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Rainbow Salad – Bright, Tasty, and Healthy
Instructions
I prepare all the products in advance: I boil the beets (60 minutes), the carrots (30 minutes), the potatoes (20 minutes) and the eggs (10 minutes). I cook the vegetables in their skins to preserve their colour and shape. I cool them completely for 1–2 hours before slicing – hot vegetables crumble when grated and lose their shape. Warm eggs are hard to peel, so wait until they have cooled completely.
I make Korean-style beets (grated with a marinade of vinegar, oil, garlic and coriander) or I simply grate boiled beets on the coarse side of the grater. Korean-style beets give a piquant, spicy note, while plain ones give a delicate sweet flavour. The choice depends on your guests' taste and the style of the table – both options look beautiful.
I peel the boiled potatoes and grate them on the coarse side of the grater for an airy texture. I use the coarse grate – a fine one turns the potato into mash. In Rainbow salad the potato works as a neutral white sector that contrasts with the bright coloured ingredients – beets, carrots and corn.
I make Korean-style carrots (grated with a marinade and spices) or I grate boiled carrots on the coarse side. Korean-style carrots give an orange "fiery" sector with a spicy flavour, while boiled carrots give a delicate, sweet yellow-orange. Korean carrots are my choice for a striking "rainbow" – they contrast with the other ingredients.
I peel the boiled eggs and carefully separate them into white and yolk. I grate the whites on the fine side of the grater for a "snowy" sector and grate the yolks separately for a yellow "sunny" sector. Serving the whites and yolks separately creates two distinct colours in the "rainbow" – two different shades from a single product on one plate.
I cut the pickled cucumbers into thin strips, 3–5 mm – they "work" better in the rainbow composition than cubes. Pieces that are too thick stand out as "lumps", and ones that are too thin get lost. Choose pickled cucumbers rather than salted ones – the marinade gives a piquant, sweetish tang that pairs perfectly with the mayonnaise and ham.
I cut the ham (250 g) into thin strips, 3–5 mm – the same size as the cucumbers, for harmony in the salad. I use good-quality pork or turkey ham – cheap boiled sausage will spoil the flavour and colour of the salad. The pink colour of the ham becomes another sector of the "rainbow", adding a meaty note.
I drain the liquid from the canned corn (170 g) through a colander and pat it dry with a paper towel. Wet corn will "run" in the salad and spoil the "rainbow" presentation – a smeared yellow sector looks untidy. Thorough drying is the key to a beautiful presentation.
I finely chop the green onion (the whole bunch) for a "grassy" green sector. I use both the white and the green parts – this gives two gradations of green. Slicing it into thin rings, 2–3 mm, works best in the "rainbow". Large pieces of onion stand out and spoil the composition.
I make homemade mayonnaise (if I want to): in a tall blender beaker I combine 1 room-temperature egg, 1 tsp mustard, a pinch of salt and sugar, 1 tbsp lemon juice, and gradually add 200 ml of vegetable oil. All the products must be at room temperature – cold ones will not form a stable emulsion and the mayonnaise will "split".
I blend the mayonnaise at maximum speed without lifting the blender from the bottom of the beaker – this is how a stable emulsion forms. After 30–40 seconds I slowly raise the blender, drawing in the remaining oil. The thick, glossy mayonnaise is ready – brighter and tastier than shop-bought, with no preservatives.
I transfer the mayonnaise into a piping bag with a thin round nozzle – this makes it easier to pipe the mayonnaise "mesh" underneath each sector. A thin stream of mayonnaise distributes the sauce evenly and invisibly. Without a piping bag, you can use an ordinary bag with a corner snipped off.
I arrange all the products on a large flat dish in separate sectors "like a rainbow", keeping the colour boundaries. Between the sectors I pipe the mayonnaise as a "mesh" underneath – it should not be visible from above, otherwise it will spoil the coloured composition. The principle is "rainbow on top, mayonnaise inside". I serve it with extra mayonnaise on the side – the guests mix it themselves at the table.
Tips
- 1
The products should be as different in colour as possible – this is a "rainbow", not a "gradient". Use contrasting colours: red, orange, yellow, green and white.
- 2
The salad is served unmixed – guests take it with a spoon and mix it on their own plate. This is the interactive moment at the table.
- 3
Serve with extra salt, pepper and mayonnaise – that way each guest can adjust the taste "to their liking". I use a similar principle for Sunflower salad.
- 4
In summer, replace the boiled vegetables with fresh ones: cucumbers, tomatoes and bell peppers in three colours – you will get a "summer rainbow" with no cooking.
FAQ
Can it be made without ham? +
Yes, replace the ham with boiled chicken breast (250 g), boiled beef tongue (200 g), baked pork, or smoked brisket. Each substitution brings its own character: chicken – a neutral, delicate flavour; tongue – a "gourmet" note; baked pork – a spicy, meaty taste. For a lean version, use boiled red beans or chickpeas, which also provide a protein component. Without a meat component the salad still "works" as a rainbow, but it becomes less filling.
What can I use instead of corn? +
Canned green peas will work (giving a green sector instead of yellow), or red beans (giving a deep "wine" shade). Cashews or pine nuts add creaminess but change the colour palette. Fresh corn, steamed, also works well – it is juicier and sweeter than canned. The main thing is to keep the "yellow" sector in the rainbow, otherwise the colour composition will be broken. You can use yellow bell pepper as a substitute.
How do I assemble Rainbow salad correctly? +
On a large flat dish or round plate, I lay out the ingredients in sectors or stripes following the "rainbow" principle. First I pipe a mayonnaise "mesh" underneath onto the plate, then I arrange the sectors of products on top. The sectors should have clear boundaries – do not mix them. Do not put mayonnaise on top, as it will spoil the coloured composition. You can assemble it in a cooking ring for a "rainbow cake", or simply in stripes for a "parade of colours".
How do I store the finished salad? +
Assemble Rainbow salad just before serving – assembled in advance, it loses its freshness and the brightness of its colours. All the ingredients can be prepared separately 1 day ahead: grate the vegetables, slice the ham, boil the eggs. Once assembled, the salad keeps in the fridge for up to 12 hours under cling film. After 12 hours the vegetables release their juice, the coloured sectors "spread", and the salad loses its "rainbow" presentation. Ideally, serve it right after assembling.
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