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Vibrant Mixed Green Salad with Colorful Crunch

A vibrant mixed green salad with a colorful crunch topping of shredded carrots, red cabbage, pecans, and seeds.
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Make a visually appealing and texturally satisfying mixed green salad featuring bright vegetables, nuts, and seeds for maximum crunch. This recipe includes a simple, bright vinaigrette.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 5 ounces mixed greens (spring mix or mesclun)
  • 1 cup shredded red cabbage
  • 1 large carrot, thinly sliced or shredded
  • 1/2 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/4 cup toasted pecans or walnuts
  • 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
  • 2 tablespoons dried cranberries or pomegranate seeds
  • For the Dressing:
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Prepare the vegetables: Wash and thoroughly dry the mixed greens. Slice the red cabbage, carrot, orange bell pepper, and red onion thinly. Halve the cherry tomatoes.
  2. Make the dressing: In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey or maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Close the lid tightly and shake well until the dressing emulsifies.
  3. Assemble the salad base: In a large bowl, gently combine the mixed greens, red cabbage, carrot, bell pepper, red onion, and tomatoes.
  4. Add crunch and color: Sprinkle the toasted pecans or walnuts, sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries or pomegranate seeds over the top of the vegetables.
  5. Dress and serve: Just before serving, drizzle about half of the dressing over the salad. Toss gently to coat the ingredients lightly. Add more dressing if needed. Serve immediately to maintain the crisp texture.

Notes

  • To keep your salad crisp, store the dressing separately and only dress the salad right before you plan to eat it.
  • For extra crunch, add 1/4 cup of homemade croutons or crispy fried shallots as a topping.
  • If you do not have pecans, slivered almonds or pepitas work well as a substitute for the nuts and seeds.
  • For a heartier meal, add grilled chicken or chickpeas.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://carlacooking.com/mixed-green-salad-with-a-colorful-crunch/