Are you familiar with the concept of “eating the rainbow?” Many health experts endorse this way of eating, which incorporates as many different-colored vegetables and fruits into your diet. While you don’t have to consume a fruit of vegetable from every color of the rainbow in the same day, it is beneficial to consume all colors at least twice a week. This helps you vary your nutritional intake, specifically your phytonutrient intake. Phytonutrients are flavonoids or carotenoids that exhibit powerful antioxidant activity.
If you are new to the concept of eating the rainbow, it can be difficult to figure out how to incorporate new fruits and vegetables into the dishes you make. Salads and smoothies are excellent vegetables to include a wide variety of produce items. In the case of this salad, we include an assortment of colorful fruits and vegetables. It may not include all of the colors of the rainbow, but ticks about four or five off the list.
In addition to the different colors, this salad embraces different textures. Spiralize the zucchini, peel the carrots into ribbons, shred the cabbage, halve the cherry tomatoes, and slice the red leaf lettuce. You have the option to top your salad with chopped raw walnuts and pomegranate, both of which provide unique flavors and textures. Ultimately, the citrus-forward lemon vinaigrette ties everything together. It’s both sweet and tangy, making you want to keep digging in bite after bite. We hope you love this salad!
- Prep Time:15m
- Total Time:15m
- Serves: 2 servings
- Category: Full Body Cleanse Approved, Salads & Dressings, Raw, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 c red leaf lettuce, chopped
- 1/2 avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 c purple cabbage, shredded
- 2 c zucchini, spiralized
- 1 c carrots, peeled into ribbons
- 1 c cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tbsp. pomegranate arils (optional)
- 2 tbsp. raw walnuts (optional)
For the Dressing
- 1/4 c freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove, grated
- 1/4 tsp. ground mustard seed
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- pinch black pepper
- 1 tsp. raw agave nectar
- 1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
Instructions
For the Salad
- After you prepare all of the ingredients, arrange everything in a bowl like the ingredients in the recipe photo.
- If you do not want to do that, you are welcome to toss all of the ingredients together in a large bowl.
For the Dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk all of the ingredients and then taste to adjust seasonings as needed.
- If the dressing is too tart, feel free to drizzle in a touch more agave to sweeten it.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad, toss to coat, and enjoy.
