Mix-and-Match Sprouted Rainbow Salad for Kids
Ingredients
For the Mix-and-Match Sprouted Rainbow Salad:
- ½ cup red fruits or veggies (we used diced red bell pepper)
- ½ cup orange fruits or veggies (we used spiralized carrots)
- ½ cup yellow fruits or veggies (we used sliced peaches)
- ½ cup green fruits or veggies (we used sprouted green peas)
- ½ cup blue fruits or veggies (we used blueberries)
- ½ cup purple fruits or veggies (we used thinly shredded red cabbage)
- ½ – 1 cup plant-based protein , preferably sprouted (we used sprouted green lentils)
- ½ – 1 cup sprouted croutons (we made ours from Full Seed Ahead bread using our sprouted garlicky croutons recipe)
For the Simple Shake & Go Citrus Dressing:
- 2 – 3 Tbsp lemon, lime, or orange juice (zested first if squeezing fresh (1 tsp zest optional))
- 2 – 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp agave nectar (or maple syrup)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)
- To taste salt and pepper
For the Easy Blender Raspberry Dressing:
- 2 – 3 Tbsp rice vinegar (or raspberry vinegar if you have it (or lemon juice))
- 2 – 3 Tbsp olive oil
- ⅓ – ½ cup raspberries , fresh or thawed from frozen
- 1 tsp agave nectar (or maple syrup)
- To taste salt and pepper
Instructions
For the Mix-and-Match Sprouted Rainbow Salad:
- If you’re growing your own, start your sprouts 3 – 4 days ahead. (Or see Tip below).
- Prepare a batch of sprouted croutons (see Tip below). They're equally tasty made with Full Seed Ahead, The Big 16®,or your favourite Silver Hills Bakery sprouted whole grain bread!
- Wash, slice, chop, or spiralize your fruits and veggies from each colour of the rainbow. (If you have them, a set of small prep bowls are helpful). Measure your sprouted plant-based protein.
- Prepare the dressing of your choice. (See instructions for each below).
- Combine your rainbow of fruit, veggie, and sprouted plant-based protein ingredients, sprouted croutons, and dressing in a large bowl. Toss well to coat and serve. (Packing a picnic or taking to-go? See our Tip below for mason jar salad how-to instructions).
For the Simple Shake & Go Citrus Dressing:
- Measure all dressing ingredients into a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
- Shake until well-blended. Taste and adjust as desired (see our Tip below). Shake again immediately before pouring and dress your salad to taste. (Some people enjoy saucier salads than others—if you prefer yours lightly dressed, start with half the dressing, toss, taste, and add more as you like it).
For the Easy Blender Raspberry Dressing:
- Measure all dressing ingredients into a blender or small food processor. Blend until raspberries are puréed.
- Taste and adjust as desired (see our Tip below).
- Dress your salad to taste (see note above in Citrus Dressing instructions).
- Note: our Easy Blender Raspberry Dressing makes ½ cup. Store any unused dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Tips
- **Craft your croutons ahead.** A full 6-slice batch of Sprouted Garlicky Croutons makes far more than even the biggest crouton fan could need for one Mix-and-Match Sprouted Rainbow Salad. Don’t need that many? Halve the recipe. Or make a full batch and save the rest for later. They’ll keep in an airtight container or zip top bag for up to 2 weeks—or freeze them for 4 – 6 weeks if salads aren’t on your every-week menu.- **Do garlicky croutons go with a sweeter salad?** Our taste testers would give an enthusiastic thumbs-up “Yes!” Still not convinced? Just skip the garlic.- **Got a plain-bun, no-sauce kind of kid?** Let the salad ingredients speak for themselves. Serve the dressing on the side to give your kids even more control over the flavours in their bowl. - **Got a foods-can’t-touch, segmented plate fan?** Who says this salad needs to be tossed? Let your kid serve themselves a small-but-separate pile from each colour of the rainbow. If breaking the Unofficial Rules of Salad gets your kid to eat their fruits and veggies without making you a short order cook, go for it! (Who is anyone to judge?).- **Got 2 or more kids with their own opinions?** Skip the big bowl salad and let each create their own one-of-a-kind mix-and-match portion. Simply lay out the rainbow spread and invite them to scoop their selections into their bowls. - **Make ahead easy salad bar-style meals.** One sturdy Nantes carrot makes enough spiralized carrots for several salads. And sprouts scale up simply. Save time with some easy healthy meal prep and stretch this salad into a few speedy weeknight meals. Wash, slice, and prepare your fruits and veggies and store them in containers. Then lay them out salad bar-style so you and your kids can go on a different Mix-and-Match Sprouted Rainbow Salad adventure each night! (Most fruit and veggie ingredients will keep 5 – 7 days in the fridge. Dress any fruits that tend to brown (apples, peaches, pears) with a little lemon juice to keep them bright after slicing).- **Take it to-go for workday lunch or pretty, portable picnic.** To turn this recipe into a mason jar salad (and pack a couple days’ lunches in one go!), the trick is all in the layers. Pour the dressing on the bottom of the jar, then layer your rainbow of ingredients with the croutons on top. Although it’s tempting, don’t try to stuff as much into your jar as possible. Leave an inch or two of space at the top before you screw on the lid—that way when you shake your salad your ingredients and dressing will have room to mix and mingle.- **Want Mix-and-Match Sprouted Rainbow Salad tonight but didn’t have time for DIY sprouts?** That’s okay! Store-bought sprouts are a simple swap. If your produce section has them, we recommend a blend like EatMore Sprouts & Greens’ [mixed bean sprouts](https://eatmoresprouts.com/product/mixed-bean-sprouts/) (their mix includes sprouted red and green lentils, green peas, chickpeas, and adzuki beans—all the sprouts we listed above!—but use whatever is available to you locally).- **The perfect ratio of acid to oil in simple vinaigrette-style salad dressings is very much a matter of personal taste.** Because these two dressings are fruit-forward—and intended for salad ingredients on the sweeter, kid-friendly side, we’ve used a roughly 1-to-1 ratio, which would be on the zingier side if you were using an assertive vinegar like apple cider, malt, or balsamic. Adjust your ratio of acid to oil based on the rainbow of ingredients you’ve chosen for your salad and the diners at your table.- **When it comes to citrus, supremes are just a fancy way of saying “segments cut from between the tough/bitter membranes”** (usually of large navel oranges or grapefruit). To make them, cut the top and bottom off your orange. Slice the peel and white pith away from the orange, then cut between the white membranes to free the juicy segments. (Do this over a bowl to catch the juice as you cut!) After you’ve removed all the segments, give what’s left a good squeeze over the bowl so you don’t waste a drop of delicious juice! Add it to your dressing (or pour a tiny glass for your little one).