This crunchy and simple rainbow salad is dairy free, gluten free, and perfect for a light meal or as a side, it’s healthy, delicious, and packed with nutrients!

Easy Rainbow Salad

Name: Easy Rainbow Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 cup shredded red cabbage; 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes (red and yellow); 1 cup shredded carrot; 1 cup sliced cucumber; 1/4 cup blueberries; 1 green onion, diced; 1/4 cup sliced red onion (pickled is extra delicious!); 1/4 cup (loosely packed) chopped fresh mint; 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios (or slivered almonds); 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar; 2 tablespoon olive oil; 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup; 3 tablespoons tahini; 2 tablespoons water; 1/4 tsp salt; ⅛ tsp black pepper

This tasty and simple rainbow salad is so easy to make and perfect for a light meal, a side dish, and to bring to a gathering. It’s crunchy and fresh, loaded with texture and flavour, and is gorgeous as it’s bursting with color.

The salad actually only contains a handful of common ingredients aside from the dressing which is very easy to whip up as well! You can enjoy this delicious refreshing salad on it’s own or amp it up with grilled chicken breast or baked salmon.

Rainbow Salad Ingredients

To make this rainbow salad I literally considered the actual colours of the rainbow. I remember as a kid learning the acronym ROY-G-BIV to remember the colours – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Here you’ll see every colour represented in the ingredients!

Red cherry tomatoes
Carrot
Yellow cherry tomatoes
Green onion
Cucumber
Mint
Pistachios (or slivered almonds)
Blueberries
Red onion (pickled is extra delicious)
Red cabbage

Creamy Balsamic Salad Dressing

The dressing for this colourful salad is incredibly simple but pairs perfectly with the rest of the ingredients. It’s tangy, creamy, and slightly sweet.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Pure maple syrup
Tahini
Water
Salt
Pepper

I love how subtle the tahini is but it adds a perfect touch of creaminess and blends wonderfully with the balsamic and the maple syrup.

small kitchenaid food processor with ingredients for tahini balsamic dressing

tahini balsamic dressing in a small kitchenaid food processor

Rainbow Salad Nutrition

There’s not a single thing that isn’t healthy about this colourful salad. It’s packed with nutrients including vitamins, minerals, fibre, and healthy fats. Here’s just some of what you’ll find in this tasty salad:

Vitamin C – and lots of it!
Vitamin K, A, and E
B Vitamins
Manganese, magnesium, iron, and selenium
Omega fatty acids
Fibre
Protein

How to Make The Salad

To make this salad you only need to follow a few simple steps:

1. Shred the cabbage and carrots, and dice/slice the cucumber, red onion, mint, tomatoes, and onion.

2. Add all of the vegetables, blueberries, mint, and pistachios to a large bowl.

3. In another bowl (or small/individual blender) add the dressing ingredients and whisk/blend until completely smooth (you can also use an immersion hand blender).

4. Drizzle the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss well to combine.

5. Serve immediately or chill and serve a couple hours later.

bowl of rainbow salad tossed with tahini dressing

close up of bowl of rainbow salad tossed with tahini dressing

This crunchy, vibrant salad really is a show-stopper. It makes the perfect accompaniment to any meal and also serves a crowd well!

Have toy ever made a rainbow salad? Tell me about it in the comments and bve sure to pin the photo below the recipe to save this post for later!