This colorful salad was born from a much-needed crisper clean-out. In summer I often buy more fresh produce than planned, and before a trip I wanted to use everything up quickly. Salads are perfect for that—fast to assemble, flexible, and endlessly satisfying when you have a good vinaigrette on hand.
Some people think salads aren’t filling enough for dinner, but we often eat them as main courses. They encourage slower eating, which helps you recognize when you’re satisfied, and they’re easy to boost with protein. This version includes black beans and avocado, and it’s also great with cooked quinoa for extra heartiness. Most importantly, it’s packed with colorful vegetables—eat the rainbow!
If you have other vegetables that need using, add them to the mix. Make extra vinaigrette to dress salads all week. It stores well and keeps your meals fresh and flavorful.
- 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups chopped tomatoes (about 1 pint halved cherry tomatoes or 4–5 chopped Roma tomatoes)
- 2 avocados, cubed
- 1/2 head red cabbage, thinly sliced
- 2 carrots, peeled and julienned
- 1 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, and diced
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 3 ears fresh corn, kernels removed
- 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Juice of 1 small lemon
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- In a small bowl, whisk together the white wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic powder, and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- In a large bowl, combine all vegetables except the avocado.
- Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss to coat evenly.
- Top with the avocado just before serving. If you won’t serve immediately, keep the vinaigrette separate and dress the salad right before eating to preserve texture.