This beautiful Rainbow Salad is full of colorful seasonal veggies over a bed of greens and can be made ahead and brought to potlucks and gatherings. Serve it with your choice of dressing. Vegan.
All progress occurs because people dare to be different. ~Harry Millner
This Rainbow Salad changes throughout the year depending on what’s in season, but surprisingly, no matter what time of year it is, even in the dead of winter, it makes it possible to create a bright and joyful rainbow 🌈 right in your kitchen. Somehow this brightens even the darkest of days.
We happened to snap these pictures in late summer when tomatoes were still decent, but in winter, I rely heavily on colorful root vegetables. Grated and eaten raw, red and golden beets, carrots, kohlrabi and turnips are refreshingly crunchy and delicious. Diakon radish, fennel bulb and jicama are great too along with avocado. “Crunch” is key here!
Serve over a bed of your favorite greens- and with your favorite dressing. The Dilly Ranch Dressing (or this vegan Herby Hemp Dressing) gives the salad a satisfying creamy richness.
The Rainbow Salad is a simple fun way to incorporate a wider variety of veggies into our diets.
What veggies to use in Rainbow Salad?
When making this salad, walk down the grocery store aisle, or head to your farmer’s market and pick out six to eight different vegetables of a variety of colors. Use veggies in their fresh raw state, crunchy and full of nutrients, or try lightly blanching – green beans, yellow wax beans & peas.
- grated cabbage
- grated carrots
- grated beets (raw!)
- radishes or try watermelon radish!
- tomatoes
- asparagus – shaved
- bell peppers
- cucumbers
- snow peas
- avocado
- jicama or kohlrabi
- onions or scallions
- herbs of your choice
- Microgreens
Make a bed or “foundation” of salad greens:
- arugula
- watercress
- spring mix
- romaine
- little gems
- baby spinach
- butter lettuce
- red or green leaf lettuces
Begin by prepping your veggies! Put on some music or a podcast and enjoy the process. Grate, chop, or slice!
Build the salad starting with the lettuce, covering the base of the platter, then arrange your prepped veggies in rows over the bed of greens, to create a rainbow! 🌈
Then pick a dressing and whisk it up in a bowl.
Fun Rainbow Salad Dressing Options:
I really like a creamy dressing with the salad, but it is just a personal preference. Choose what calls you!
Make it ahead!
The Rainbow Salad can be made ahead and refrigerated (covered) for up to 8 hours before serving- perfect for bringing to gatherings and potlucks!
Enjoy the colorful Rainbow Salad- have fun with it!
xoxo
More salads you may like:
- Little Gem Salad with Dilly Ranch Dressing
- Classic Caesar Salad
- Pear Gorgonzola Salad with Vanilla Fig Dressing
- Indian Spinach Salad with Lentils Cauliflower
- Rainbow Chopped Salad with Herbed Yogurt Dressing
- 35 Easy Delicious Potluck Ideas
Made this on request again today for a holiday meal, never the same twice! More fruit for us due to what I have. Great recipe to suit everyone, including my gluten free family.
Perfect!
This looks so beautiful! I love homemade dressing too. I bet it’s just delicious!
Thanks so much Crystal!
This salad looks incredible! I would eat this for like, every meal. amen.
Pinning!
Thanks Abbie!
This salad is just incredible! I would eat this for like, every single meal. amen.
Pinning!
oooooooooh it looks sooo good! *__*
YUM! Ok, this is happening ASAP! What a fest for the eyes and such an appetizing & healthy idea… so great! Thanks 🙂
thanks, Let us know what you think!
Oh boy!! This salad is so fun!
Thanks so much Katrina ❤️
This looks delicious AND beautiful! My kids love every vegetable that is in this, so I definitely think I’ll be making this soon!
Perfect Faygie!