Spicy Rainbow Salad.
[Hi! I’m partnering with Sutter Home today to bring you a spicy recipe to serve with their Riesling! Thanks so much to Sutter Home for sponsoring this post!]
HELLO. Who doesn’t want to eat the rainbow?
When we’re told to eat the rainbow, this is exactly what I envision. Rainbow salad like whoa. All of these gorgeous colors, so much crunch. It’s how a salad SHOULD look. A combination of bright and refreshing fruit and veggies with crunchy, spicy lime dressing and loads of fresh herbs.
How could anyone say no to this beauty?
Here’s the deal. This salad is a take on one of the best salads here in Pittsburgh, the Caribbean rainbow salad from Kaya. If you haven’t had that salad yet? RUN. Run and get it today. It is SO delicious and fresh and satisfying. And that’s coming from someone who isn’t a salad lover. As one of the most talked about salads in the city, I knew that I had to try to recreate it at home.
And something super exciting? Today, I’m partnering with Sutter Home to bring you a spicy recipe that pairs amazingly well with their Riesling. I am a huuuuge Riesling lover. It’s one of the only exceptions that I make when it comes to sweet wine.
Sutter Home’s Riesling is light and almost tropical-like. It’s delicious when served ice cold; incredibly refreshing is the first thing that comes to mind. I can taste some slight peach and watermelon so obviously it’s what I want to drink right now in the heat. It’s like it was made for me. And those fruits shine through and pair with the papaya and mango and bountiful veggies in this bowl and it’s like the best flavor explosion you’ve ever tried. So much produce and such a stunner! I just knew that it would be ideal with this salad.
While I love the sweetness, what I REALLY freak over is how well this Riesling pairs with something spicy. The spicy lime dressing on this rainbow salad is unreal. It is tangy and lime-y with a bite from the diced jalapeño. It’s not overwhelming, but it’s juuuust spicy enough to meet the Riesling in the middle for what I consider an fantastic pairing. The fresh jalapeño slices also add something wonderful – and you could use pickled ones too. Even candied ones if you want more of the spicy + sweet.
Back to our rainbow bowl…
This vibrant salad includes papaya and mango, which I am ALL over. I adore fruit in salads – that’s no secret. It makes the veggie-hater in me enjoy a green plate just a leeeettle bit more. We also have fresh bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and shredded carrots.
I quickly caramelized some plantains in a skillet (it’s the only real cooking we do here, unless you make the crispy shallots!) and we also have chickpeas on the side. These make the salad super filling and satisfying – a necessity for us in this house.
A sliced avocado on top for creaminess. Can’t have a salad in 2018 without avo! Pickled onions too and not only because they are pink. Well, maybe. But their brine-y flavors adds a whole other element.
There are tons of fresh herbs and that might be my favorite part. Combined they add more wonderful fresh flavor.
A giant sprinkle of sesame seeds for even more unexpected taste. Roasted and salted pepitas too! I know… this is a dream pile of greens right? All the things in one bowl.
For the topping? Here, I crisped up some shallots which add a fantastic texture and pair perfectly with the spice. But if it’s a sweltering day and you can’t bear to do that? Add on some crunchy, dried plantains for the crisp bite. It’s just as delish.
If it seems like everything in your fridge is inside this bowl, it’s because it is. This recipe can serve two as a meal, four as a side – or if it’s at a big party with lots of other dishes? You can stretch it even more. It’s gigantic rainbow-ness entices everyone, trust me.
Oh oh! And the entire thing is drizzle with the spicy lime dressing. And served with a chilled glass of the Sutter Home Riesling. Can’t get enough of, ice cold.
Seriously, I think we have found our meal for summer.
Spicy Rainbow Salad
Ingredients
- 1 plantain
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cups butter lettuce greens or baby spinach
- 1 cup sliced papaya
- ½ cup grape tomatoes sliced
- ½ cup chickpeas
- ¼ cup chopped red pepper
- ¼ cup chopped green pepper
- ¼ cup chopped cucumber
- ¼ cup shredded carrot
- ¼ cup chopped mango
- ¼ cup pickled onion
- 2 tablespoons roasted + salted pepitas
- 1 avocado thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons sliced jalapeno pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- lime wedges for serving
- crispy onions or plantain chips for topping
- 1 bottle Sutter Home Riesling to pair
spicy lime dressing
- 2 limes juiced
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
- 1 teaspoon honey
- pinch of salt and pepper
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- The only thing to cook here is the plantain! Peel the plantain and chop it into chunks. Heat the skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Add the plantain and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until it becomes golden brown. Remove it from the heat.
