If you like fresh, colorful, and plant-packed meals, this veggie chopped salad is going to be your new obsession! It's made with more than 10 different plants in total, including finely chopped rainbow veggies, fluffy quinoa, hummus, and a pop of cilantro. The best way to eat it is to scoop it with tortilla chips!! Perfect for sharing or meal prepping.
More plants for a healthy gut
Ever since reading the American Gut Study from 2018 by McDonald et al. (one of the largest studies on the microbiome to date), which found that people who eat 30+ different plants per week have a more diverse and healthier gut microbiome (a.k.a. the composition of microorganisms living in our digestive tract), I have been on a mission to load my meals with as many plants as possible.
We're talking fruits, veggies, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. This rainbow salad, packed with 8 different fruits, veggies, herbs, quinoa, and hummus is a favorite. My signature fruit salad is another plant-packed go-to!
Key ingredients and substitutions
- English cucumber: It's super crunchy and refreshing and adds some crunch to every bite. You can remove the seeds at the center of the cucumber if you'd like it extra crunchy.
- Cherry tomatoes and mango: For a sweet and savory combo and extra juiciness.
- Red cabbage: If you're short on time, you can grab pre-shredded cabbage that you can chop even finer. It avoids having huge amounts of leftover cabbage but if you do, try my quick pickled red cabbage for your grain bowls and sandwiches.
- Corn: It gets lightly charred in a pan for a sweet, smokey flavor! I love to use a fresh corncob or pre-cooked sous-vide corncobs for the freshest texture. But canned corn works, too.
- Cilantro: It just makes everything better (in my opinion) and pairs so well with the fruits and veggies in this salad.
- Hummus and lime juice: To make the easiest, creamiest 2-ingredient dressing that ties it all together.
- Quinoa: To add a boost of protein and fiber and make this rainbow salad filling and nutritious.
Elo's tips
- Cook the quinoa in vegetable broth for extra flavor. You can use jarred or boxed vegetable broth, or vegetable broth powder as I do. A bouillon cube works well, too.
- Cut the vegetables into VERY small pieces. It makes a huge difference in texture. It's also a lot easier to scoop the salad with tortilla chips when everything is chopped finely. Plus, you get a little bit of everything with every bite.
Step-by-step instructions
- Step 1: Cook the quinoa. Add the quinoa to a saucepan with double the amount of water. Season with salt or vegetable broth powder.
- Step 2: Dice the cucumber and tomatoes. If you'd like, peel the cucumber. Slice it lengthwise into thrids, then cut it into long strips and into dice. Quarter the cherry tomatoes, then dice them into smaller pieces.
- Step 3: Chop the red cabbage and cilantro. Start by cutting the cabbage head into quarters and remove the hard white triangle at the bottom. Cut one quarter into slices, then cut it into strips, and in smaller pieces. Finely chop the cilantro with a chef's knife.
- Step 4: Dice the mango and avocado. Slice the mango alongside the pit. Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Draw a crisscross pattern on the mango and avocado halves with a paring knife. Scoop out the pieces with a spoon.
- Step 5: Sauté the corn. Heat a large pan or skillet with olive oil. When hot, add in the corn kernels (freshly cut off the cob or rinsed if using canned). Sauté them over medium-high heat until golden brown. Stir regularly to prevent them from burning.
- Step 6: Assemble the rainbow salad. In a large salad bowl, mix the cooked quinoa, cucumber, tomatoes, cabbage, cilantro, mango, avocado, and corn. Toss with the dressing and serve with tortilla chips.
Meal prep and storage tips
Meal prep: You can make this veggie chopped salad up to 3 days ahead of time. Keep it in one large container or divide it into 4 separate meal prep containers. Make sure to store the dressing separately.
Storage: If the salad has not been tossed with the dressing, it will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (after that it tends to get soggy). If the salad has been dressed, preferably eat the leftovers within 24 hours.
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The recipe
Rainbow Veggie Chopped Salad
Ingredients
For the quinoa
- 1 cup (200 g) white quinoa
- 1 teaspoon vegetable broth powder or 1 bouillon cube, optional
For the salad
- 1 English cucumber
- 10 oz (280 g) cherry tomatoes
- ¼ small red cabbage or ½ radicchio
- 1 mango
- 1 avocado
- 1 corncob or ½ can of sweet corn
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bunch of cilantro
- 1 bag of yellow corn tortilla chips
For the dressing
- 4 tablespoons hummus
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2-4 tablespoons water
Instructions
Quinoa: Cook the quinoa according to package directions. Optionally, add a vegetable broth powder to the cooking water for extra flavor.
Cucumber & tomatoes: Optionally, peel the cucumber. Slice it lengthwise in 3, then into long strips before dicing. Cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters then into smaller pieces.
Red cabbage & cilantro: Cut the cabbage into slices, then into strips, and chop crosswise into small pieces. Finely chop the cilantro.
Mango & avocado: Slice the mango along the pit and cut the avocado in half. Score both in a crosshatch pattern, then scoop out the pieces.
Corn: For fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob. If using canned, drain the kernels. Add them to a pan with a little olive oil. Sauté over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes until golden and lightly charred. Stir regularly.- Make the dressing: Add the hummus, lime juice, and water to a small bowl or jar. Whisk to combine. Thin it out with more water as needed.
Combine: Add the cooked quinoa, cucumber, tomatoes, cabbage, cilantro, mango, avocado, and sautéed corn to a large salad bowl. Toss with the dressing and serve with tortilla chips.
Nutrition
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Super yum
Glad you like it!!