Chopped Crunchy Veggie Salad

I've probably said this before, but I'll say it again - there are just not enough picnics in my life. I very much enjoy having a meal on a blanket in a nice patch of grass or at picnic table in a lovely outdoor setting. Somehow I don't seem to find the opportunity to make this type of thing happen more often. Tomorrow night is the Blue Moon full moon and I am coordinating plans to watch the moon rise with some friends. I have put out 3 possible options for moon viewing and 2 of them include picnics. So, I am making a valiant effort here. If we do picnic, I will likely make this salad. I pulled it together several weeks ago when I had a bunch of mint and some limes that I needed to use up.

I liked several things about this salad. First of all it's chopped. There is something very satisfying about a salad with finely chopped ingredients. I appreciate that it's versatile in the veggies that can be used and what can be added together so you can use up some things in your fridge. It doesn't include lettuce, so it's a good variation on a salad and probably a safe option to bring to a cookout where there will likely already be a lettuce-based salad. Also, it kept it's crunch for several days. I thought it might get soggy, but it didn't. I deem this salad picnic friendly.

I didn't measure anything and sort of figured things out as I went along, so my amounts not be just how I made it the first time, but I'll do my best...

Chopped Crunchy Veggie Salad
4-5 cups chopped vegetables (I used: red cabbage; sugar snap peas; green beans; cucumber; carrots; celery; corn; red bell pepper. Other options to consider: radishes; fennel; other color peppers; yellow beans.)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1 cup of black beans (optional, use if you want to bulk up the salad. You could also add quinoa for this purpose)

Dressing
2 tblsp olive oil
juice from 2 limes (I like lime so added a lot)
3 scallions, chopped
3 tblspn fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced
1/4 tspn chili powder
1/4 tspn cumin
black pepper and salt to taste

1. Chop veggies.
2. Lightly steam any veggies that you think might benefit from softening slightly. I did the corn, carrots, green beans and sugar snap peas. Let cool.
3. Make dressing. 
3. Mix veggies, feta and sunflower seeds. Add dressing and toss to coat veggies with dressing.