Sometimes a dish just screams summer, and this summer antioxidant salad is definitely one of those dishes! It is fresh, vibrant, zesty and delicious. Just look at all those colors and tell me you don't want to dive right in!
Summer Antioxidant Salad
Jump to:
This salad is just bursting with color!
Load it up with all the goodness of fresh summer produce
You will need:
- baby spinach leaves
- radishes
- spring onions
- orange capsicum
- red capsicum
- cucumber
- cherry tomatoes
- strawberries
- peach
- chopped walnuts pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and hemp seeds
- extra virgin olive oil
- balsamic vinegar
- lemon
- salt and pepper
It looks like a huge list of ingredients, but honestly, just use whatever summer produce you have at hand and you will be good to go.
How To Make This Rainbow Salad
In this summery salad, you will find a healthy dose of greens, some fresh fruit to sweeten it up (and make it more tempting for the kiddos), a handful of nuts and seeds, plus a really simple dressing, which blends in perfectly with all of the beautiful fresh flavours.
I am a big fan of salads like this being made up on a huge chopping board and served up family-style in the middle of the table.
Simply layer all the ingredients, pour over the dressing and serve up.
This is best eaten fresh, as the spinach leaves can go soggy if left for too long.
Be sure to spread the most popular ingredients (i.e. the peaches and strawberries) around the board so that one person doesn't take them all with their first scoop of salady goodness.
What To Serve With Antioxidant Salad
This salad is great by itself if you are looking for a light meal.
If you want something a bit more substantial it also goes well with:
- Rotisserie Chicken (either homemade or storebought if you don't want to heat up the kitchen)
- Teriyaki Salmon or Teriyaki Chicken (to make it even more summery, cook them on the BBQ)
- Any grilled salmon or fish
- Lamb chops
- Grilled portobellos if you want to keep it vegetarian/vegan
It is a great all-rounder salad that goes with pretty much anything.
Whatever is coming hot off the BBQ will be a great match.
Storage and Meal Prep
This salad is best eaten once it has been dressed and served.
Left too long and the spinach will go soggy.
If you like to prep ahead of time, make the salad and store it in an airtight container in the fridge with the dressing kept separately until ready to serve.
When it comes time to serve, simply add the dressing and away you go.
Happy Eating
xx
Recipe
Summer Antioxidant Salad
Clicking any equipment link above will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Ingredients
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves
- 4 radishes sliced thinly
- 3 spring onions white and light green parts only, cut into thin strips
- ½ orange capsicum thinly sliced
- ½ red capsicum thinly sliced
- ½ cucumber thinly sliced
- 10 cherry tomatoes quartered
- 10 strawberries hulled and quartered
- 1 slices fresh peach skin removed and cut into
- 2 tablespoon each of chopped walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and hemp seeds
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoon walnut oil (optional)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare all the fruits and vegetables.3 cups baby spinach leaves, 4 radishes sliced thinly, 3 spring onions, ½ orange capsicum, ½ red capsicum, ½ cucumber, 10 cherry tomatoes, 10 strawberries, 1 slices fresh peach
- Layer them on a large chopping board or serving plate
- Sprinkle with the nuts and seeds2 tablespoon each of chopped walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and hemp seeds
- Mix all dressing ingredients together (EVOO, balsamic vinegar, walnut oil, lemon juice) in a glass jar and drizzle over the salad¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 ½ tablespoon walnut oil, Juice of 1 lemon, Salt and pepper to taste
- Serve and enjoy
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Diane says
I love our fresh garden produce made into salads all summer. It's so fun to work with whatever my hubs delivers from the greenhouse and garden. Nothing better for a light summer meal. Your salad just looks amazing. The fresh fruit in there is a wonderful idea for a natural sweetener. So healthy!
Whole Food Bellies says
Thank you for your lovely words Diane! I hope to one day have a well stocked garden so we can provide all of our own produce throughout summer...we are getting there, but its slow 🙂
International Elf Service says
This looks absolutely divine. I love salads. I often use apple or pear in salads but this mix looks fantastic.
Whole Food Bellies says
Oh I love apple and pear in my salads too 🙂 They aren't in season here at the moment, so taking full advantage of my strawberries and stone fruits!
Levan @ MyWifeMakes.com says
OMG this summer salad makes me think of Unicorns!
As in rainbows
Bursting with color!
Looks delicious, looks healthy --- I would like to formally present myself in front of this plate so that I may DEVOUR it.
Breakfast? Check
Lunch? Check
Dinner? Check!
All summer long? Check -- except we live in Melbourne so winter is like a shy little giraffe hiding among the trees.
