Food tastes better in the sunshine. This, my friends, is…
Eat-the-Rainbow Salad (Paleo, AIP)
Tasty, nutrient-dense food excites me. I get effusive over recipes like today’s Eat-The-Rainbow Salad, which is colourful and delicious and healthy. This recipe also makes a fairly large amount so is perfect for either entertaining or having on hand as an easy ready-to-go veggie dish that will carry you through a few meals.
But I’m not sure creating this scrumptious salad would have happened without my cousin Justin who is the inspiration behind today’s recipe. Bear with me while I gush a bit.
He’s a most fabulous guy. Some qualities that I especially love about him are his wicked sense of humor, his ability to gain perspective on some of the most difficult situations, his simultaneous no-nonsense and light-hearted approach to the people he meets, and his advocacy for individuals who are victimized and vulnerable.
I also love that he’s gay because he wouldn’t be precisely the person he is today if he weren’t.
Does being gay define him? Sure, in some ways it does, as anyone’s sexuality is wont to do. But in other ways it doesn’t. As I mentioned before, Justin carries with him a whole array of attributes. To name some of these: he’s funny, intelligent, interesting, perceptive, compassionate, curious, helpful, tall, dark-haired, and, yep, gay. He’s the kind of human being I’m happy to know and proud to call my family. And on that note…
…it’s Pride season! In fact, just recently Toronto celebrated World Pride. So last week, recalling my pretty-epic-if-I-do-say-so-myself-albeit-pre-paleo Pride cake, Justin made a rainbow-recipe request of me. That request gave me the impetus to create this Eat-The-Rainbow Salad.
This is a salad that chills exceptionally well. Plus, the flavour gets even better after a day or two of marinating in the fridge, not to mention it was inspired by one of my nearest and dearest, which makes it extra special.
So, here you go, Justin! This one’s for you and for all the rest of us who embrace the whole spectrum of what real food — and life in general — has to offer.
Eat-the-Rainbow Salad (Paleo, AIP)
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Martine Partridge
Recipe type: Side Dish
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 4 c cauliflower, chopped into large florets
- ½ c radish, chopped
- ½ c carrot, chopped
- ½ c celery, chopped
- ½ c red cabbage, chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped
- Dressing:
- ¼ c avo oil
- 1 tbsp ume plum vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp salt*
- 1 tsp dried oregano
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place washed cauliflower florets on parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 10-15 minutes.
- While cauliflower is roasting, prepare the dressing. I like to add all the dressing ingredients in a small mason jar and shake vigorously to combine.
- Remove cauliflower from oven and put in a food processor. Pulse a few times until texture is coarse but not fine.
- Mix cauliflower, radish, carrot, celery, red cabbage, green onion, and dressing in a bowl. Stir thoroughly. Best chilled before dishing up!
- *You may want to start by eliminating the salt and then salting to taste since the ume plum vinegar is quite salty to begin with.
