This rainbow vegetable slaw salad incorporates carrots, beets, zucchini and strawberries for a flavorful and nutrition packed salad, perfect for your next party or picnic.

This rainbow vegetable slaw salad incorporates carrots, beets, zucchini and strawberries for a flavorful and nutrition packed salad, perfect for your next party or picnic

Do you ever wake up inspired to cook? That was me this morning!

It could be because yesterday I trimmed all of the vegetables plants I have growing outside. My cilantro and basil smell so good, and my tomato plants are absolutely crushing it! All the fresh produce had me craving the flavors of summer.

I opened my refrigerator to see what I had. A ton of carrots! And, my CSA box came with red beets that I hadn’t used yet. I also had two perfectly ripe zucchini that were given to me by my neighbor.  These three vegetables could be combined to make something very colorful, and nutritious. I was inspired to create something different, that would bring all of those flavors together.  I decided to try a slaw salad. This is your traditional slaw recipe, though. This one is very different, and highly nutritious.

I began cleaning and slicing the vegetables. I knew what type of dressing I’d use, but it still needed something sweet. The only fruit I had was strawberries, so they would have to work. And, to be honest, they were perfect!

This colorful blend of beets, carrots and zucchini, mixed with the sweetness of the strawberries, creates a combination of produce that screams summertime. I also added pistachios for some crunch, and some red pepper flakes to balance the flavors. The heat from the pepper combined with the tangy vinaigrette dressing is so good!

This rainbow vegetable slaw salad incorporates carrots, beets, zucchini and strawberries for a flavorful and nutrition packed salad, perfect for your next party or picnic

How To Make Rainbow Vegetable Slaw Salad

This salad incorporates three different vegetable – beets, carrots and zucchini. The beets will need to be cooked prior to assembling the salad, so make those first. Start by running them under cool water, peeling them,  then use a julienne slicer to slice. Put the sliced beets in a microwave safe dish with ~2 tbsp. of water and cook until soft but firm, ~20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Let cool.

While the beets are cooking, clean and slice the carrots and zucchini, also with the julienne slicer. If you hate slicing vegetables, or just want to save time, you can buy the carrots and zucchini already sliced. Once julienned,  place in a bowl and set aside.

Slice ~ 3 tablespoons of green onions and chop the strawberries, then add both to the bowl of vegetables. Add the crushed pistachios and red pepper flakes. If you purchased whole pistachios, put then in a plastic bag and use a utensil to crush them first.

The beets should be chilled prior to adding to them with the rest of the salad ingredients. I tend to be inpatient, so I usually put them in the freezer for a few minutes so that they cool faster.

Once they are ready, toss the ingredients together and set aside.

To make the dressing, mix the oil, apple cider vinegar, sugar and salt together. Mix well, then pour over the salad. Transfer to the refrigerator and let marinade for ~2 hours before serving.

This summer vegetable slaw makes a great alternative to a traditional carrot salad or other slaw you would traditionally find at a picnic. Or, pair it with 3-4 ounces of a lean protein to make a balanced meal.

Rainbow Vegetable Slaw Salad

Author: Heather Mangieri, RDN

Ingredients

  • 3 Large Carrots, Julienned with Peeler to make ~1 1/4 cup
  • 3 Medium Beets, Julienned with Peeler to make ~1 cup
  • 1 Large Zucchini, Julienned with Peeler to make ~1 ½ cups
  • 1 cup Strawberries Chopped
  • 3 Green Onions (sliced)
  • 1/4 cup Roasted Pistachios (crushed)
  • 1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper (dry)
  • 1 tsbp Oil Dressing
  • 3 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing
  • 1 tbsp Sugar Dressing
  • 1/8 tsp Salt Dressing

Instructions

  • Peel the beets and use a julienne slicer to slice. Transfer to a microwave safe dish with 2 tbsp. of water and cook until soft but firm, ~20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Let cool.
    Slice the green onion (~3 tbsp) and chop the strawberries. If using whole pistachios, put then in a plastic bag and use a utensil to crush.
    Add the julienne carrots, zucchini and beets together in a bowl. Add the green onion, strawberries, red pepper flakes and crushed pistachios. Mix. Set aside.
    To make the dressing, mix the oil, apple cider vinegar, sugar and salt together. Mix well. Pour over the salad.
    Transfer to the refrigerator and let marinade for ~2 hours before serving.
    Makes 6, 1-cup servings.

Notes

  • Recipe Makes: 6 cups
  • Serving Size: 1 cup
  • Servings Per Recipe: 6
 
  • Nutrition Facts (per servings): 110 calories, 15 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 3 g protein, 5 g fat, 0 g saturated fat,0 mg cholesterol, 120 mg sodium, 6% DV iron, 6% DV potassium, 2% DV calcium
  • Meal Planning Servings: 1 CHO; 1 FAT; 0 PRO

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?  Tag @heathermangieri  on Instagram and hashtag it #HeatherMangieriNutrition to all recipes. Or, Pin it on Pinterest for later!

 

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