Are you ready to learn my secret trick for eating two salads as my “main course” each day?
It’s this flavor-vortex, right here.
This inviting swirl of dark, tart balsamic vinegar drizzled over a bed of veggies and extra-creamy, no-oil hummus.
It’s what nutritarian dreams are made of and, if you haven’t already, it’s about time you jumped on this Hummus-Balsamic train with me!
Plus, I’ll share a super-simple rainbow salad recipe and video with you too! So, let’s do this thing…
Why hummus & balsamic work so well:
The most fundamental nutritarian principle is to eat more salad.
Dr. Fuhrman wants us getting 1 pound raw (and one pound cooked) veggies daily. That means at least one giant salad as your main dish each day.
And if you’re following the Aggressive Weight Loss plan you’re going to want a salad as your main course for both lunch and dinner!
That’s A. LOT. OF VEGGIES.
That’s a lot of chewing, a lot of roughage, and a whole lot different than the mainstream way of eating–especially when you layer on the fact that you should be topping your giant bowl of goodness with an oil-free, low-sodium salad dressing.
And that’s where this Hummus-Balsamic dressing revolution comes into play!
It Satisfies Taste & Texture
The hummus brings a savory creaminess to your salad party while the balsamic brings a tangy, slightly-sweet flavor.
Vinegar also helps tremendously when you’re craving something salty. In fact it helps trick us into thinking we’re eating salt–and that’s really awesome when you’re striving for less than 300 to 400 milligrams of added sodium per day!
Do you crave lots of flavor diversity? I love that you can have a bite of your salad with straight-up hummus then go for another bite with only balsamic.
Or you can get jiggy with it and just mix all that goodness together right in the bowl!
Hummus Makes the Plant-Based World Go Round
Who doesn’t love dipping raw veggies (or anything, really) into creamy, flavorful hummus?
In fact that is my #1 tip for people who “don’t like salad.”
Just take those raw veggies and some Romain that you’d otherwise put in your salad and dip them in hummus–bam, you’re eating “salad!”
I’m a huge advocate of hummus dressings like this recipe and the dressings in my 7 Day Salad Cleanse!
What is the best store-bought balsamic vinegar?
This needs to be addressed.
Cause there’s a lot of not-good balsamic out there and then there are some serious gems that just make this whole Hummus-Balsamic revolution ignite!
Don’t suffer with a bad balsamic vinegar. See that tall bottle of Sprouts Organic Balsamic in the picture above? I bought it after having good balsamic and boy does it not hit the spot at all now. It’s reserved for cooking only.
Balsamic vinegar quality matters, especially when it serves as such a prominent flavor in your giant daily salads 😉
Best Trader Joe’s Balsamic: Aceto Balsamico Di Modena – $5.99
This Trader Joe’s “Gold” Balsamic is hands-down my favorite store-bought vinegar!
It has a rich, sweet, smooth taste–with a lovely balance of tart and sweet. It’s thick and has a rich brown color and an amazing after-taste.
Best Publix Balsamic: Flora Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGF (Organic) – $9.99
I have to thank my sister for introducing me to Flora organic Balsamic when we visited her in Florida over the summer!
Just like the Trader Joe’s balsamic above, this is a high-quality, extremely-flavorful balsamic that is just a joy to eat! Great balance, color and flavor–I highly recommend this brand! I even seriously contemplated ordering a case of it from their online store!
Artisan / Boutique Balsamic
You most-definitely will find superior balsamic at local specialty shops. And the best part is most every one of them will let you sample!
There are often flavored vinegar–like lemon, herb, and other fruits. Just make sure that there are no added sugars in the flavored balsamic–ask the shop about this explicitly.
And for this salad recipe I don’t recommend anything other than a regular balsamic–no special flavors required!
Okay, I think you’re ready for this quick rainbow salad video to get inspired:
To make this rainbow salad recipe you’re going to need to start off by making a batch of No-Oil Extra-Creamy Hummus like, right away!
How long has this been going on?
Yeah, I’ve been doing this for a while now.
I’m coming up on almost 3 months of eating this oil-free hummus and balsamic dressing combo and there are seriously no signs of the infatuation slowing down.
