About this recipe
This crunchy rainbow salad is everything—fresh, crisp, colorful, and drizzled with the most addictive cashew Sriracha dressing. It’s a salad that’s fun to eat, packed with texture, flavor, and nourishing ingredients. Think crisp lettuce, ribbons of carrot, juicy mango, creamy avocado, and a spicy-creamy dressing you’ll want to drizzle on everything.
Why you’ll love this crunchy salad
- It’s super satisfying thanks to the mix of textures and flavors.
- Customizable! Swap veggies, greens, or herbs with what you have at home.
- Vegan, gluten-free, and meal-prep friendly.
- It’s the kind of salad that even non-salad lovers will crave.
Ingredient notes
- Little gem or romaine lettuce
- Red cabbage
- Carrots: Slice into ribbons, matchsticks, or rounds—whatever’s fun.
- Mango: Choose a ripe but firm mango so it holds its shape.
- Avocado
- Fresh herbs
- Toasted cashews or spicy almonds.
How to make a crunchy salad?
- Prep the veggies: Wash and dry your lettuce really well (see pro tips below). Slice the cabbage, prep the carrots, and dice the mango and avocado.
- Make the dressing: Blend all dressing ingredients until smooth. Taste and adjust salt or Sriracha to your liking.
- Toss the base: In a large bowl, add your lettuce, cabbage, and carrots. Pour in some dressing and toss well with tongs until everything is lightly coated.
- Plate and top: Transfer to a wide plate or platter (makes for a beautiful presentation), then layer on mango, avocado, herbs, and toasted cashews.
- Serve immediately: Or keep the base and toppings separate and assemble just before eating.
What is the best way to wash lettuce?
Remove the outer leaves: The outer leaves of lettuce are usually the most exposed to soil, insects, and pesticides, so it is best to remove them.
Disassemble the lettuce: Remove the leaves individually if it is a head of lettuce. If it is romaine or iceberg lettuce, you can cut it in half or in quarters and then separate the leaves.
Rinse under cold water: Place the lettuce leaves under cold running water. Move the leaves around to ensure the water reaches all areas, especially folds and crevices.
Soak in a bowl of water: After rinsing, fill a large bowl with cold water and add a drop or two of vegetable cleaner—I use Dr. Bronners—and place the leaves in the water. Move the leaves around with your hands to help loosen any residue. Let the leaves soak for a few minutes and rinse again.
Dry lettuce: Use a salad spinner if you have one. If not, place the lettuce leaves on paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and air dry them. To speed up the drying process, shake off excess water before doing this.
Home cook to home cook tips
- Meal prep tip:Chop all veggies and store in containers. Blend the dressing ahead of time and store it in a jar. Assemble when ready to eat.
- Want protein? Add crispy tofu, roasted chickpeas, tempeh, edamame, or grilled plant-based “chicken.”
- Too spicy? Cut back on the Sriracha or balance with more lime juice and sweetener.
Frequently asked questions about crunchy salad
Crunchy salad
Equipment
- Salad bowl
Ingredients
- 4 cups salad greens of your choice we like romaine lettuce and Little Gem lettuce mixes
- 2 cups thinly sliced purple cabbage
- 1 cup julienned carrots shredded or thinly sliced
- 1 mango peeled and cut in julienne or thin slices
- 1 avocado cut in half and sliced
- ½ cup mixed fresh herbs a mix of mint, cilantro and basil
- ½ cup roasted cashews chopped
- Spicy cashew dressing
Instructions
- First the vegetables must be prepared.
- Wash the lettuce, cut the cabbage, prepare the carrot as you like.
- Then you have to prepare the cashews dressing, it is very easy, just put the ingredients in the blender and leave it until it is creamy and perfect.
- Put the vegetables in a bowl and season them very well, I like to use tongs to make sure all the vegetables are well covered.
- When they are ready, transfer them to an extended plate.
- Transferring them to an extended plate is not 100% necessary, I do it because I believe that presentation is always important and this salad looks more appetizing on an extended plate.
- Finish the salad with fresh herbs, mango slices, avocado and toasted walnuts and cashews.
information
Nutritional information of this recipe is only an estimate, the accuracy for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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