Open Categories +

Blog Home

Rainbow Chopped Salad

Melissa's Kitchen Masterlist
Effortless Entertaining
The Skinny on the Italian Diet
Now Trending:
I'm Melissa!

A Food Network chef + mama obsessed with travel, and mouth watering food. I also own a gorgeous cooking school in Italy. My mission? To share the secrets of La Dolce Vita so you can create a healthy, beautiful, delicious life filled with joy!

hello,

Ready to Manifesto Some Miracles?

tell me more

Grab a copy of my lastest book "Miracles Manifested" and enter to win a trip to Italy valued at $7000!

Yes, I suffer from mild OCD…

So this perfectly striped, chopped salad with all these gorgeous rainbow colors really makes me happy.

If you think this is over the top, you should see my closet, and it seems I have passed it onto my daughter who loves to sort her markers into color families.

But then the truth is people eat with their eyes first. So this salad creates an amazing first impression. It’s always a hit when I am entertaining.

It’s loaded with cukes, tomatoes, peppers, eggs, sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, and red onion on a bed of lettuce. And I serve it with my all-time favorite vinaigrette.

It’s summery, healthy, and so good! Perfect for meal prepped lunches, a side salad, or a light dinner.

xxx MM

Print

Rainbow Chopped Salad

  • Author: Melissa Mayo

Ingredients

Scale

FOR THE SALAD

  • 2 packs of butter lettuce (romaine, spring mix, arugula) coarsely sliced
  • 6 hard-boiled eggs
  • 1 pack red cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 orange/yellow pepper diced
  • 4 Persian cucumbers diced
  • ½ cup Kalamata olive halved
  • ½ cup marinated sundried tomatoes
  • ½ red onion diced
  • Croutons (***optional)

FOR THE DRESSING

  • ½ cup red wine or apple cider vinegar
  • ¾ cup olive oil
  • 1 heaped tsp mustard powder
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 3 TBS mayonnaise
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • Lots of coarse salt & black pepper

Instructions

Chop the lettuce and place it at the bottom of a large flat platter or bowl.

Separate the egg yolks and whites and chop them separately. Halve the tomatoes and Kalamata olives. Dice the onions, yellow pepper, and cucumbers into small cubes.

Start with the tomatoes and cucumbers and arrange them in 2 rows at the center of the bowl.

Work towards the outside of the circle creating rows with the other vegetables. From left to right—olives, red onion, egg yolk, egg white, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, orange pepper, sundried tomatoes.

Place all ingredients for dressing in a blender and blend until well mixed. Top salad with croutons (***) and dress just before serving.

SERVES 4-6

Notes

Dressing can be made ahead.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag me @themelissamayo— I can't wait to see what you've made!

+ show Comments

- Hide Comments

add a comment

Reply...

I'm Melissa, your host & tour guide.

A Food Network chef, author, mamma, eternal optimist, wannabe-mermaid, spice mixologist, and “dough therapist” (yep, it’s a thing)—

I'm also the founder of Susina Cucina, the gorgeous, Italian cooking school I manifested into my reality. I’m obsessed with Aperol spritzes, travel, and mouthwatering food… especially pizza and pasta.

more about me

Ciao Bella,

enter now →

In Italy, they add work and life on to food and wine.

Win a one-week luxury trip to Tuscany 

The Magic of Italy
without the planning

Explore

Food Netwok Chef, Melissa is dishing up delicious food and a once-in-a-lifetime experience for your soul.

find out more →

The Magic of Italy
without the planning

Explore

Food Netwok Chef, Melissa is dishing up delicious food and a once-in-a-lifetime experience for your soul.

find out more →

Hands down the prettiest, do-it-yourself, easy-to-use, customizable, website templates on the internet. They look super expensive, but I promise they won't break the bank. 

Tonic Site Shop

Want a site like mine?

check it out →

READ MORE →

TRAVEL

LIFESTYLE

READ MORE →

RECIPES

FRESH FROM THE BLOG

Healthy living is beautiful … That’s why it’s calledLa Dolce Vita”.

READ MORE →

I’m sharing my best recipes, travel guides, and Italian secrets for longevity & aging gracefully. Discover my tips and tricks to become a Rockstar chef, my current obsessions, and tools to embrace joy, find your purpose, and live deliciously!!

@themelissamayo

For delicious recipes, travel guides, inspiration and more, join me on Instagram.

follow along