Halloween Salad with Rice and Veggies

Created On: October 9, 2023 &nbsp|  Updated: October 9, 2023  |   Leave a comment

If you’re looking for a healthy, savory option to celebrate Halloween with this year, you’ve got to make my Halloween Salad with Rice and Veggies! It’s made using Halloween colored ingredients and tossed with a fall flavored apple cider vinegar dressing. Serve as a side dish at your halloween party or bring for healthy and filling work lunches throughout the week.

I loved Halloween as a kid, didn’t care for it much when I got older, but now that I’m a mom it’s come back into my life full force!  I love cute Halloween themed treats, but I’m more of a savory girl so I decided to make a Halloween Salad for you all today.  I hope that doesn’t make me a buzzkill 🙂  But, this Halloween Salad with Rice and Veggies is great for a side dish at a Halloween party or a meal prep work lunch.

Why You’ll Love This Healthy Halloween Salad!

• It’s made with Halloween colored foods – This salad uses ingredients that are white, orange, green, purple and black.  You can  make it anytime of year, but it’s perfect for Halloween!
• It’s healthy and festive – Halloween is a very candy centered holiday, so it’s nice to have something festive, but also healthy to serve as well.
• It’s great for a side dish but filling enough for lunch – This rice salad can be brought to a Halloween party and served potluck style or meal prepped on Sunday and enjoyed for lunch all week long.

Halloween Salad with Rice and Veggies Recipe Ingredients

• Rice – I used white rice because that is what I had on hand.  You could also use quinoa, brown rice, wild rice or another grain of choice.
• Black Beans – I chose the black beans because of their color, but they also happen to go really well with all the other ingredients.  You could use any kind of bean you like though.
• Sweet Potato – I used roasted sweet potato to make this salad more fall-like and cozy.  Carrot could also be used if you want something that is quicker to prepare.
• Spinach – I like spinach for this rice salad because it had a nice dark green color and can stand up well to the rice and dressing.  You could also use kale or another green of choice.
• Purple Cabbage – Purple cabbage adds nice color and crunch to this salad.  The purple cabbage may dye the other ingredients, especially the rice, slightly purple if this salad sits for a couple of days.  Everything will still taste good though!

• Red Onion – I love adding raw red onion to my salads and it just happens to match with the color scheme.  Any color of onion can be used though.
• Pepitas – Pepitas are not only green, but they are also a fall food staple so they fit perfectly.  Any kind of nut or seed can be used in this salt though.
• Feta Cheese – I added feta cheese to make this salad is little heartier and I love what it brings to the salad.  It can be omitted if desired though, or a dairy free feta cheese can be used in its place.
• Dried Cranberries – I love the combo of dried cranberries and sweet potatoes together and they kind of went with the color scheme, so I added them in!
• Dressing – You can use any kind of homemade or store-bought dressing for this salad.  I used a homemade dressing using: olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, maple syrup, dijon mustard, garlic, salt and pepper.  The apple cider vinegar is nice for fall, but any kind of vinegar can be used.

How To Make This Fun Halloween Themed Salad

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.  Peel your sweet potato (optional) and dice into small pieces.  Place sweet potato on a large baking sheet and add the olive oil, spices, salt and pepper.  Use your hands to toss everything together until sweet potato pieces are coated  and arranged in a single layer.  Roast sweet potato until fork tender and starting to brown, 25-30 mins, tossing once.
2. Rinse your rice well and cook according to package directions.  Once rice is finished cooking, allow it to sit with the lid on for a bit, then fluff with a fork and let cool.
3. Add all dressing ingredients to a jar, or medium sized bowl, and whisk together until completely combined.  Give the dressing a taste and adjust any ingredients, as needed.
4. To a large serving bowl, add in the rice, sweet potato, spinach, black beans, cabbage, red onion, feta cheese, dried cranberries and pepitas.  Pour dressing over and mix until salad is combined.  Season with extra salt and pepper, if desired.  Salad can be enjoyed immediately or chilled until ready to serve.

 

Rice, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salad Frequently Asked Questions

• Is this recipe gluten free?  Yes, just make sure to use a gluten free grain as the base.
• Can this salad be made vegan?  Yes, either use a vegan feta cheese substitute or omit the cheese.
• Can this salad be prepped ahead of time?  Yes, it is a hearty salad that can be prepped a day or so ahead of time.  Just remember that the purple cabbage may start turning the other ingredients purple after a while.
• Is this rice salad a side dish?  This salad can be used as a side dish or a lunch.  You can add an extra can of black beans to the recipe if you want to make it a little more filling but the rice and sweet potato also make it hearty.
• How long do leftovers last in the refrigerator?  If stored in an air-tight container, leftovers will last about 4-5 days.

Have a question I didn’t answer?  Ask me in the comment section below and I will get back to you ASAP!

Looking For More Hearty Fall Salad Recipes?

Quinoa and Edamame Salad with Ginger Tahini Dressing

Fall Pasta Salad with Butternut Squash

Holiday Salad with Cabbage and Kale

Chipotle Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

Fall Harvest Salad

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