Rainbow Salad with Homemade Parmesan Vinaigrette

Welcome to the July 12th edition of Sunday Scratchups, your weekly recipe from scratch around grocery store sales and affordable ingredients. This week: Rainbow Salad with Homemade Parmesan Vinaigrette, yum.

We’re now deep in the throes of cheap summer produce deals, so shop your own local produce stores or farmers markets for great deals, and put together your own rainbow salad with whatever veggies happen to be on sale by you — or that you happen to love! 🙂

I’ve recently started making my own salad dressing to avoid the added sugar, corn syrup, and random additives that you tend to find in store-bought. This Parmesan vinaigrette is super easy to throw together, but you can vary your own dressing up however you want: Two parts olive oil to one part vinegar (red wine or balsamic work great), plus salt, pepper, a little lemon juice, and herbs of your choice. The optional mustard acts as an emulsifier to keep the oil and vinegar from separating up on you, plus adds a little pop of extra flavor.

Oh, and check out my cute little dressing container — just $.99 at Goodwill! If you don’t have one, just use a mason jar or whatever other container you have on hand. Your homemade Parmesan vinaigrette will keep tightly covered in the fridge for up to a week.

And seriously — just how darn pretty is this DIY rainbow salad tray!?

Rainbow Salad with Homemade Parmesan Vinaigrette

Ingredients

– for the vinaigrette

2 Tbsp fresh chopped oregano
1 Tbsp fresh chopped basil
2 garlic cloves
juice of 1/2 a small lemon
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
1 Tbsp coarse ground mustard
sea salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup olive oil

– for the salad

One crunchy bagged salad (I used Italian mix)
half a bunch fresh spinach
“Rainbow” toppings of choice. Pictured here (in order): Cherry tomatoes, sweet red pepper, carrots, shredded cheddar, yellow Campari tomatoes, cooked corn off the cob, cauliflower, feta, chicken strips, cucumber, avocado, green onion, blue corn chips, black beans

Directions

To make your vinaigrette

Add all ingredients except olive oil to your food processor and blend. Scrape down sides, then pour in olive oil slowly with food processor running until just blended. Store tightly covered in fridge up to one week. (If it doesn’t pour well for you right out of the fridge, just take out and leave on the counter to warm up slightly, about 1/2 an hour before you’re planning to serve.)

• Update: Because a couple people have asked about the scissors pictured above, make it easier on yourself to cut fresh herbs with culinary herb scissors — I love mine!

To make your salad

Arrange toppings in rainbow order on large tray. (ROYGBIV!) Serve with a large bowl of salad and let everyone create their own mix.

You’ve never seen kids eat so many vegetables…

I kid you not — the entire tray was picked clean. Rainbow Salad with Homemade Parmesan Vinaigrette is naturally gluten free, and optionally also dairy free if you leave out the cheese in your toppings and vinaigrette. (Leave out the chicken strips for an entirely vegetarian version, or vary up the toppings according to your own family’s preferences, sale/seasonal produce, and dietary needs.)

Rainbow Salad with Homemade Parmesan Vinaigrette, printable recipe

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Rainbow Salad with Homemade Parmesan Vinaigrette

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This easy rainbow salad with homemade Parmesan vinaigrette is an easy summer family dinner that everyone can customize to their own preferences!

Course dinner

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rachel Singer

Ingredients

for the vinaigrette

• 2 Tbsp fresh chopped oregano
• 1 Tbsp fresh chopped basil
• 2 garlic cloves
• juice of 1/2 a small lemon
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
• 1 Tbsp coarse ground mustard
• sea salt to taste
• fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup olive oil

for the salad

• One crunchy bagged salad I used Italian mix
• half a bunch fresh spinach
• "Rainbow" toppings of choice. Pictured here in order: Cherry tomatoes, sweet red pepper, carrots, shredded cheddar, yellow Campari tomatoes, cooked corn off the cob, cauliflower, feta, chicken strips, cucumber, avocado, green onion, blue corn chips, black beans

Instructions

To make your vinaigrette

• Add all ingredients except olive oil to your food processor and blend.
• Scrape down sides, then pour in olive oil slowly with food processor running until just blended.
• Store tightly covered in fridge up to one week. (If it doesn't pour well for you right out of the fridge, just take out and leave on the counter to warm up slightly, about 1/2 an hour before you're planning to serve.)

To make your salad

• Arrange toppings in rainbow order on large tray. (ROYGBIV!)
• Serve with a large bowl of salad and let everyone create their own mix.