Ready to dig into a bowl of pure joy? Our Rainbow Veggie Salad is a feast for your eyes and your taste buds! Packed with a colorful mix of crisp veggies, this salad is as fun to look at as it is to eat.
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My neighborhood market has an amazing salad bar that I used to visit all the time, but it’s gotten ridiculously pricey. I realized I own a cutting board and chef's knife why am I not making my own salads with the ingredients I love… which has led me to make this colorful rainbow salad mix.
I'm also making a simple homemade balsamic vinaigrette; it's just so easy to make with a few ingredients.
This rainbow in a bowl is super versatile! It's perfect as is, but if you want a light main meal, toss in some protein, and you're all set. Either way, this colorful salad will brighten up your plate and satisfy your appetite with lots of healthy greens.
While we are talking about the joys of salad, try this Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad, or my favorite knife and fork Wedge Salad. Can you tell I like to make salads?
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Recipe Highlights
Get the essential details of this vibrant salad at a glance:
- Type of recipe: Lunch or dinner salad
- Cooking method: No cooking required
- Skill level: Easy to medium with lots of chopping
- Flavors & textures: Complex flavors with lots of crunch
The Salad Basics
- Customize this salad: You can put anything in this salad you like to suit your taste, so experiment with different greens, veggies, nuts, cheeses and salad dressings.
- Add some protein: To make this salad a hearty meal add chicken, shrimp, tofu, steak or a few boiled eggs.
- Chop and dice: This salad is best when everything is cut in similar sizes.
Rainbow Salad Ingredients
- The greens: Arugula adds a spicy and peppery flavor, and radicchio has a mellow bitter flavor. Feel free to use your favorites.
- The vegetables: Red and yellow pepper, tomatoes, carrots and corn.
- The fruit & nuts: Add salty olives and earthy walnuts. Toasted pecans would be tasty too! Or for nut-free version, you can omit the nuts or replace them with toasted seeds like pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
- The cheese: Mozzarella balls have a delicate milky taste, and I like the texture, but I also use feta.
The salad dressing: Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. It's super simple.
How To Make A Chopped Rainbow Salad
Before you start, here are a few Salad Tips:
- Arugula usually has small and tender leaves, so it doesn't need to be chopped but do chop the radicchio.
- Cut cherry tomatoes in half or seed and chop a whole tomato.
- Use pre-shredded carrots or cut a carrot into medium dice.
- Cut the mozzarella balls smaller if they are too big.
- Use thawed frozen corn, leftover fresh corn, or my favorite grilled corn kernels.
- You can make this salad ahead of serving time, but don't add the salad dressing until you are ready to serve it.
Doesn't it look good? It's like a salad you'd get at a fancy restaurant, but guess what? You can totally make this at home and impress yourself!
What To Pair This Veggie Salad With
Here are some great dishes to serve alongside it:
Rainbow Salad FAQ's
Absolutely! You can prepare your veggies ahead of time. Store them separately in the crisper drawer. Keeping the vegetables and dressing separate until ready to serve is best.
You can store a salad with lots of veggies in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. After that, it will likely become soggy and watery. To keep your salad fresh, store the dressing separately and add it just before eating. If your salad contains more delicate greens, like spinach or arugula, it is best to eat it within 1-2 days for the best texture and flavor.
You can use other leafy greens like spinach, mixed greens, or even romaine lettuce as a base for the salad. Experiment with different combinations to find your favorite mix.
Add More Veggies To Your Dishes
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Recipe
Rainbow Salad With Balsamic Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup arugula
- 1 cup radicchio thinly sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls)
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup red pepper diced
- ½ cup yellow pepper diced
- corn kernels fresh or thawed if frozen
- ¼ cup black olives pitted
- ¼ cup nuts such as almonds, walnuts, or pecans, toasted
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the salad dressing
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil and balsamic vinegar to create the dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Prepare the salad
- Wash and dry all the salad greens
- Cut the tomatoes in half and dice the red and yellow peppers. Toasting the nuts is optional, but it does add great flavor.
- In a large salad bowl, combine the arugula, radicchio, cherry tomatoes, bocconcini, shredded carrots, diced red pepper, diced yellow pepper, corn kernels, black olives, and toasted nuts into the bowl.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad ingredients and gently toss until all the ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed with additional salt and pepper.Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- You can adjust the quantities of the ingredients based on your preference or the number of servings you need.
2. For extra flavor and texture, feel free to add other ingredients like sliced cucumbers, red onions, or avocado.
3. If you don't have bocconcini, you can use regular-sized mozzarella cheese and cut it into smaller pieces.
4. You can omit the nuts or replace them with toasted seeds like pumpkin or sunflower seeds for a nut-free version.
5. Customize the dressing by adding herbs like basil or oregano, honey or maple syrup for sweetness, or Dijon mustard for extra tang.
6. you can use baby spinach or mixed greens instead of arugula.
7. You can substitute radicchio with red cabbage or endive if it is unavailable.
Instead of bocconcini, you can use feta cheese or goat cheese for a tangy flavor.
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Nutrition
Thank you for stopping by the One Hot Oven blog. Please leave a comment to say hello or tell me what you are baking; I always love hearing from fellow bakers. Do you have any questions or want to chat about the recipe? Please visit my About page for information, and I’ll be happy to help!
Hello there, I'm Jere'
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.
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