Happy Friday, friends! I’m writing this while nursing a gnarly sinus infection, but I refuse to apologize for having an amazing few days despite it.
Last week I started feeling under the weather and leaned on home remedies, soup, and a brief pause from my fitness routine. Then a friend hosted the most hysterical bachelorette weekend in Pigeon Forge and I went anyway. We rode roller coasters, sampled moonshine cherries, and ate fried food without regret. Flying back may have finished the job on my sinuses, but I have zero regrets — and I am now officially a Dolly Parton fan for life. Her amusement park, her tour-bus bathtub, and the fact that she wrote “I Will Always Love You” were all transformative trivia for me.
I finally went to the doctor when the pressure became unbearable. Antibiotics, rest, and a lot of water were prescribed, and I’ve spent the week alternating soup binges and long, hot baths while catching up on old TV. But I also cooked: this Rainbow Chopped Salad with Sesame-Garlic Dressing has been my bright, crunchy, vegetable-packed salvation.
I adapted this vibrant chopped salad from Ali Maffucci’s Inspiralized & Beyond. Ali’s recipes celebrate seasonal vegetables in inventive ways, and this salad is a great example: colorful, textural, nourishing, and surprisingly filling. It’s vegetarian, loaded with whole-food ingredients, and the sesame-garlic dressing is excellent — bold, garlicky, and versatile.
This salad is ideal for a crowd because it makes a lot and stores well. The vegetables hold up in the fridge when undressed, so you can prep ahead for potlucks or weekday lunches. If you don’t have a spiralizer, simple thin slicing or shredding works perfectly. I often keep cooked quinoa on hand for recipes like this, but any cooked whole grain would do.
Rainbow Chopped Salad with Sesame-Garlic Dressing
This triple-threat Thai-inspired chopped salad delivers abundant flavor, crunchy texture, and healthy ingredients. It serves about 4 generously as an entrée or 8 as a side.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup roasted cashews
- 12 ounces shelled edamame, steamed
- 4 cups shredded rainbow chard leaves (or baby kale)
- 1 large carrot, spiralized or shredded (about 1 heaping cup)
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced or cut into short noodles
- 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced or cut into short noodles
- 2 cups spiralized or thinly sliced red cabbage
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup cooked red quinoa, chilled if possible
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
For the dressing
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
Instructions
- Make the dressing: combine all dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
- In a clean food processor, pulse the cashews and steamed edamame until finely minced but not mushy. If you don’t have a processor, finely chop by hand.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped cashew-edamame mixture with the chard (or kale), carrot, scallions, bell peppers, cabbage, cilantro, and quinoa.
- Drizzle the dressing around the rim of the bowl and toss the salad thoroughly to coat everything evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Garnish with sesame seeds if desired and serve immediately, or keep the salad undressed in the refrigerator for a few days and dress just before serving.
This salad is colorful, satisfying, and flexible: swap grains, add protein, or toss in additional herbs to suit your taste. It’s a great make-ahead option for summer gatherings, lunches, and weeknight dinners.
If you try it, enjoy the crunch, the savory-sweet dressing, and the way a bowl of vegetables can feel like the best kind of comfort food. Leave a comment below to share any tweaks or favorite add-ins — I’m always swapping things in, especially when I’m recovering from a travel-fueled sinus disaster and craving bright, healthy food.