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
Serves: 8
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
- Wash and dry 8 wide mouth mason jars and respective lids. Set aside.
- Put all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a container and blend with a stick blender until well mixed. Set aside in fridge.
- Prepare all the vegetables and put in different bowls.
- Grill the bacon slices until crispy. Put on kitchen paper to absorb extra fat. Cut in small pieces and put in a bowl.
- When you are ready to start your salad, get the jars and start by adding 2 tablespoons of vinaigrette.
- Then add the cherry tomato halves, dividing the amount by the 8 jars.
- Next add the shredded carrot, sliced celery and shredded beet, doing the same.
- Then add the lentils followed by the sweet corn.
- Garden version: top off with Chinese cabbage, arugula and finish with 1 tsp of toasted seeds.
- 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.
- 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. - 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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