Rainbow Crunch Salad with Almond Butter Dressing (Paleo, Whole30)

a big white bowl full of peppers, carrots, cucumbers, dried apricots, fresh herbs and sliced almonds next to a mason jar with an almond butter dressing

5 from 2 votes

Rainbow Crunch Salad with Almond Butter Dressing (Paleo, Whole30)

Packed with color, flavor and texture, this Rainbow Crunch Salad with Almond Butter Dressing is a vibrant bowl of goodness! Crunchy vegetables, fresh herbs and dried fruit are coated in a thick, creamy dressing. Plus it's naturally vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo and Whole30 friendly!

Prep Time15

Cook Time8

Total Time23

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 225kcal

Author: Don Baiocchi

Ingredients

For the dressing:

½ cup creamy almond butter
6 tablespoons lime juice (from about 5-6 limes), plus the zest of 1 lime
6 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger (from approx. 4" ginger root)
1 teaspoon sesame oil (toasted or plain)
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:

½ cup sliced almonds
4 large carrots
4 scallions
1 large red bell pepper
1 large yellow bell pepper
1 English cucumber
1 cup loosely packed fresh herbs such as cilantro, parsley, basil or mint
½ cup dried apricots
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

Make the dressing:

Mix all the ingredients together until you get a thick, creamy dressing. You can do this either by whisking them in a medium mixing bowl or adding them all to a mason jar, screwing on the lid and shaking it vigorously. Give it a taste. The flavors might be very strong but that's because they'll get diluted once they're spread out over a salad. If you don't taste much, whisk in a bit more salt or any of the flavors you think it's missing. Set aside.

Make the salad:

If the sliced almonds aren't already toasted, add them to a cold, dry skillet. Place over medium heat and let cook, stirring or tossing occasionally, until they become golden brown and smell like popcorn, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the almonds to a large mixing bowl.
Peel and trim the carrots, then slice into thin coins. If parts of the carrots are very narrow, cut them into 1" chunks until you get to the part of the carrot wide enough to slice into coins. Add to the bowl.
Trim the ends off the scallions and discard any wilted parts. Thinly slice the scallions and add to the bowl.
De-seed the peppers and cut them into long strips, then cut those strips in half crosswise. Add to the bowl.
Trim the ends off the cucumber, cut in half lengthwise then cut into thin half-moons. Add to the bowl.
Roughly chop the herbs. Halve or quarter the dried apricots, depending on their size and... you guessed it!...add to the bowl.
Toss the vegetables with the ¾ teaspoon sea salt, then dollop on most of the dressing and toss until everything is evenly coated. If necessary, add the rest of the dressing and toss again. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately.

Notes

Make ahead and storage

The dressing can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge.

The peppers and carrots can be sliced and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.

The almonds can be toasted and kept in the fridge for up to a month.

The cucumber, herbs and dried apricots should all be prepped right before serving.

Do not assemble the salad ahead of time or it will get watery and soggy. It is best eaten immediately.

Substitutions and variations

You can use any nut or seed butter: peanut butter, sunbutter, tahini, etc.
You can use lemon zest/juice or orange zest/juice in place of the lime.
No fresh citrus? Use the same amount of unseasoned rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
If you want to make the salad nut-free: use sunbutter or tahini in the dressing and swap out the almonds for pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or toasted sesame seeds.
If you want a spicy almond butter dressing, add red pepper flakes.
Feel free to play around with the vegetables. If you want even more color, add 1/4-1/2 head of purple cabbage, thinly sliced. Don't like carrots? Leave them out and add one orange bell pepper instead. Don't like bell peppers? Try halved cherry tomatoes and sliced summer squash instead. Want to leave out the cucumber? Use roughly chopped sugar snap peas in its place.
Make it a full meal by adding chicken, pork or shrimp.

Nutrition