Rainbow Salad Bowl (Printable)

A vibrant mix of fresh vegetables, grains, beans, and seeds with zesty dressing for a nutritious meal.

# 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

→ Beans

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

→ Nuts & 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

# Directions:

01 - Cook quinoa according to package instructions. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool completely to room temperature.
02 - Halve cherry tomatoes, shred purple cabbage, grate carrots, dice yellow bell pepper, measure baby spinach, and slice cucumber. Keep vegetables fresh and crisp.
03 - In a large salad bowl or on a platter, arrange cooled quinoa, prepared vegetables, drained chickpeas and black beans, chopped nuts, and seeds in colorful sections for visual appeal.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and minced garlic until fully emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
05 - Drizzle prepared dressing over the salad just before serving. Toss gently to combine all components or serve dressing on the side for individual preference.
06 - Top the salad with chopped fresh parsley or cilantro. Serve immediately while vegetables remain crisp.

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • It's endlessly flexible—swap vegetables based on what's fresh or what you have sitting in your crisper drawer.
  • One bowl feeds you completely; the grains, beans, and nuts make it substantial enough to be your entire meal.
  • The dressing is so simple you can make it in seconds, and it tastes nothing like typical bottled stuff.
02 -
  • Cold vegetables release moisture over time, so if you dress the salad more than twenty minutes ahead, the bottom will become soggy—this is why dressing-on-the-side is my backup plan.
  • The nuts are your insurance policy against blandness; don't skip them or reduce them, because they provide both richness and a textural contrast that makes every bite interesting.
03 -
  • Make extra dressing and keep it on hand; it's delicious on roasted vegetables, grain bowls, or even drizzled over avocado toast.
  • If your lemon isn't yielding much juice, roll it firmly on the counter before cutting—it softens the membranes and releases more liquid.
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