Rainbow Salad

This Rainbow Salad is one of those recipes that isn't really a recipe. With some simple principles you can make a delicious salad that incorporates your favourite flavours whilst being nutritious. Get the recipe below.

Eat the rainbow

Eating fresh, healthy food doesn't have to take lots of time. And following the principle of "eating the rainbow" is an easy way to make sure you're getting all the nutrients you need. My easy Rainbow Salad can be whipped up in minutes. And, if you use my food processor hack, will result in very minimal washing up. It doesn't get easier than that.

So how do you eat the rainbow? The concept is simple, take tasty fresh vegetables, nuts and seeds, herbs, and a delicious dressing. Chop those veggies finely or chuck them into your food processor using the grating or julienne blade and blitz! The combine the thin shreds of veggies with your chosen nuts, seeds, herbs and dressing.

Choosing your veggies

Red and yellow and pink and green, purple and orange and blue... Here's how to choose your veggies so that every colour is represented in your bowl or on your plate. Except maybe blue...

Red

Red is an easy colour to get into your salad. Simply use tomatoes or a red pepper. Simple.

Yellow

Yellow peppers and sweetcorn are a great way of getting yellow into your salad!

Pink

My favourite way to get the colour pink into my salads (and an extra hit of flavour) is the humble radish. Their pale insides and bright pink flesh add a lot to this simple salad.

Another way to get pink into a salad is to use a variety of spinach called tree spinach or a variety of chicory which also has pink tips.

Green

There's lots of choice for green veggies to include in this sad. Most salad leaves like lettuce and kale come in a variety of shades of green, as does cabbage. Spring onions and cucumber can also add a flash of green along with herbs like parsley and coriander.

My favourite green veggie to add is a base of baby spinach. I also like to add avocado for a creamy texture.

Purple

Getting the colour purple into your salad might seem tricky but red cabbage and beetroot are two easy ways to add the colour purple and a variety of textures. With the beetroot you can choose hard, raw beetroot or soft cooked beetroot.

You can also choose heritage vegetables like heritage carrots which sometimes come in shades of purple too.

Orange

There are a couple of ways to get orange into your salad. The most obvious being carrot and orange peppers.

Choosing a salad dressing

My favourite is a simple dressing of lemon, olive oil and pepper but you can opt for another salad dressing like one of the following:

Vinaigrette

These salad dressings are made from an emulsion of salad oil and citrus (think vinegar and lemon juice). They might be flavoured with herbs and spices (like mustard), sugar, salt and pepper.

Creamy dressings

Creamy dressings are often made from things like vegan mayonnaise or yogurt. Perhaps even a vegan creme fraiche.

My favourite is this vegan Caesar salad dressing.

Added extras

If you want an extra layer, toss the sliced veggies with some shredded lettuce before drizzling your dressing over the top.

For an extra bite and protein, you could add grilled vegan 'chicken' or some crispy tofu. Or why not add some beans or chickpeas?

I like to add nuts and seeds to my recipes wherever I can. Chopped hazelnuts, almonds and walnuts would all work well in this recipe. If you went for an Asian inspired dressing (like a sesame dressing or satay) you could use peanuts and sprinkle over some sesame seeds.

I particularly like to use pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds in my salad but these are also optional.

Herbs also add another dimension. Think parsley or coriander.

The recipe

You are sure to love the look of the vibrant Rainbow Salad. It just makes you want to dive right in! The flavours are also really fresh and zingy. It tastes good for you and is incredibly satisfying.

In the recipe below I've listed my favourite vegetables but feel free to chop and change them as you see fit.

More simple salad recipes

More recipes for summer

Although this salad can be eaten any time of year I think it's best enjoyed during the summer months. It's so fresh and delicious and the produce is at its best in the summer. Check out the summer recipe archives for more summery recipes.