pepper - 2 pcs
• Carrot - 1 pc
• Onion - 1 pc
• Tomatoes in their own juice - 500 ml
• Garlic - 4 cloves
• Parsley - bunch
• Salt (not iodized) - 2 tsp/ to taste
• Sugar - 1 tbsp
• Black pepper to taste
• Vinegar 9% - 2 tbsp
• Sunflower oil for frying

Preparation:

1. Peel and slice the carrots and onions; fry them in sunflower oil.

Yulia Mulino

2. Cut the peppers into julienne strips.

Yulia Mulino

3. Let them stew for about 15-20 minutes.

Yulia Mulino

4. Shred tomatoes and pour sauce on vegetables. Braise for 20 minutes.

Yulia Mulino

5. Slice the zucchini and add it to vegetables.

Yulia Mulino

6. After 15 minutes add salt, sugar and pepper.

Yulia Mulino

7. Then squeeze in the garlic cloves.

Yulia Mulino

8. Add parsley and vinegar. Braise for 5 more minutes.

Yulia Mulino

9. Place into jars that have been sterilized and are suitable for canning, or leave as a side dish or snack.

Yulia Mulino

10. Serve warm or chilled with potatoes or as a topping on a crouton.

Yulia Mulino

READ MORE: Why Russians salt watermelons (RECIPE)

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