Old fashioned, vintage recipes are the very best in my book! One of my favorites from years gone by is this Old Fashioned Copper Pennies recipe. It’s a simple combination of marinated sweet and sour carrots, onions, and bell peppers that may be served as either a side dish or salad.
I’m showing my vintage side today with this dish. It’s one of those oldie-goldie recipes that most Southern cooks my age have in their recipe box.
This recipe has been served at more church suppers and company dinners than you could count. It was one of my grandmother’s favorites – I think about her every time I make this.
Since it’s been around for so long, I don’t know if anyone can really say where this Old Fashioned Copper Pennies recipe originated. I suspect it came from the 1940s or early 1950s time period since that’s when the Campbell’s Soup company started producing the condensed tomato soup used in the recipe. And it was a long-time favorite of my grandmother, who would have been in her 30s around that same time.
I’ve seen this same recipe referred to as Sweet and Sour Carrots and as Marinated Carrot Salad. Whatever you wish to call it, it’s simply tender carrots with crunchy onions and bell peppers in a sweet and sour marinade, but it takes its name from the carrots, obviously, which become the “copper pennies” of the dish.
I’ve served Copper Pennies both cold and warm in all seasons of the year. It’s as good for a summer picnic as it is for Thanksgiving dinner. It goes very well with fried chicken, roast turkey, or pork chops.
— This post was originally published on January 18, 2011. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: Southern, Vintage
Cooking Method: Stovetop
Total Time: 25 Minutes (plus additional time to marinate, see recipe card below)
Servings: 10
Primary Ingredient(s): Carrots, onions, bell pepper, tomato soup, vinegar, sugar
Skill Level: Easy
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“LOVE this! We had this at our church Thanksgiving dinner today and I couldn’t get enough! Came right home to find the recipe on your blog! I’ll be making a huge batch for family dinners this week! Yummmmmmo!”
— Kay
Ingredient Notes
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- Fresh Carrots — Choose carrots that are brightly colored and have no obvious splits or large blemishes. The carrots should feel firm and not bend to the touch.
- Sweet Onions — The sweeter the onions the better in this recipe. Look for Vidalia or Walla Walla onions in your grocery.
- Condensed Tomato Soup — I always recommend Campbell’s brand tomato soup.
- Oil — Use any mild tasting oil such as vegetable oil, canola, or corn oil.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook!
You can see this recipe on pages 128-129 of my cookbook, My Southern Table! Get your signed copy today.
How to Make Copper Pennies
Prep and Cook the Carrots
- Peel the carrots and cut them into ¼” rounds.
Pro Tip
If you don’t have a vegetable peeler, use a sharp knife to scrape the carrots.
- Place the carrots in a medium saucepan with just enough water to cover them. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until just barely tender, approximately 8 minutes. Remove the carrots from the heat and drain in a colander.
Prep the Onions and Bell Pepper
- Thinly slice the green pepper. Cut the onions in half then thinly slice and separate the onion into rings.
- Combine the cooked carrots, onions, and bell pepper in a large bowl.
Make the Marinade
- In a separate bowl, add the tomato soup, vinegar, sugar, oil, Worcestershire sauce, and salt. Stir or whisk to combine well.
- Pour the marinade mixture over the vegetables. Toss so that all the vegetables are well coated with the marinade.
Refrigerate for Several Hours
- Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Serve
- To serve, remove the vegetables from the marinade using a slotted spoon and serve in a lettuce lined bowl (optional). Keep the marinade for refrigeration.
How to Store
Return any leftover vegetables to the marinade and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Pro Tip
Some people swear you can keep this in the refrigerator for up to six weeks, but I’m not going along with that. After about 4 days, the onions start getting too mushy for my taste. Besides, it’s usually gone after one or two meals, anyway!
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Make a healthier version by using a sugar substitute such as Splenda and reducing the cooking oil by half.
- To cut prep time, purchase the “crinkle cut” carrots from your grocery’s produce section and skip the peeling and cutting steps.
- For a different version, try roasting the carrots instead of boiling them. Peel them, then toss in a little olive oil and roast them whole. Cut the carrots into rounds after they cool.
- Use rainbow carrots for a really pretty look.
- Some recipes call for one teaspoon of dry mustard in the marinade. Add that if you like.
- Swap out the green bell pepper for any other colors you like.
- Add a teaspoon of finely chopped parsley, thyme, or chives.
Questions About Copper Pennies
As an alternative to canned condensed tomato soup, you can use canned stewed tomatoes that have been pureed along with their juice. After pureeing, measure out 10.75 ounces to substitute for the soup.
Actually, it must be made ahead. The carrots need to marinate at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
You can substitute cider vinegar or white wine vinegar for the plain white vinegar in the recipe.
