This veggie salad is packed with color, nutrients, crunch, and flavor! It’s naturally sweet, savory, and goes perfectly with any meal or can be a meal by itself. It’s also great for picnics, BBQ’s, and any special gathering! Paleo, Whole30, and vegan friendly.
I’ve been meaning to make a homemade version of a particular salad that my mom gets from a local deli for about a year now.
I would say BEST SALAD EVER, except I know I say that about a lot of recipes. But really though, there is just something about this salad that renders me helpless, in a good way of course.
I don’t exactly know WHAT it is about the salad that I find so insanely addicting, but I think it’s just the combination of so many ingredients that I love separately – altogether making salad magic happen in a big way!
So here it is – and I’m not surprised to say that I ate the entire thing by myself in two days (eek, maybe less!) because it came out exactly as I had envisioned it!
Let’s get to the details of course! The green (and I guess purple) base for the salad is raw kale, shredded brussels sprouts, and shredded red cabbage.
The thing I love about having “sturdy” greens as the base of a salad is that it means you can dress the salad in advance and it just winds up tasting BETTER! No sogginess – this salad is perfect for picnics and is definitely portable.
Next we have perfectly roasted sweet potatoes. I LOVE combining some cooked veggies (like sweet potatoes or butternut) with raw ones in a salad.
Toasted cashews are next. The original salad had cashews in it and I think they provide the best sweet/salty combo and I just love how the texture works with the crunchier veggies.
You can also swap out the nuts for almonds or something else you prefer, but seriously, give those cashews a try!
Lastly we have dried cherries for some extra sweetness. I can’t remember if the original salad had dried fruit in it, BUT I always feel like a great veggie salad is so much better with a little fruit in it.
The dried tart cherries (unsweetened) are the perfect sweet/tart addition, although cranberries would be great as well.
And don’t worry – I didn’t forget about a great dressing! I love using an immersion blender to make vinaigrettes nice and smooth and avoid that annoying separation that can happen.
The ingredients are clean and simple – olive or avocado oil (I recommend a light tasting one), lemon juice, stone ground mustard, sweetener of choice (date paste works very well for a Whole30 option), plus sea salt and black pepper to taste.
Once you toss it all together, I promise you’ll be overwhelmed with veggie salad love! Go grab your ingredients because it’s time to make this homemade salad magic happen – let’s go!
Rainbow Veggie Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette {Paleo, Whole30, Vegan}
Rainbow Veggie Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Salad:
- 2 cups sweet potatoes diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus sea salt for potatoes
- 3 cups kale chopped
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, plus sea salt for kale
- 2 cups brussels sprouts shredded
- 2 cups red cabbage shredded
- 3/4 cups cashews
- 1/3 cup dried tart cherries no sugar added
Dressing:
- 2 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice about one lemon
- 1 tsp stone ground mustard
- 1/8-1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp date paste honey, or maple syrup
- 1/3 cup light flavored olive oil or avocado oil
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 425 degrees to roast the potatoes. Toss in the olive oil and salt and spread in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast about 25 minutes, until browning and soft.
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Place cashews on a separate baking sheet and roast for the last 6-7 minutes with the potatoes, or until toasty, sprinkle with sea salt if desired.
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Massage the kale in olive oil and salt for about a minute until desired texture is achieved. Toss with the shredded brussels sprouts, cabbage, roasted cashews, cherries, and sweet potatoes.
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For the dressing, place all ingredients in a tall container and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Alternatively, you can whisk ingredients together in a bowl, streaming the oil in slowly while whisking.
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Toss the salad with the dressing and serve right away or refrigerate until ready to serve. This salad can be prepared and dressed a day ahead of time without a problem. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Want More Whole30 Salad Recipes? Try One of These!
Crispy Chicken Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing
Shrimp Cobb Salad with Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette
Kale Salad with Chicken, Caramelized Onions, and Hot Bacon Dressing
BLT Chicken Salad with Peppercorn Ranch
Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Bacon and Lime Vinaigrette
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This salad looks and sounds beautiful! Question, do you typically peel your sweet potatoes before roasting? I’ve done both ways and sometimes find the skin to be bitter. Just curious!
Just made this salad for dinner, Delicious!!!!