Rainbow salad with kid-friendly Thai dressing [refined sugar free]

Another rainbow salad, you ask? Well, why not I say. The more bright and beautiful colours in my food, the happier I am. And this one, my friends, is a beauty. Chopped and not shredded like my other rainbow salad but just as delicious.
Lately my 5 year olds have been on a bit of a salad kick and they love this salad. My son does not like red cabbage so we usually sub in some more green beans or cucumber, but otherwise they both have been loving this on repeat. I never thought this day would come – I am super stoked.
What ingredients make up this rainbow salad?
It’s really up to you what you want to use but this is what we like, just because all the ingredients are super nutritious and look really gorgeous mixed together – like a true rainbow:
Red (purple) cabbage
Delicious and crunchy, this beautiful looking vegetable is also nutrient dense. Did you know that it belongs into the same family as kale, brussels sprouts and broccoli? Red cabbage contains beneficial plant compounds that have been linked to health benefits, such as stronger bones and a healthier heart, and is also thought to lower inflammation and protect against certain types of cancers. It contains a bunch of vitamins and minerals, including Vitamins C, K, B6 and A, potassium, thiamine, riboflavin, as well as small amounts of iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper and zinc.
Green beans
The humble green bean is actually very good for you – green beans are a good source of vitamin C, dietary fiber, folate, vitamin K and silicon (needed for healthy bones, skin, and hair) plus they are low in calories, fat and sugar – one cup of raw green beans has just 31 calories, virtually no fat, and only 3.6 g of sugar. Green beans are a low FODMAP food and can be enjoyed by many people who have chronic digestive issues.

Yellow capsicum
I’ve only picked yellow as it fits nicely into the rainbow colour scheme but any colour capsicum is fine (obviously) – although as Nigella says, green capsicum is not ripe capsicum, so there’s that. Generally speaking, capsicums are an excellent source of vitamin A and C (green capsicum don’t contain as much). They are also a good source of dietary fibre, vitamin E, B6 and folate.
Watermelon
I like fruit in my salads. Watermelon is wonderful, as it lends gorgeous flavour, colour and juiciness to any salad, and its flavour, though delightful, is not overpowering so it pairs well with most veggies. Watermelon is also a surprisingly healthy fruit – it is low calorie, has a high water content and also delivers many other important nutrients, including lycopene and vitamin C.
Cashews
I love to top this super colourful salad with a handful of cashews. Did you know that cashews are absolutely wonderful for your health? They are one of the lowest-fiber, highest carbohydrate nuts and are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, including Vitamins E, K, and B6, along with minerals like copper, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, iron and selenium, all of which are very important for a variety of bodily functions.
Source: Healthline, Almanac.com and Better Health Channel
Thai dressing
And finally, the crowning glory, the dressing! I have mainly gone for salty (tamari sauce and fish sauce), sour (lime juice) and sweet (maple syrup) here – with very little spiciness from the garlic, and therefore this salad dressing is suitable for kids. I’ll admit that your kids might need to be a little adventurous as the tamari and fish sauce give the dressing a nice zing of flavour, but my kindergarteners love it. Also, no sugar is necessary – woot!
I have also added some olive oil to the dressing because research shows that adding healthy fats such as olive oil (and nuts, like cashews here) helps increase absorption of vitamins and nutrients, especially Vitamins A, D, E, and K which are fat soluble. Plus it’s delicious!

This salad is super versatile
Of course, if you or your little one(s) don’t particularly like one of these ingredients, leave them out. On the other hand, feel free to put other fruit and veg in. We’ve had this salad with other ingredients such as baby spinach leaves, mango, cherry tomatoes, snap sugar peas, edamame, green and red capsicum, strawberries, cherries, apples, pears and cucumber – so you see, just put in whatever appeals or whatever you have in your fridge.
Chop all your veggies into smaller than bite sized pieces, especially if you’re sharing with children. That way, if the pieces are smaller, it’s also easier to put more than one piece of fruit or veg on your fork at the same time, therefore creating a unique taste sensation in your mouth every time you have a bite.
Recipe
Rainbow salad with kid-friendly Thai dressing [refined sugar free]
Ingredients
Rainbow salad
- red cabbage (about 1/4 a small head)
- green beans (about 1-2 handfuls)
- yellow capsicum (about half a large one)
- watermelon (about 2 slices from a quarter, chopped)
- cashews (about two handfuls)
Thai dressing
- 1.5 tbsp tamari or gluten free soy sauce
- squirt of garlic paste (or 1 garlic clove, crushed)
- scant 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1/2 – 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Chop all the salad ingredients into smaller than bite sized chunks. Separate into two bowls.
- Place all the dressing ingredients in a small glass jar with a lid. With the lid tightly fastened, shake the dressing vigorously until combined.
- Pour half of salad dressing into each bowl. Serve!
Notes


