You will love how this colorful Rainbow Summer Salad recipe comes together with the odds and ends from your refrigerator. Let us show you just how well you can eat even while away on vacation!
When I was a kid, and one of five siblings, we went on the same beach vacation every July. We’d rent a large condo in Myrtle Beach, SC, and then Ocean City, MD, and we’d stay for two weeks – surely causing a ruckus wherever we went! The thing is, those vacations were the stuff of dreams. With plane tickets being expensive, and outnumbering our parents five to two, we didn’t take a lot of vacations by plane. Instead, we’d pack up a cooler or two, and it would last us the 6-12 hours in the big Suburban until we got to our destination. Then it would be food shopping time!
Colorful Rainbow Summer Salad Recipe
Shopping for seven people is challenging, and perhaps even more challenging on vacation, especially in a new city with new stores and new foods. Somehow we made it work though. No matter where we’d go on vacation, we’d seek out fresh produce like I used in this colorful Rainbow Summer Salad recipe. Everyone knows that fruits and vegetables taste better in season, and especially locally grown ones like these blueberries. It would be fun to tour the produce sections of stores, or even find farmers markets on our vacation. I’m talking a rainbow of colors, textures, and varieties to suit every taste!
These days, our family of four goes to Cape Cod every summer. We have a family house there so the fridge is often awesomely filled from various family members, weekend guests, renters, and the like. We always add our own Western MA spin, and the kitchen becomes a hodge podge of tastes and delights; as it should be!
Delicious and fresh, right? The good news is that you can customize this colorful Rainbow Summer Salad recipe however you like, based on what’s in your fridge. That said, you can absolutely let my recipe/dressing be your guide as some tastes and colors that go perfectly together. Our summer vacation is coming right up, and I can’t wait to rest, relax, read, and EAT!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 2 tbsp of creamy almond butter
- 1/2 tsp of ground mustard
- 1 tbsp of honey
- 1 tbsp of vinegar
- Salt and freshly crushed pepper to taste
- 1 cup of sliced chicken breast
- 1 cup of spinach
- 1/2 cup of red cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup of blueberries
- 1/2 cup of sliced strawberries
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 1/4 cup of slivered or chopped almonds
- Salt and freshly crushed black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or a jar. Whisk briskly until incorporated.
- Add little more olive oil, if required, to get a pouring consistency.
- In a bowl, toss together spinach, red cabbage, blueberries, strawberries, yellow bell pepper, and chicken breast. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Drizzle with the dressing and give it another toss.
- Throw in the chopped almonds.
- Let it chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: The spirit of this salad is about throwing together beach house leftovers and fixings to make it colorful, fresh, and versatile. Look for more proteins and fats (eggs, avocado, nuts, chickpeas, etc.) to elevate this salad from side dish to starring role, and even from lunch to dinner!

We hope you enjoy this colorful Rainbow Summer Salad recipe from SoFabFood Contributor, Tamara from Tamara Like Camera, as much as we do. If you love this recipe, you can find more like it by visiting our Salad Section. For daily recipe inspiration, like us on Facebook and follow us on Pinterest. Enjoy!
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