If anything, the craving for this creamy-tart duo only grows stronger.
I’ve found myself purposefully challenging myself to eat at least one salad each day with my other favorite oil-free dressings like:
I’ve fallen into food patterns before and I know, at some point, the craze will end and a new one will take form, but for now I’m loving the ride!
Join me!
Easy Rainbow Salad with Hummus Balsamic Dressing
Easy rainbow salad recipe with No-Oil Hummus and Balsamic Vinegar dressing!
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 cups leaf lettuce, chopped
- 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup cucumber, chopped
- 1/2 to 1/3 cup No-Oil Extra-Creamy Hummus (see intructions for recipe link)
- 1/4 cup bell pepper, chopped
- 1/4 cup raw carrots, diced
- 1/4 cup red cabbage, diced
- 1/4 cup green onion, diced
- balsamic vinegar, to taste
- 1/2 to 1 tbsp raw sesame seeds
Instructions
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Make a batch of No-Oil Creamy Hummus.
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Chop and rinse leaf lettuce and dry. Place in large bowl and top with bell peppers, carrots, red cabbage, and green onion.
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Top with 1/2 to 1/3 cup hummus and drizzle salad with balsamic vinegar.
If you give this Rainbow Salad with Hummus & Balsamic recipe a try I’d love to know what you think–please leave a rating and comment below!
Hi Kristen! This looks delicious. One question: Do you count hummus in place of beans? If I am trying to lose weight, should my hummus replace the beans I would normally put on my salad? Is there an easy way to calculate that?
Thanks for all your great information!!
Hi Sharon!
Yes, you can count hummus as part of your daily bean intake! In his “Daily Dozen” protocol, Dr. Greger recommends 3 servings of beans daily and considers 1/4 cup of hummus equal to one serving. Dr. Fuhrman hasn’t made this distinction but I go off of Dr. Greger’s approach!
xo, Kristen
where do you find your white miso paste? I have looked all over for this? I think your brand was cold mountain?
I wish I were as amazing and organized as you! Love the way your recipes and fridge look!
Hi Brenda!
I’ve used that brand and I also like the Miso Master brand as well! I find them at Sprouts and Whole Foods and I live in Northern California!
And I promise the rest of my house is nowhere near as organized as my fridge is!
xo, Kristen
How do you get your carrots to look like that? So cool!
Hi Tracey!
I get the organic carrot chips from Whole Foods and then I just slice them up–I love the look and texture!
Thank you for noticing 😉
xo, Kristen
I am on Day 1 of Dr. Fuhrmans 6 week cleanse. Can I use the hummus during this phase?
Hi Malondy!
Yes, you certainly can!! Congrats on starting, SO excited for you!!
xo, Kristen
Go to The Olive Tap for wonderful balsamic vinegars! It will make your food stand up and sing! So worth the price.
Hi Annett,
I agree, artisan balsamic really adds tremendous flavor to everything!
xo, Kristen
Made this for quick grab and go lunch to take to work and it was great!!! The green onion really makes the dish.
Hi Judi,
I’m so happy to hear that you tried and loved this recipe and thanks so much for taking the time to leave a recipe review!
Hi Kristen, if I purchase the Power Prep Plan, how long does it normally take to prep all the meals ahead of time?
Hi Becky,
If you’re brand new to batch cooking we have an elongated start up to the program where you’re doing a half-session before going into a full session. Your timing will depend on your cutting skills and your experience with batch cooking. But the good news is that you get faster each week!
Thanks so much for your interest in the program!
xo, Kristen
Looks so delicious! Just checking if that salad is for one serve?
I’m guessing it is.
Hi Gayle, yes this is for one serving!
Thank you for explaining the best Balsamic vinegar. I agree with your choice. But I really, really need to know what brand of tahini to buy. Some taste just awful even with the same ingredients!
Hi Sharon,
I’m so happy that you agree with my best balsamic vinegar choice! For tahini I also love Trader Joe’s brand! I haven’t done a taste test between brands but I especially love the consistency TJ’s has. I tend to like bitter flavors so I may not be the best judge for this. Perhaps you could do a quick Google search on this topic? I’ve heard from quite a few readers who feel that tahini is bitter tasting.