Everyone loves a rainbow, and what if you could actually eat it? Lol, ok, perhaps not the one in the sky, but you can definitely enjoy a beautiful array of fruits and vegetables. A rainbow is the product of physics working for your appreciation of beauty. Here I will show you how food can work for your appreciation of a healthy lifestyle.
There’s no question that eating three to five servings of fruits and vegetables daily will improve your health. Recently, more and more experts are saying healthy eating is not only about how many servings you eat. It’s about the variety you pick, too. This includes a range of fruits and vegetables in varying hues over the course of a week. It is well known that that the most vibrantly colored fruits and vegetables have the most nutritional benefits and eating an array of colors just ensures that you get the benefits of all of them.
Even if you are not a salad lover, this recipe has such a terrific burst of flavors, that you will forget that it is healthy. This is a perfect combination of bright and refreshing fruit and veggies with a delightful crunch, spicy lime dressing and loads of fresh herbs.
This recipe was inspired by one of the best salads here in Pittsburgh, at the restaurant Kaya. Every-time, I get together with my girlfriends, we somehow end up at this amazing restaurant, and I always get this salad.
This is ideal on its own, or you can add some protein with blacken tofu, shrimp, or salmon. The best part about this recipe, is that is requires no cooking and all recipes can be found at Trader Joe’s. I’ve even created a super easy salad dressing recipe which does not require any appliances for blending, but still includes all the flavors of fresh herbs.
Caribbean Rainbow Salad Recipe
Yield: 2
Total Time: 30 mins
Ingredients:
- 2 cups spring green mix
- 1 cup sliced papaya
- ½ cup grape tomatoes sliced
- ½ cup chickpeas
- ¼ cup chopped red pepper
- ¼ cup chopped yellow pepper
- ¼ cup chopped cucumber
- ¼ cup shredded carrot
- ¼ cup chopped mango
- ¼ cup pickled onion
- 2 tablespoons roasted pepitas
- ½ cup Jicama
- ¼ cup sliced jalapeños
- 1 avocado thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 1 teaspoon Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend (Trader Joe’s)
- lime wedges for serving
- crispy onions topping (optional)
Spicy Herb Lime Dressing
- 2 limes juiced
- 2 tbsp Zhoug Sauce (Trader Joe’s)
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 teaspoon honey (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the spring mix in the center of your plate. Build the rainbow salad around the greens, adding the papaya, tomatoes, chickpeas, jicama, peppers, cucumber, carrot and mango. Top with the pickled onions and the pepitas. Add the avocado in the middle, the jalapeño slices and the basil, cilantro and mint. Sprinkle on the sesame seasoning blend.
- You can either use some crispy frizzled shallots/onions (store-bought)
- Drizzle with the dressing and serve add lime slices for garnish
SPICY LIME DRESSING
- Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing until the dressing is emulsified. This will stay fresh in the fridge for up to a week.
