I’m pretty sure the titles of my recipes are just growing longer and longer by the week.
But honestly, this much epicness can’t be contained in a short recipe title. It just doesn’t work.
Friends, this salad is the bomb[dot]com.
I don’t really know what it is, but I’ve been craving salads that are literally filled to the 9s with fruits and veggies for weeks. I go to Trader Joe’s, and I come home with bags upon bags of various vegetation in different shapes, sizes, and colors. The checker outer girl actually told me that I had “the healthiest basket that [she had] ever seen!” I just literally can’t.quit.the.veg.
If I’m being completely honest with you, Mark and I aren’t the most creative when it comes to eating dinner. So me being this veggie-crazed self recently has forced us to get a little zany when prepping our supper.
Veggies on pizza! On sandwiches! On their own as a snack! We’ve gone hard in the veggie paint these past few weeks.
And although those applications surely were delicious, sometimes all I needed was a big salad.
Enter: The Big Vegan Rainbow Bowl. These colors make me so so happy. Pretty, colorful food always always always tastes better. And friends, we really do have all of the colors of the rainbow representin’ in this giant salad bowl:
-Red: Tomatoes! I actually snagged these cute little grape tomatoes from Mark’s dad’s garden. They’re super sweet, and they just taste like summer to me, you know?
-Orange: Carrots! I always have at least one bag of carrots in our fridge, as I love them chopped up and with hummus as a quick and easy snack. I’m pretty much obsessed with using a vegetable peeler and peeling little carrot ribbons for my salads at the moment. They’re much softer than those tiny carrot chunks.
-Yellow: Yukon Gold Potatoes! Again, Mark’s dad grew these little cuties, and they could not have been more delicious in this salad. We’ll roast them so they’re golden, browned, and perfectly tender. Mark and I went bonkers for these roasted potatoes in the dressing. Like, standing over the sink dunking all of the leftover potatoes in the leftover dressing like some sort of animal. This was our Saturday.
-Green: Avocado! It’s just not a vegan salad if avocado isn’t involved. Pretty sure that’s a rule somewhere.
-Blue: Blueberries! I love the pops of sweetness these berries give this salad. It sounds kind of crazy, but they work so well with that maple almond butter dressing. I promise it works!
-Purple: Purple Cabbage! Mark and I have had cabbage every week for weeks. We usually love it sautéed with some olive oil, garlic, and s+p, but when it’s raw in a big veggie bowl like this, it’s ridiculously crunchy. And that color? Fuhgetaboutit.
-Pink: Radishes! Slightly spicy, super crunchy, and absolutely gorgeous. I love these fresh, pink veggies on my salads!
And I can’t even tell you how much we love this dressing. We were literally licking the bowl clean. It’s such a random combination of ingredients – almond butter, maple syrup, olive oil, garlic -, but they work so so well.
Just a tip: be sure to use unsweetened almond butter here. You want a blank slate upon which we can build all of our other dressing flavors. I used my fav, Barney Butter Bare Smooth, but any unsweetened, creamy variety will do here!
Enjoy this big, giant, summery bowl!
The Big Vegan Rainbow Bowl with Maple Almond Butter Dressing
https://www.fooduzzi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/the-big-vegan-rainbow-bowl-maple-almond-butter-dressing-14.jpg
| Prep: | Cook: | Yield: 2-3 servings | Total: |
A giant vegan rainbow salad featuring fruits, vegetables, and an addictive maple almond butter dressing!
You'll Need...
- For the dressing:
- 2 Tbsp. natural almond butter (no sugar added)
- 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- salt + pepper
- water to thin, if needed
- For the salad:
- 3 small yukon gold potatoes, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- salt + pepper
- 1 head romaine lettuce, thinly chopped
- 20 grape tomatoes, sliced
- 2 medium carrots, diced or peeled into ribbons
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 6 oz. blueberries
- 4 oz. (about 1/2 head) purple cabbage, sliced thin and diced
- 3 radishes, sliced into matchsticks
- optional: grain of choice, black and white sesame seeds
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Make the dressing: Mix almond butter, maple syrup, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small container. Mix well to combine. Add a bit of hot water if needed to thin. The dressing should be thick, yet pourable.
- Make the salad: Place diced potatoes on a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over top, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden and fork-tender
- Add all other salad ingredients to a large bowl. Add roasted potatoes on top. Pour dressing over top and mix well to combine.
I’ve honestly never put fruit in salad before! I know that’s crazy, but I forget about that component hahahaha I’ll have to give it a go today. Thanks for the recipe :-)
I always forget about putting fruit in my salads, too! But the blueberries in this salad are just SO good! Let me know if you try it :)
That dressing!!! I just want to drink it omg. Or I guess I could not be weird and have it on this beauuuutiful salad!!
Um…This dressing is totally drinkable. Not like I’d know from experience or anything… ;)
ohhh that drip! Looks so freakin fantastic! I absolutely adore potatoes in salads so this is totally going to happen asap :)
Thanks, Liz! Potatoes in salads are my favorite thing EVER. :)
YUM – this dressing is genius!
Thanks so much, Marilyn! This dressing is just so dang perfect!!
This was FANTASTIC!!!! Thank you for sharing! Subbed grapes for the blueberries and used pretty purple potatoes for color since there was no purple cabbage at my store. Used some chopped yellow and red peppers instead. Really delicious dressing!
Your comment absolutely made my night, Mary! I’m so happy you liked this recipe :) It has become one of my new favorites. That dressing is so addictive!!
The dressing was a bit too sweet for me. I added a splash of red wine vinegar to the dressing. Now it’s even better for my taste buds. Thanks for a great recipe!
I love that you were able to make this dressing work for you – I bet that red wine vinegar was delish! :)
This looks so delicious! I am definitely going to make it! It’s packed with so many nutrient dense foods and looks beautiful.
So beautiful! Going to make this for lunch this week! How would you suggest storing the dressing – room temp or fridge? Thanks! Love all your recipes!
Hey, Meagan! Woo hoo! So happy you’re making this this week :) I’d suggest keeping the dressing in the fridge. It’ll get thick in the fridge though, so I like to mix in a few drops of hot water to loosen everything all up again. Let me know how you like it!
Just made this tonight…. one word.., Delicious!!! Everything about it was amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it, Nicole! I make that dressing for my boyfriend at least once a week – he’s obsessed!
I recently started making this, and it’s delicious! Do you happen to know how long the dressing will keep in the fridge?
Eek. I have no idea. I’m assuming a few days?
This is seriously so delicious, filling, and beautiful! The dressing is so delicious and creamy. Definitely going to start making this a regular staple in my home :)
Yay!! So glad you like it :) That dressing is one of my all-time faves!
This salad is seriously so good! I’ve made it multiple times since finding you on pinterest. The dressing really is drinkable .. ha, so delicious! I think I’ve already left a comment a few years ago, so I guess this is to say, the recipe is still going strong in my house!
YAY! So happy to hear that, Nicole! <3