This is a cold chopped spring roll salad FULL of vibrant rainbow veggies, shrimp (or chicken), and a zippy ginger lime dressing.
This could be a light stand-alone meal on its own, it's a healthy protein-filled salad with a tart Asian-inspired ginger vinaigrette and the prettiest colors from the veggies. This is more of a veggie slaw, since there isn't actually lettuce in the salad. It actually is BETTER the next day when all of the flavors blend and soak into the veggies!
Vibrant salads are a love of mine, another favorite is Golden Beet Salad with Balsamic Miso Dressing, also with lots of beautiful colors and veggies.
This recipe was tested with several veggie combinations, with and without different lettuce types, pre-cooked shrimp, rice noodles, and different dressings like a Thai peanut dressing and a spicy version, and THIS was the best one. Its crunch and texture held up after a day or two of refrigeration, has a light and fresh dressing, and the shrimp is definitely a must.
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What To Expect
- Taste: The ginger lime dressing is the dominant flavor, and the textures come from the crunchy peppers, purple cabbage, perfectly cooked shrimp, and nice little edamame beans.
- Ease: Beginner level! Cooking the shrimp, and assembling the salad and dressing are pretty easy and straightforward.
- Time: It takes about 5 minutes to cook the shrimp and 5-10 minutes to prep and assemble the rest of the salad.
🛒 Key Ingredients
- Shrimp - I used medium sized, peeled, tail OFF shrimp. The recipe was tested with both frozen pre-cooked shrimp and raw shrimp (cooked for the salad) and it was MUCH better in texture and taste. Take it from me, buy the raw shrimp and cook it yourself! It only takes a few extra minutes and tastes so much better!
- Peppers - All the colored peppers for this salad! I used red and yellow, but any color of bell pepper would work.
- Purple Cabbage - This recipe only uses 1.5 cups, but it holds up well and keeps its crunch even when refrigerated for a couple of days.
- Edamame- adds a little color, texture, and protein to the salad along with fiber.
- Sesame Oil - more flavorful than olive oil (a good substitute if you don't have sesame oil), and is used as a base for the ginger lime dressing.
- Sauces - soy sauce for the much needed salt and savory taste, rice vinegar for acidity along with the lime juice, and sweet Thai chili sauce is optional but DELICIOUS.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
✏️ Substitutions & Variations
- Rotisserie chicken in place of shrimp is an excellent substitute, no cooking involved!
- Add peanuts, crunchy chow mein noodles, sesame seeds, or any toppings you'd like!
- Want it spicy? Add a fresh chopped jalapeño, or chili oil, or a pinch or two of red pepper flakes to the ginger lime dressing.
- Veggies - so many options here. You could add avocados, cucumbers, bean sprouts, or lettuce, just to name a few.
- Olive oil - works really well as a substitute for the sesame oil.
- Cilantro - Not everyone loves cilantro, I get it. Mint or Thai basil are a good switch.
- Serve on a bed of rice noodles or cooked rice to add a little body to the salad.
🧑🍳 Instructions
- Step 1. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add thawed shrimp to frying pan with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until pink and no longer translucent. Remove from heat and sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon lime juice, then let cool to at least room temperature.
- Step 2. Wash and prepare the vegetables: slice the purple cabbage and bell peppers thinly, into 1-2 inch slices. Green onions and cilantro should be chopped small.
- Step 3. In a salad bowl, combine all veggies: sliced purple cabbage, bell peppers, carrots, edamame, cilantro, and green onion.
- Step 4. In a small bowl make the dressing: whisk together 2-3 Tablespoons lime juice, sesame (or olive) oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, honey, and Thai sweet chili sauce.
- Step 5. Drizzle dressing over salad and gently toss, making sure dressing covers all veggies.
- Step 6. Optional: sprinkle with sesame seeds or chopped peanuts. Refrigerate until ready to serve, flavors are best after a few hours infusing into the veggies. Enjoy!
📌 Top Tips & Hacks
- Use rotisserie chicken or tofu in place of shrimp if you're short on time.
- Serve over a bed of rice noodles. Yum!
- Refrigerate for a few hours before serving so the flavors can blend and soak into the veggies.
- Mix together the salad without the dressing if you want to make it ahead and keep the veggies crisp, and toss with the dressing the day of.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Since there's no lettuce, it stays fresh for up to 3 days refrigerated with the dressing in it.
Yes! We like to switch it up and use grilled chicken or rotisserie chicken in place of the shrimp sometimes.
Yes, it actually tastes BETTER when made ahead or overnight and the flavors can blend.
Yes, and it was pretty strong and heavy for the salad. If you want to add a Tablespoon or two of creamy peanut butter to the dressing and try it, let me know how you like it.
You can always add chopped peanuts for a nice crunchy topping, we preferred that to making it with peanut dressing.
Add a fresh chopped jalapeño, or chili oil, or a pinch or two of red pepper flakes to the ginger lime dressing.
🥗 More Delicious Veggie Recipes
📝 Printable Recipe
Spring Roll Salad
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 12 oz small or medium raw shrimp, peeled, de-veined, tail off thawed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1.5 cups sliced purple cabbage 128 g
- 1 medium red bell pepper about 140 g
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper about 140 g
- 1 cup slivered carrots 77 g
- 1.5 cups edamame 217 g (peeled)
- ¼ cup cilantro
- ¼ cup chopped green onion 18 g
For the Ginger Lime dressing
- 4 Tablespoons lime juice (1-2 limes)
- 3 Tablespoons sesame or olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon minced ginger or ginger paste
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic (2-3 cloves)
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 Tablespoon sweet chili sauce (optional)
- optional: chopped cucumbers, peanuts, mint, rotisserie chicken, sesame seeds
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add thawed shrimp to frying pan with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until pink and no longer translucent. Remove from heat and sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon lime juice, then let cool to at least room temperature.
- Wash and prepare the vegetables: slice the purple cabbage and bell peppers thinly, into 1-2 inch slices. Green onions and cilantro should be chopped small.
- In a salad bowl, combine all veggies: sliced purple cabbage, bell peppers, carrots, edamame, cilantro, and green onion.
- In a small bowl make the dressing: whisk together 2-3 Tablespoons lime juice, sesame (or olive) oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, honey, and Thai sweet chili sauce.
- Drizzle dressing over salad and gently toss, making sure dressing covers all veggies. Optional: sprinkle with sesame seeds or chopped peanuts. Refrigerate until ready to serve, flavors are best after a few hours infusing into the veggies. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, I'm Sara!
Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.
Annie B. says
WHERE HAS THIS BEEN MY WHOLE LIFE! It looks like a magical rainbow and tastes even better! I made it just like the recipe and my kids loved it too! I love it with the avocado added in right before eating it, and you're spot on, it's even better the second day after the veggies have marinated in the dressing. You NAILED the dressing! The tangy and sweet flavors are perfectly balanced.
Sara says
I am so so glad you love it as much as I do, it has definitely become one of my regular favorites! Thank you for coming back to tell me, it always makes my day. ❤️
Sara says
We’ve made this recipe with shrimp, chicken, and want to try salmon bites next. It’s good with avocados but only right before serving. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do! Please leave a comment here and share your feedback with a star rating. I really enjoyed creating this recipe and post for you!