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60 Comments
Tasia ~ two sugar bugs
This is such a gorgeous salad and it is filled with veggies that my girls love too! Definitely adding this to my list for summer salads!
Katerina
Thanks so much, Tasia! We have this salad on repeat here, summer or winter!
Happy Haute Home
Wow just the colors in this salad make me want to jump right in, not to mention it has a bunch of my favorite ingredients
Katerina
Thank you, I’m so glad you like it!
Karen (Back Road Journal)
Love your colorful salad…it is a combination I wouldn’t have thought of so thank you!
Katerina
Thanks so much, Karen!
Ashley
So colorful! The addition of watermelon is especially yummy!
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Katerina
Thanks so much, Ashley!
Lenore | The Nitty Gritty Travel OT
This salad looks absolutely delicious! I’m trying to incorporate more fruits and veggies into my diet, so I’ll be giving this one a try.
Katerina
Thanks so much, Lenore – I hope you enjoy it!
Jill
This salad is so colorful and pretty! The mix of fruits and nuts sounds delicious!
Jill – Doused in Pink
Katerina
I’m so glad you think so – thank you Jill!
Leanne
So lovely and colourful! This would be a beautiful side salad for a summer BBQ, and I love the added crunch from the cashews. Definitely trying that thai dressing too!
Katerina
Thanks so much, Leanne!
Honeycombee
yum this looks amazing! I love that you added some fruit, it makes it that much more refreshing for the summer
http://honeycombee.com/
Katerina
Absolutely, though it’s really lovely in winter too!
Sophie Wentworth
This looks so delicious. I love adding both nuts and fruit to my salads so this sounds perfect for me x
Sophie
Katerina
Thanks Sophie, same here!
priya
Perfect summer recipe. very refreshing. On some days, you just need a simple, easy, fuss free and refreshing recipes. This one is just perfect.
Katerina
Totally agree, Priya! Thanks so much.
Natalia
Great recipe!!! Thanks for sharing! I love to have healthy options 🙂
Katerina
Thanks so much, Natalia!
Anika
Amazing idea, I absolutely love when a salad has some colour to it. Always looks way more appetising!
Anika | chaptersofmay.com
Katerina
Couldn’t agree more! Thanks Anika!
Healthy World Cuisine
Such a bright and fun salad, Katerina. We love salads that have fun textures and with the crunch of the cashews to the watermelon and crunchy green beans, you have it all going on. Great zippy Thai dressing too. Take Care
Katerina
Thanks very much! Totally agree about the textures – the crunchier the better!
sherry
i love a colourful salad like this. you can feel it doing you good just looking at it. healthy and delish!
Katerina
Thanks so much, Sherry – couldn’t agree more!
Laura Bambrick
This is STUNNING! I love the bright colors! We’ve been trying to step up our salads at dinner lately so I need to try this! The dressing sounds especially delicious!
Katerina
Thanks so much, Laura! We love a good colourful salad over here!
jodie filogomo
I would never think to add watermelon to my salad like this but how perfect. You always come up with such great combinations Katerina.
XOOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Katerina
Thank you Jodie, much appreciated! Once you try fruit in your salad, you can’t go back!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
What a gorgeous salad… and that homemade dressing looks just incredible!!
Katerina
Thank you very much, Heidi!
CoCo
So many of my favorite veggies are in this salad, Katerina! I’m super excited to try this especially with the watermelon and baby spinach. Can’t wait to try your thai dressing too – I know it’s going to be amazing. Thank for the recipe, CoCo
Katerina
Thank you so much, CoCo, much appreciated!
Amy Aed
This salad looks absolutely gorgeous, those colours are stunning!
Katerina
Thank you very much, Amy!
Molly Pisula
This salad looks so pretty and yummy! And yes to that Thai dressing! I’m saving this one for me though because my kids are terrible with eating salads with everything mixed together. (Still in the picky phase at over 10 years old! 🙄)
Katerina
Thanks so much, Molly, I hope you enjoy it!
Dom and Jo
Oh my! There’s something amazing when you look at your bowl or dish of food and just appreciate the fact that it has so many colors in it. We’re still planning on making the cheesecake you posted the other day but this may have to come first! =) Looks so yummy!
Katerina
Thanks so much, Dom and Jo, I couldn’t agree more!
David @ Spiced
What a beautiful salad, Katerina! You have totally inspired me to mix up our salad routine. We love watermelon, but I don’t think I’ve ever included it in a salad like this. And the Thai dressing really pulls it all together. So cool that you and the kids all love this salad! I can’t see Robbie being adventurous enough to try this one. Maybe in another year when he’s 5! 🙂
Katerina
Thanks so much, David! Another year make a huge difference – it certainly did for us!
Gabrielle Prosser
Oh wow the finished result looks SO appetising! What a fun (and colourful) way of jazzing up a salad! 🙂
aglassofice.com x
Katerina
I’m so glad you think so, thank you, Gabrielle!
Alex
Colourful food is so appealing – and this salad is just lovely! I love Thai flavours, too!
Katerina
Thanks so much, Alex! What can I say, colourful food makes me happy!
Letscurry
Katerina
Your salad is screamingly delicious looking. The colours are looking so happy and vibrant plus with Thai dressing is a added bonus. Love it!
Katerina
Thank you so much, appreciated!
Juliana
This salad looks so pretty and super tasty with your Thai dressing…and I am loving the idea of watermelon in it…I always love fruits in salad. Have a wonderful week and stay sate Katerina!
Katerina
Thank you so much for your kind comment, Juliana! Have a lovely week.
Never Ending Journeys
This salad looks so full of flavorful, and that Thai dressing sounds so amazing!
Katerina
Thank you so much!
Allie Mackin
Oh this looks so tasty and it is so pretty! I think the colors and the addition of the nuts as long as the child is not allergic makes it really fun for kids.
Allie of
http://www.allienyc.com
Katerina
I couldn’t agree more, thanks Allie!
Kathrine Eldridge
This is the prettiest salad I have ever seen! That Thai dressing sounds delicious!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Katerina
Thanks so much, Kathrine!
Simone
Your salad looks very refreshing! My kids don’t like red cabbage either, we just add some additional green veggies or corn. All these ingredients have so many benefits and keep us healthy.
xx Simone
Little Glittery Box
Katerina
Thanks very much, Simone! My daughter, on the other hand, is obsessed with red cabbage! But I guess as long as they’re both happy to eat a variety of veggies, I’m happy!