Author Notes
I wanted a fresh and light salad that could be eaten during the hot months, with ingredients that are seasonal, tasty and appealing.
This salad was created with a Picnic in mind and follows a few considerations like
withstanding travelling, being in moderate cold (cooler) and ease of serving.
Some greens, like lettuce, wilt quickly so I opted for Chinese Cabbage and arugula. Also, I know mayo is not the best option for health security, so I made a fresh orange/ginger vinaigrette.
I'm offering the Rainbow Salad in 3 options: Garden (vegetarian), Land (with chicken and Bacon and Sea (shrimp), so it accommodates everyone's taste.
Serving it as a salad-in-a-jar is just an idea: it's pretty, it's easy to serve, it's clean and re-usable. Choose wide mouth mason jars, they are easier to eat out off.
Don't forget to pack the forks, napkins, nice music and... enjoy the picnic! —Maria Teresa Jorge
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Ingredients
- Salad
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2 cups
cherry tomatoes sliced in half
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2 cups
shredded raw carrots
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1
stalk of celery thinly sliced
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2 cups
shredded raw beets
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2 cups
lentils cooked
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1 cup
cooked sweet corn kernels
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2 1/2 cups
thinly cut Chinese cabbage
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2 cups
arugula
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1/2 cup
toasted mixed seeds - sesame, sunflower and shelled pumpkin (vegetarian version)
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1 1/2 cups
shredded chicken - grilled or broiled - well done
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4
bacon slices
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1 1/2 cups
shrimp - boiled - cooked through and cut in pieces
- Orange-Ginger 1/4Vinaigrette
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1/4 cup
fresh orange juice
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1/4 cup
fresh lemon juice
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1 cup
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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1
inch fresh ginger - peeled and cut in 4 pieces
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1 teaspoon
mustard
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salt & pepper
Directions
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Wash and dry 8 wide mouth mason jars and respective lids. Set aside.
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Put all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a container and blend with a stick blender until well mixed. Set aside in fridge.
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Prepare all the vegetables and put in different bowls.
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Grill the bacon slices until crispy. Put on kitchen paper to absorb extra fat. Cut in small pieces and put in a bowl.
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When you are ready to start your salad, get the jars and start by adding 2 tablespoons of vinaigrette.
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Then add the cherry tomato halves, dividing the amount by the 8 jars.
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Next add the shredded carrot, sliced celery and shredded beet, doing the same.
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Then add the lentils followed by the sweet corn.
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Garden version: top off with Chinese cabbage, arugula and finish with 1 tsp of toasted seeds.
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Land version: add some shredded chicken (as much or as little as you want) and top off with Chinese cabbage, arugula and top with minced bacon.
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Sea version: add shrimp (as much or as little as you want) and top off with Chinese cabbage and arugula.
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Put in fridge minimum 1 hour.
Transport in cooler.
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To serve: Invert for a few seconds so the vinaigrette goes all the way to the greens and shake a little before opening or simply invert on a plate and mix.
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