Rainbow Salad Bowl (Printable)

Colorful veggie and grain bowl with beans, nuts, and zesty dressing

# What You Need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
04 - 1 cup grated carrots
05 - 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
06 - 1 cup baby spinach leaves
07 - 1 small cucumber, sliced

→ Legumes

08 - 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
09 - 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed

→ Nuts and Seeds

10 - 1/3 cup roasted cashews or almonds, chopped
11 - 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
12 - 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds

→ Dressing

13 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
14 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
15 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
16 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
17 - 1 garlic clove, minced
18 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Garnish

19 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

# How-To:

01 - Prepare quinoa according to package instructions and allow to cool completely before assembly.
02 - Arrange all prepared vegetables, cooled grains, drained beans, nuts, and seeds in a large salad bowl or on a platter in colorful sections for visual appeal.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until fully emulsified.
04 - Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving, or serve on the side for guests to add as desired.
05 - Gently toss salad components together or allow guests to mix their own portions.
06 - Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or cilantro and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It actually tastes as good as it looks, which is rare and honestly kind of magical.
  • You can prep it the night before and it somehow gets even better by lunch.
  • No cooking skills required, just chopping and a good attitude about vegetables.
02 -
  • If you dress the whole salad too early, the tender vegetables will release water and it becomes a soggy mess; respect the timing.
  • Rinsing your canned beans thoroughly makes a huge difference in the flavor and prevents that metallic edge.
03 -
  • Toast your nuts and seeds lightly in a dry pan before adding them if they've been sitting in your pantry; it wakes up their flavor completely.
  • Keep the dressing separate if you know you'll have leftovers, and store it in a jar so you can shake it back together whenever you need it.
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