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Recipe for Rainbow Chopped Salad

Colorful fresh chopped salad with corn, tomatoes, chickpeas, cabbage, carrots, and more developed by the California Culinary Centers for school food service menu planning.

Rainbow Chopped Salad

For more recipes visit the CA Culinary Centers Standardized Recipes web page. Share your results with us on Twitter @CDENutrition External link opens in new window or tab..

Yields 48 Servings

This recipe yields 48–16 ounce salads.

Ingredients

Ingredients list includes measure by weight or volume. Choose one measure, either weight or volume, for the ingredient. Weight is listed first in bold.

  • 4 pounds and 8 ounces frozen whole kernel corn (U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA] food item)
  • 165 ounces or 1½ number 10 can canned white great northern beans, low-sodium, (USDA food item)
  • 12 pounds romaine lettuce, chopped, ready-to-use
  • 2 pounds and 2 ounces red or purple cabbage, shredded, ready-to-use
  • 6 pounds as purchased (AP) fresh tomatoes, whole
  • 5 pounds AP fresh cucumbers
  • 2 pounds and 8 ounces fresh, carrots, shredded, ready-to-use
  • 3 pounds yellow, cheddar cheese, shredded (USDA food item)
  • 3 pounds and 7 ounces pepitas or sunflower seeds, unsalted
  • 4 pounds raisins (USDA food item)
  • 2.25 quarts or 72 ounces of your favorite salad dressing

Directions

  1. Thaw corn in refrigerator one day in advance. Critical Control Point (CCP): Thaw corn in refrigerator at 41°F or lower.
  2. Rinse and drain beans under cool running water.
  3. Rinse tomatoes and cucumbers under cool running water.
  4. Chop tomatoes into ⅛ cubes to measure 3 quarts plus ½ cup for 48 servings.
  5. Chop cucumbers into ⅛ cubes to measure 3 quarts plus ½ cup for 48 servings.
To Assemble Salad (see photo for sample assembly)
  1. Place 3 cups romaine lettuce in 5 inch by 5 inch by 3 inch hinged individual container or similar serving container.
  2. Place on top of lettuce in circular fashion: ¼ cup tomatoes, ¼ cup cabbage, ¼ cup cheese, ¼ cup carrots, ¼ cup cucumbers, ¼ cup corn, ¼ cup seeds, ¼ cup raisins, and finally ¼ cup beans.
  3. Place 1½ ounces of favorite dressing in 2 ounce container. Seal with lid. Note: Salad dressing is not included in nutrient analysis.
  4. Place dressing container in center of salad. Close salad container.
  5. Serve immediately as one 16 ounce individual salad in hinged container or hold for service in refrigerator no more than 24 hours at 41°F. CCP: Hold in refrigerator at 41°F or lower.

Nutritional Analysis

Note: Salad dressing is not included in nutrient analysis.
  • Calories, in K calories: 516
  • Carbohydrates, in grams: 68
  • Protein, in grams: 23
  • Saturated fat, in grams: 5
  • Trans fat, in grams: 0
  • Total fat, in grams: 21.80
    Sodium, in milligrams: 609

Yields 96 Servings

This recipe yields 96–16 ounce salads.

Ingredients

Ingredients list includes measure by weight or volume. Choose one measure, either weight or volume, for the ingredient. Weight is listed first in bold.

  • 9 pounds frozen whole kernel corn (U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA] food item)
  • 320 ounces or 3 number 10 cans canned white great northern beans, low-sodium (USDA food item)
  • 24 pounds romaine lettuce, chopped, ready-to-use
  • 4 pounds 4 ounces red or purple cabbage, shredded, ready-to-use
  • 12 pounds as purchased (AP) fresh tomatoes, whole
  • 10 pounds AP fresh cucumbers
  • 5 pounds fresh, carrots, shredded, ready-to-use
  • 6 pounds yellow, cheddar cheese, shredded (USDA food item)
  • 6 pounds and 14 ounces pepitas or sunflower seeds, unsalted
  • 8 pounds raisins (USDA food item)
  • 4.5 quarts, or 1 gallon +2 cups, or 144 ounces of your favorite salad dressing

Directions

  1. Thaw corn in refrigerator one day in advance. Critical Control Point (CCP): Thaw corn in refrigerator at 41°F or lower.
  2. Rinse and drain beans under cool running water.
  3. Rinse tomatoes and cucumbers under cool running water.
  4. Chop tomatoes into ⅛ cubes to measure 1 gallon, 2 quarts, and 1 cup for 96 servings.
  5. Chop cucumbers into ⅛ cubes to measure 1 gallon, 2 quarts, and 1 cup for 96 servings.
To Assemble Salad (see photo for sample assembly)
  1. Place 3 cups romaine lettuce in 5 inch by 5 inch by 3 inch hinged individual container or similar serving container.
  2. Place on top of lettuce in circular fashion: ¼ cup tomatoes, ¼ cup cabbage, ¼ cup cheese, ¼ cup carrots, ¼ cup cucumbers, ¼ cup corn, ¼ cup seeds, ¼ cup raisins, and finally ¼ cup beans.
  3. Place 1½ ounces of favorite dressing in 2 ounce container. Seal with lid. Note: Salad dressing is not included in nutrient analysis.
  4. Place dressing container in center of salad. Close salad container.
  5. Serve immediately as one 16 ounce individual salad in hinged container or hold for service in refrigerator no more than 24 hours at 41°F. CCP: Hold in refrigerator at 41°F or lower.

Nutritional Analysis

Note: Salad dressing is not included in nutrient analysis.
  • Calories, in K calories: 516
  • Carbohydrates, in grams: 68
  • Protein, in grams: 23
  • Saturated fat, in grams: 5
  • Trans fat, in grams: 0
  • Total fat, in grams: 21.80
    Sodium, in milligrams: 609

General Recipe Information

Category

  • Salad recipes
  • Meatless or plant-based recipes

Serving Suggestion

  • Yield 48 or yield 96–16 ounce individual salads

Contribution to Meal Pattern

The contribution to the meal pattern for this recipe is based on the suggested serving size above.

  • 2 ounce equivalents meat/meat alternate
  • ½ cup of fruit
  • 3 cup vegetables (1½ cup dark green, ½ cup red orange, ¼ cup legumes, ¼ cup starchy, and ½ cup other)

If you decide to modify this recipe or serving size, you may use the tools available on the CA Culinary Centers Standardized Recipes web page Resources tab to create your own standardized recipe or find the contribution to the meal pattern.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Items

  • Frozen whole kernel corn
  • Canned white great northern beans, low sodium
  • Yellow, cheddar cheese, shredded
  • Raisins

Recipe Roots (Flavor Profile)

  • California Fresh

Preparation Time

  • Preparation time: 1 hour and 30 minutes for 48 servings and 3 hours for 96 servings

Critical Control Point (CCP)

  • CCP: Thaw corn in refrigerator to 41°F or lower.
  • CCP: Hold in refrigerator at 41°F or lower.

Kid Rating

Four-fork kid rating.

Culinary Center

Irvine Unified School District

 

Questions:   Nutrition Services | 800-952-5609
Last Reviewed: Tuesday, July 22, 2025
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