AMAZING STUFF DONNA! 5 STARS!
Whole Food Bellies says
That is the most colourful comment I have received yet Levan 🙂 Thanks for making me smile!
lifestyletalks.wordpress.com says
This salad looks so yummy and beautiful! Summertime means 'saladtime!! A salad tastes so much better in summer then in winter. Don't you think? I have a recipe as well. very simple actually: advocade with crab and a little bit of cocktail sauce. You should try it!
Whole Food Bellies says
Defintely Bieke, I don't even bother with salads in winter (for the most part). Summer is a completely different story! Your salad sounds delicious - I LOVE fresh crab and we eat like 6 avocados a week in our house - so this would go down a treat! Thanks for sharing
Becky Winkler (A Calculated Whisk) says
There is so much colorful goodness in this beautiful salad! I bet it's a meal that would leave you energized, too, instead of sleepy like after heavier dishes 🙂
Whole Food Bellies says
Exactly Becky! There's nothing worse than a heavy meal on a hot day!
Domesticated Momster says
This salad looks delightful! I love salad in the summer for I hate to cook when it's so hot already. Your pictures are always so beautiful as well it's like I can almost take a bite of those veggies right from my desk. I will surely be linking up with you. I am going on a family vacay soon and will have lots to blog about. Thank you for once again sharing your recipe with us at #foodpornthursdays.
Whole Food Bellies says
Ooh enjoy the vacation, hope you get a chance to relax and unwind (haha, I know you have kids, that doesn't happen anymore). I feel like we haven't been away in ages! Oh and thanks for the photo comments - that is my aim, sometimes it works 🙂
Byron Thomas says
Everything about this makes me want to sit on my balcony with this salad and a glass of wine. Gorgeous!
Whole Food Bellies says
Ooh that sounds like a perfect evening Byron - I may have to copy you 🙂
Jen says
This looks perfect! So refreshing!
Whole Food Bellies says
Thanks Jen 🙂
Jenn says
The perfect summer salad! I love peaches in salad. This looks beautiful!
Whole Food Bellies says
Thanks Jenn! Yes I am totally obsessed with peaches (or any stonefruit) in my salads - they just add such a pop of flavour!
Tina Marie says
I am a salad girl, and this looks amazing!
Whole Food Bellies says
Thanks Tina 🙂
Blair @ The Seasoned Mom says
Gorgeous!!! I'm all about the salads right now...especially because our garden is on over-drive and I'm just trying to keep up. This looks absolutely delicious, and I think that I have almost all of the ingredients on hand. Dinner tonight?! Yummed! 🙂
Whole Food Bellies says
Oh I can't wait for the day when I have to try and keep up with my veggie garden 🙂 We have that at the moment with stone fruit on our trees - but my veggies...no so much 🙂 Enjoy your dinner!!
Lisa | Drop The Sugar says
I'm not a huge salad fan, but the salad looks really colorful and good! Believe it or not, I have NEVER tried radishes.. but I hear they are really good. So, I'm still 50/50 on trying them lol.
Whole Food Bellies says
I get you Lisa - I have never been one to order a salad at a restaurant - unless it comes as a side 🙂 At home though, I can live on salads, as they are usually beefed up to ensure they fill my hungry belly 🙂 You should definitely try radishes - they have a very subtle flavour, and are crispy and refreshing (esp straight from the fridge) so don't be scared 🙂
Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine says
Ahh, summer produce! This salad looks fantastic, and your photos make me want to be home in the States having a BBQ with my family. Been living in the tropics too long-- and it makes you not appreciate the warm weather. It's just not the same!
Whole Food Bellies says
Oh I can totally imagine!! Although I am jealous of you living in the tropics (especially if you are close to a beach 🙂 ) - fun!!
Cristie @ Little Big H says
Love this salad. I'm making it ASAP. Thanks
Whole Food Bellies says
🙂 Hope you enjoy Cristie!
mel@avirtualvegan.com says
You are so right when you say this salad screams summer! It looks so beautiful, fresh and light.I can't wait to try it sometime soon.
Whole Food Bellies says
Thanks Mel! I hope you give it a go 🙂
Karissa says
This looks so healthy and beautiful!
Whole Food Bellies says
Thanks Karissa 🙂
Amanda Cross says
This looks absolutely delicious, but then again your recipes never fail to look absolutely amazing. I love all the beautiful colors in this salad!
Whole Food Bellies says
Awww thanks Amanda, that brightened up my day 🙂
Lindsay says
I make a similar salad as well and it's so yummy! I like to add goat cheese too!
Whole Food Bellies says
Yum, goats cheese would be a great addition!! Its a great summer salad hey!