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Rainbow Chopped Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

March 22, 2014 By Kaitlin McGinn 10 Comments

This beautiful Rainbow Chopped Salad is both a color-burst and nutrient-burst! All tossed with a creamy avocado lemon-basil dressing.

Vegan rainbow chopped salad with lemon basil dressing on the side

 We go crazy for the Southwestern Chopped Salad with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing, so I wanted to create a similar salad with different flavors. Instead of cilantro-lime, I changed it up with some wonderful lemon basil. You can use whatever salad vegetables you like – it’s extremely versatile. I used this medley for a “rainbow effect” and maximum color pop!

Colorful chopped vegetables on a plate shaped like a rainbow

We also love to add garbanzo beans for a protein punch and to make it even more substantial. The creamy avocado dressing makes an amazing veggie dip or dressing for other salads too. Feel free to make the dressing ahead of time and toss with the salad right before serving. (It gets even better as it sits in the fridge after the flavors combine!)

PS – come join The Garden Grazer on Instagram and share a photo if you make or adapt this! (Also please leave a review & star rating below if you give it a try. Your feedback is greatly appreciated – thank you!)

Rainbow chopped salad being dressed with creamy lemon basil dressing
Print Pin
5 from 2 votes

Rainbow Chopped Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

This beautiful Rainbow Chopped Salad is both a color-burst and nutrient-burst! All tossed with a creamy avocado lemon-basil dressing.
Author: Kaitlin – The Garden Grazer
Prep Time:25 minutes
Total Time:25 minutes
Category: Salad
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Oil-Free Option, Vegan
Servings:6 side servings

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric
  • 1 large head romaine
  • 1/2 small head red cabbage
  • 8 oz. cherry tomatoes
  • 1 english cucumber
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 yellow bell pepper
  • Optional: garbanzo beans, sweet corn, sprouts, fresh herbs, etc.

For the creamy avocado dressing:

  • 1 avocado
  • Juice from 1 lemon (about 3 Tbsp.)
  • 2/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil
  • 1-2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp. agave
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil (omit for oil-free)
  • 3 Tbsp. water
  • 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions

  • Make the dressing: place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust flavors if necessary. Place in fridge to let flavors mingle while you make the salad.
  • Chop all salad vegetables and place in a large bowl.
  • Pour dressing over top and toss well to combine. (Or keep dressing + salad stored separately to extend usability.)

Nutrition Per Serving (estimate)

Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Potassium: 640mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 5050IU | Vitamin C: 101mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @thegardengrazer on Instagram and hashtag it #thegardengrazer. I love seeing your recreations!
Rainbow chopped salad photo collage

Enjoying this rainbow chopped salad? Feel free to also check out the full “Vegan Salad” recipe archives on the site for more fresh plant based inspiration! (Or this Strawberry Spinach Salad with Tomato-Balsamic Vinaigrette.)

Filed Under: Recipe, Salad, Vegan, WFPBNO Tagged With: avocado, basil, bell pepper, cabbage, carrot, cucumber, garlic, lemon, romaine, summer, tomato

Previous Post: « Tofu Scramble with Spinach and Tomato
Next Post: Creamy Vegan Avocado Dressing (& Veggie Dip!) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymous

    March 22, 2014 at 8:41 pm

    This looks so good! I haven't tried your dressings yet, but I'm excited to do so! Love how colourful this dish is with the veggies you picked! Makes me happy too!

    Reply
    • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

      March 23, 2014 at 1:17 pm

      Thank you, hope you enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Anonymous

    March 23, 2014 at 6:30 pm

    Looks beautiful, can't wait to try it. Although I am not normally into one use kitchen gadgets, I bought an OXO Good Grips 3-in-1 Avocado Slicer, which splits, pits and slices avocados without any danger to your hands. Only $10 it works great and is well worth it for those of us that use a lot of avocados.

    Reply
    • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

      March 24, 2014 at 12:59 pm

      So great – thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  3. Liz Lewis

    March 26, 2014 at 3:36 am

    I also came here to comment that I also have an avocado slicer/pitter. Mine is only a 2-in-1 though. I got it from Bed Bath and Beyond for $9.99!

    Reply
    • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

      March 26, 2014 at 5:23 pm

      Awesome!

      Reply
  4. geraldine

    March 26, 2014 at 11:15 pm

    I know what I'm making this weekend. This looks so colorful and healthy – can't wait to try it.

    Reply
    • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

      March 26, 2014 at 11:46 pm

      Hope you enjoy!

      Reply
  5. Teresa Bailey

    October 27, 2015 at 6:29 am

    You need to buy your avocados from a Mexican grocer. They have a continuous supply of really ripe and ready to eat avocados. If your avocado is properly ripe, the pit just slides out without using any implements at all.

    Reply
    • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

      October 31, 2015 at 10:03 pm

      Oh interesting! Thanks for sharing 🙂

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Kaitlin! I share easy vegan recipes that are mostly whole food, plant-based, oil-free, & gluten-free. Learn More About Me →

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