- Place the lettuce in the center of your plate. Build the rainbow salad around the lettuce, adding the papaya, tomatoes, chickpeas, plantains, peppers, cucumber, carrot and mango. Top with the pickled onions and the pepitas. Add the avocado in the middle, then sprinkle on the jalapeño slices and the basil, cilantro and mint. Sprinkle on the sesame seeds. Add a wedge of lime for spritzing.
- The one thing left to do is your topping. You can either use some crispy frizzled shallots/onions (store-bought or make your own here!) or some crunchy plantain chips!
- Drizzle with the dressing and serve with a chilled glass of Riesling on the side.
spicy lime dressing
- Whisk together the lime juice, cilantro, garlic, pepper, honey, salt and pepper. Continue to whisk while streaming in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified. This stays great in the fridge for up to a week!
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
And that… is a SALAD.
22 Comments on “Spicy Rainbow Salad.”
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Can confirm: best salad in Pittsburgh! Love love love. Can’t wait to try your version!
xoxo it is the best salad!!
Everything I need right now!! And SO gorgeous!
thanks love!
I’m moving to Pittsburgh this summer and Kaya’s salad is on my list to try now!! Yours looks beautiful and delish! :)
how exciting!!!
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OMG. This looks SO good! I’m not the biggest Riesling fan, but I think I need to try it paired with something spicy like this because this combo looks AMAZING.
yesss paired with spicy, it is SO good!!
I am so disappointed by this post. I’ve been following you for like 5 years, bought your books, I swear by your recipes, etc. Your blog is literally the only one I subscribe to receive emails from and your recipes are almost the only ones I try, unless you recommend one from a friend’s book. I’ve also found so many of my favorite makeup and lifestyle items from your favorites posts. And when you had those beautiful children and were no longer personally relatable to me, I still followed because I know we can’t all be on the same page in life and I appreciate you bringing your whole self to this space.
This is the first I’ve ever commented because I just can’t let this go. This is obnoxiously sponsored. Coming from advertising, I understand sponsored posts and the allure of getting paid way more to do basically what you already do. However, Sutter Home seems way off brand for you and I just can’t get behind their wine, really can’t. And I know all all the food photography is staged but these feel especially contrived. What a bummer. :(
…the salad looks amazing though, for the record.
hi kristen!!
I’m really sorry you feel way that. I’ve been doing this for 10 years and I think I’ve made it more than obvious that I don’t sell out for brands nor do I ever do ANY sponsored work that I don’t 100% love. 10 years in, I don’t need to do that.
I partnered with Sutter Home because I actually love Rielsing. If you go back to my posts from 2012 when I visited Sonoma, you’ll see that since then, it’s been one of my faves because I learned the foods to drink it with. While I don’t love most red wine, I don’t discriminate with white wine because I like them all!
I’m not sure what you mean by “obnoxiously sponsored” though? This is definitely sponsored and I even have a disclaimer at the top of the post, and it is written in the post too! Did you read the post? I’m not trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes! My other sponsored posts also have product placement in them (as it is required by brands).
I only choose 4 or so sponsors to work with every YEAR. I made this choice years ago because most bloggers post sponsored content weekly with anything and everything and I don’t enjoy reading that. If there is a sponsored post on my blog, it’s because it’s something I already use or something I actually love.
Appreciate your comment – it would mean a lot to me for you to comment if you love things too, since you’ve been reading so long. thanks!
No, I’M sorry. I posted this at the end of a long day and wrote it as if I was irrationally scolding a sister or a friend. (I would be apologizing to them today too) I can appreciate riesling as well, especially with spicy food, but even if SH isn’t my favorite brand, this is not the venue to air grievances. And since I’ve been following you for so long as a huge fan, this is not the way to introduce myself! You’ve been doing this for a long time and have been candidly authentic the whole way, which I truly do respect. You don’t need to defend yourself to me or anyone else. So so sorry for the negative vibes, please feel free to remove that post. …and yes, I will certainly comment on some of the many things I DO love! Have a great weekend!
it means a lot to me that you came back here and apologized and replied so kindly. seriously. THANK YOU!! xo
I live in Pittsburgh and have been eating this salad for years. I’ve wanted to make it at home but never knew where to start. Thank you!!! I’m so excited I can do this at home now!
thanks dee!!! this salad is so good, isn’t it?!
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I love colorful salads it may sound silly but it makes eating even more fun to me.
Colorful salads are the best.
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