More Popular Vintage Recipes
Fire and Ice Tomatoes
Traditional Southern Egg Custard Pie
Old Fashioned Chocolate Meringue Pie
Old Fashioned Cornbread
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
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Recipe
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Old Fashioned Copper Pennies
Ingredients
- 2 pounds carrots
- 2 medium sweet onions
- 1 medium green bell pepper
- 10.75 ounces condensed tomato soup
- ¾ cup white vinegar
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ½ cup oil
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Peel the carrots and cut them into ¼” rounds.2 pounds carrots
- Cook the carrots in a small amount of salted water until barely tender, approximately 8 minutes.
- Cut the onion(s) in half. Thinly slice and separate the onion.2 medium sweet onions
- Thinly slice the bell pepper.1 medium green bell pepper
- Combine the cooked carrots, onions and bell pepper in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine well.10.75 ounces condensed tomato soup, ¾ cup white vinegar, ⅔ cup sugar, ½ cup oil, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon salt
- Pour marinade over vegetables. Toss so that all vegetables are coated with the marinade.
- Cover and allow to sit in refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
- Remove vegetables from the marinade using a slotted spoon and serve in lettuce lined bowl (optional).
- Return any leftover vegetables to the marinade and keep in refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
- The sweeter the onions the better in this recipe. Look for Vidalia or Walla Walla onions in your grocery.
- If you’re opposed to canned soups, you can substitute canned stewed tomatoes that have been pureed along with their juice. After pureeing, measure out 10.75 ounces to substitute for the soup.
- After serving, save the marinade and add the veggies back into it before storing in the refrigerator. Keeps very well for at least 4 days (some people say it keeps for weeks).
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
Yours absolutely looks the best and I will try it soon.
Thank you
Great! Hope you enjoy it.
My Grandma made these on New Year’s Day each year! We love to drizzle over Cornbread! The BEST! And your recipe is the same except we dice our Green peppers & onions.
This was one of my grandmother’s favorite recipes! I always think of her when I make it.
Someone in the family has prepared these carrots since the 1950’s, usually adding 1 tsp. of mustard, a touch more sugar and bringing the marinade to boiling before pouring over the prepared carrots/vegetables, then marinating overnight in the fridge. Superb recipe, thanks for sharing with us. I have my Mom’s recipe card from 1983 when I finally got her to write down the recipe.
The old, classic recipes are always the best, aren’t they? It wouldn’t be the holidays without Copper Pennies!
This is a delicious side for so many things! Have been making for many years. Originally with only carrots. any years later onions and peppers were added. Thanks for sharing all your great recipes. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
This is a wonderful recipe. I like to prepare smaller pieces of the peppers and onions. After the carrots are gone, I like to use the remaining marinae/liquid spooned over salad greens or iceberg wedges as a ‘salad dressing’. YUM!
That’s a really good idea, Virginia! The marinade would be quite similar to bottled “French” dressing.
Can copper Pennie’s be canned
Sorry, this recipe is not suitable for canning.
LOVE this! We had this at our church Thanksgiving dinner today and I couldn’t get enough! Came right home to find the recipe on your blog! I’ll be making a huge batch for family dinners this week! Yummmmmmo!
I love this salad! My grandmother used to make it for me… it was the only way I would eat carrots. Thanks for reviving it.
Might be a vintage recipe but it’s new to me. A great side dish!
Hehe when I saw this in my reader I had no idea what a food post about “copper pennies” was going to be. Now I know! They look awesome!
Funny name, isn’t it? I do hope you’ll try this recipe. Almost everyone loves it.
This looks really tasty! Something different to serve with dinner or lunch…yum!
Oh my gosh, thanks for bringing back an old memory and an old family favourite of the times! My son when just a youngster, who is now creeping close to 50, would almost swoon when I put this dish on the table! lol!!
I’m so glad I could rekindle that memory for you, Jocelyn. One of the things I enjoy most about blogging is posting an old-fashioned recipe and seeing just that reaction!
you are so right, this one should be back on everyone’s table as it is a wonderful reflection of good, southern food – I have not thought about copper pennies in a long time and I am so glad you brought it back to my attention, there are so few good carrot recipes, and this side is an outstanding one that if I remember, goes well with everything….
It does go with just about anything, Drick. Roasted or fried meats are equally good with this little side dish.
Great pickles and a nice change from the usual cornichons. I will give it a try.
Hi Nisrine – This is actually not a pickle. Although it has a small amount of vinegar in the marinade, it is actually a vegetable side dish or can be served as a salad. But definitely not a pickle.
I love all kinds of pickles and I’ve never heard of this! Looking forward to trying it-thanks:@)
I do hope you’ll try it. Although, it’s really not a pickle. It’s served as either a vegetable side dish or as the salad course.