Healthy Rainbow Salad Jar
Enjoy all the flavors of spring with this Healthy Rainbow Salad Jar recipe! Made with a variety of fresh fruits and veggies, shelled edamame, and a refreshing olive oil dressing, it’s loaded with colors, nutrients, and textures for a crowd-pleasing salad that’s perfect for meal prep you’ll actually look forward to eating. Prepare it ahead of time for easy meals throughout the week!
Lately, we’ve been on a big
It’s vibrant, flavorful, and loaded with texture and nutrients for a healthy recipe you’ll look forward to sinking your fork into. Even better, it’s super quick to prepare and stores well in the fridge. You really can’t go wrong! One bite, and you’ll understand why we’ve been making it on repeat.
Why You’ll Love This Rainbow Salad
- It comes together in a matter of minutes.
- One batch makes three servings and can easily be doubled or even tripled.
- It’s naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and vegan to fit a variety of needs.
- You can whip up enough salads to get you through the week and store them in the fridge for quick grab-and-go meals.
What You’ll Need
When we say eat the rainbow, we aren’t talking about Skittles! This easy rainbow salad packs as many ingredients as we could fit into a single jar for a colorful recipe that’s full of flavor. Here’s what you’ll need:
Rainbow Salad
- Purple Cabbage – Not only is it super pretty, but purple cabbage also offers a ton of health benefits like vitamin K, vitamin B6, and vitamin A.
- Blueberries – A powerful superfood, these berries offer a hint of sweetness and a pop of texture.
- Shelled Edamame – Edamame are whole, immature soybeans that are full of fiber and plant-based protein and offer a variety of health benefits.
- Cucumber – Our favorite way to add extra crunch! We like English cucumber, but whatever variety you can find will taste great.
- Bell Peppers – Loaded with fiber and vitamin C, yellow and orange peppers contribute a satisfying crunch and a hint of sweetness.
- Carrots – Opt for pre-shredded carrots. Or, buy whole carrots, and shred them yourself.
- Grape Tomatoes – Sweeter than other varieties, grape tomatoes have a meaty consistency that provides a great contrast with the crisp veggies.
- Spinach – High in iron and loaded with nutrients, spinach forms the base of the rainbow salad recipe.
Dressing
- Olive Oil – An excellent source of healthy fats, the punchy flavor of olive oil makes a great base for any homemade dressing.
- Lemon Juice – Use a lemon squeezer to add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for the perfect amount of acidity to balance out and lighten the heaviness of the fats.
- Seasonings – Sea salt, black pepper, and a dash of dried oregano add extra savoriness that pairs amazingly with the fresh salad ingredients.
How to Make an Easy Rainbow Salad Jar
The formula for making the perfect rainbow salad is the same as any other jarred salad recipe. We’ll start by adding the liquids to the bottom to prevent the rest of the items from becoming soggy. Then, we layer starting with the heaviest ingredients and ending with the lightest.
- Create the Dressing. Add olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and oregano to the bottom of three jars. Gently whisk to combine.
- Layer. Add the salad ingredients, ending with the spinach.
- Store. Cover each jar tightly, and store them in the fridge. When you’re ready to eat, flip the ingredients onto a plate, and enjoy!
Add-Ins and Variations
When it comes to a homemade rainbow salad recipe, there’s really no right or wrong. If you have any extras on hand, feel free to incorporate even more veggies. Or, bulk up your salads with additions like:
- Protein such as ground beef, turkey, chicken, or beef kofta.
- Cheese including crumbled feta, goat cheese, Mozzarella, or Parmesan.
- Toppings such as chopped almonds, walnuts, pecans, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, or pepitas.
- Grains like quinoa, bulgur pilaf, or rice
How Long Does This Recipe Last?
When stored in an airtight container or jar in the fridge, this Rainbow Salad will stay fresh for up to 5 days, depending on the freshness of your veggies.
More Healthy Salad Recipes
If you enjoyed this Healthy Rainbow Salad Jar, you won’t want to miss out on even more of our salad recipes listed below!
- Balela Salad (Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad)
- Summer Berry Salad with Poppyseed Dressing
- Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
- Quick Couscous Salad with Chicken
Healthy Rainbow Salad Jar Recipe
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil (divied)
- 3 Tablespoons lemon juice (divided)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt (divided)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper (divided)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
For the Rainbow Salad:
- 3 cups purple cabbage (divided)
- 1 cup blueberries (divided)
- 1 1/2 cup shelled edamame (divided)
- 1 cup cucumbers (chopped and divided)
- 1 cup yellow bell pepper (chopped and divided)
- 1 cup orange bell pepper (chopped and divided)
- 1 cup shredded carrots (divided)
- 1 cup grape tomatoes (halved and divided)
- 3 cups fresh spinach (divided)
Instructions
- In 3 separate jars, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and ½ teaspoon oregano. Whisk to combine.
- Layer ⅓ of each ingredient into the jars starting with the heaviest items and ending with the spinach.
- Cover, and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To serve, invert the ingredients onto a plate, and enjoy!
