Hearts of Palm Salad with Brazilian Vinaigrette
This Brazilian Chopped Salad, aka Salada de Palmitos, is a refreshing salad that combines the crisp texture of hearts of palm with a medley of bright vegetables and a zesty Brazilian Vinaigrette!
Why We Love This Hearts of Palm Salad with Brazilian Vinaigrette
It’s salad season! Who’s excited?! If you are not a salad lover, I’d like to suggest that there’s a chance you’ve been eating the wrong kinds of salads.
Slimy over-dressed side dish greens with a little bit of carrots and unripened tomatoes, right? Or maybe those weird restaurant “after-thought” salads with chunks of raw broccoli that are too big to fit in your mouth?
I hear you… Salads can be painful. However, they can also be ridiculously exciting with tons of color, contrasting flavors, and crunch!
Today I’m going to share a salad with you that is going to rock your world. (Do people still say that?) Introducing Brazilian Chopped Salad, AKA Hearts of Palm Salad or Salada de Palmitos.
Ingredients for Hearts of Palm Salad
This best Brazilian salad recipe needs minimal ingredients for salad with an unique and appealing taste! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Hearts of Palm
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Fennel Bulb
- Avocado
- Red Onion
- Chopped Mint – or chopped parsley
- Brazilian Vinaigrette – a mixture of lime juice, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, honey, salt and pepper
Heart of Palm Salad with Chunky Goodness
It’s bold and zesty with soft tangy slices of hearts of palm, and cool sweet notes of fresh fennel and tomatoes. This particular version also includes creamy avocado, sharp red onion, and an herbaceous kick from fresh chopped mint!
As if that weren’t enough all these flavors and textures are tied together by a simple perky garlic-lime vinaigrette.
This Brazilian hearts of palm salad is seriously salad heaven!
Hearts of Palm Salad with Brazilian Vinaigrette is all a raw vegetable dish should be, and more. Bold and surprising, with a hefty load of healthy vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
It’s salad bowl utopia. Like taking a bite of a grilled cheese sandwich and discovering it has bacon on it, this Brazilian Chopped Salad recipe is pleasantly so much better than expected.
If you are looking for light and lean recipes to add to your kitchen arsenal, give our Hearts of Palm Salad with Brazilian Vinaigrette a try. You may find yourself converting your meat-n-potatoes friends to the green side!
Frequently Asked Questions
Definitely! Most of these ingredients will stay good if you make this salad a day ahead of time. I recommend adding the avocado before serving so that it doesn’t turn brown. Assemble the salad and salad dressing separately and dress the salad prior to serving as well!
This is a hearty salad that can be eaten on its own, or with simple proteins like grilled chicken breast, grilled salmon, or grilled hanger steak!
You can use fresh lemon juice in the vinaigrette instead of lime juice. Artichoke hearts are a good addition but can be swapped with the hearts of palm if you can’t find them. Parsley can be used in place of mint. Other great additions include: sliced celery, green onion or shallots, sliced radishes, black olives, arugula, and/or chopped lettuce.
More Refreshing Summer Salads to Try
- Crunchy Beet Carrot Slaw
- Thai Quinoa Salad
- Greek Cucumber Dill Salad
- Vietnamese Cold Chicken Salad
- 15 Bean Salad
- The Best Broccoli Salad
- Watermelon Feta Salad
Hearts of Palm Salad with Brazilian Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For the Brazilian Chopped Salad:
- 14 ounces hearts of palm
- 12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 fennel bulb
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1/2 small red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped mint
For the Lime Vinaigrette:
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon honey or agave
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
For the Vinaigrette:
- For the vinaigrette: Pour all the ingredients in a jar. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper. Screw the lid on tight and shake to combine.
To Assemble:
- Drain the can of hearts of palm, then chop into 1/4-inch rounds. Cut the tomatoes in half. Cut the stems off the fennel bulb. Then cut the bulb in half and remove the core. Lay the fennel bulb halves flat, and slice into thin “shaved” pieces. Cut the avocado into chunks. Cut the onion half, in half again, then slice into thin strips. Finally, chop the fresh mint.
- Place the shaved fennel on a large platter (or in salad bowl.) Top with tomatoes, hearts of palm, onion, avocado, and mint. Drizzle the salad dressing over the top and toss.
Delicious
This salad was absolutely delicious, refreshing, and very easy to put together. My boyfriend, who doesn’t even love salad, had it for a snack the next night after dinner.
This is a delicious salad! Everyone at my Brazilian themed dinner party raved about it and asked for the recipe!
It is a great recipe.
This looks wonderful!! It’s the second time in a week I’ve I’ve run across the ingredients “Hearts of Palm”. I’ve never heard of it before. Does it come in a jar, can or fresh. Is there a substiture (although it sounds like a very important ingredients), but just in case I can’t find it at our local Rosauers or Albertsons?
Also, I’ve never heard of fennel bulb??? Substitute?? Darn I hate to ask for subs.
Can this recipe be made a day ahead to marinate longer? I would not put the avocados in until I was ready to serve. Thank you.
Hi Donna!
Yes, if you leave the avocadoes out and mix them in at the end, you can make this up to 48 hours in advance. :)
This was delicious! Thx for the yummy recipe.
Sounds delicious! I can’t wait to make it!
Love it; perfect for my office lunch ! Thank you !
You are so very welcome!