Potluck salad for holiday gatherings is loaded with color and nutrients

Confetti Salad with Lime-Cilantro Dressing includes peas, corn, beans and red, yellow and orange bell peppers.
Confetti Salad with Lime-Cilantro Dressing includes peas, corn, beans and red, yellow and orange bell peppers.

It’s holiday potluck season, and today’s recipe for Confetti Salad is the perfect dish for every event.

This salad is a feast for the eyes and stomach with its beautiful color and crunch. It also happens to be loaded with nutrients, but only you need to know that.

Here's what makes this salad a nutritional all-star.

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Start with raw crunchies

We take advantage of the beautiful colors of sweet peppers and use the red, orange and yellow varieties to give this salad flair. Red, yellow, and orange peppers are riper, sweeter versions of green bell peppers, with almost twice as much vitamin C and more than 10 times the beta-carotene. Beta-carotene works as an antioxidant to help fight chronic diseases and can be converted to vitamin A, which supports your eye and skin health while lowering the risk of several cancers. Peppers are virtually fat- and sodium-free, have just 24 calories per medium pepper and deliver about 200 mg of potassium per half-cup.

Alongside the peppers, red onion provides another twist of color and flavor. It contains a unique antioxidant called quercetin, which fights inflammation and boosts the immune system.

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Easy freezy

Thawed frozen peas and corn add to the kaleidoscope of colors. These veggies are convenient sources of nutrients and fiber, which helps maintain bowel health and lower your cholesterol levels.

Beans, beans are good for the heart

Beans are a good source of fiber and a low-fat, low-calorie, cholesterol-free source of protein. A single cup provides around 15 grams of protein. Beans also contain a resistant starch, a type of carbohydrate that makes you feel fuller and keeps your blood sugar lower.

Dress it up

The sweet and sour lime-cilantro dressing provides zingy, refreshing flavor and vitamin C. A small percentage of people have a smell-receptor gene cluster called OR6A2 that makes cilantro taste like soap to them. If you want to leave the cilantro out, you can use parsley instead.

Lots of leftovers

This is a 12-serving recipe designed for holiday gatherings. But don’t worry if your party is small. Simply portion the leftovers into single-serving containers for no-fuss lunches or quick dinners that will be a change of pace from rich holiday foods.

Bethany Thayer is a registered dietitian nutritionist with Henry Ford Health. For more recipes and health information, visit henryford.com/blog. For questions about today’s recipe, email HenryFordLiveWell@hfhs.org.

Confetti Salad with Lime-Cilantro Dressing

Confetti Salad with Lime-Cilantro Dressing includes peas, corn, beans and red, yellow and orange bell peppers.
Confetti Salad with Lime-Cilantro Dressing includes peas, corn, beans and red, yellow and orange bell peppers.

Makes: 12 servings, about 2/3 cup each / Prep time: 30 minutes / Total time: 30 minutes plus marinating time

1 large yellow bell pepper, diced

1 large orange bell pepper, diced

1 large red bell pepper, diced

½ cup diced red onion

12 ounces frozen peas, thawed

12 ounces frozen corn, thawed

14.5-ounce can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

¼ cup olive oil

4 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon lime zest

1 ½ tablespoons honey

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

In a large bowl, toss together diced peppers, red onion, peas, corn and beans. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, honey, salt, pepper and cilantro. Pour over the vegetable mixture and stir well. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours before serving.

From Henry Ford LiveWell.

171 calories (26% from fat), 5 grams fat (0.5 grams sat. fat), 26 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams protein, 102 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 39 mg calcium, 6 grams fiber. Food exchanges: 2 vegetables, 1 starch, 1 fat.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Salad featuring peppers, corn and peas is perfect for holiday potlucks