Garden Abundance Salad

Cool off this summer with a refreshing salad made with whatever ingredients come out of your garden. Take advantage of sprouted veggies, ripening tomatoes, or towering herbs while they’re in their peak.

I call this my Garden Abundance Salad. Kale, tomatoes, basil, oregano, parsley all from my balcony garden. Sometimes the best things in life are right in front of us, we just need to be aware of how special the present moment is. I posted this originally on Instagram last week and got such a great response that I thought I should post the ingredients! 

Honestly, I put together this salad because I was craving something fresh, crunchy and flavorful. My balcony herb and veggie garden is in it’s peak– I have basil, thyme, oregano, parsley, rosemary, cherry tomatoes,  and kale. Raw kale is usually not my thing, but I’ve discovered the trick to making it taste good: massage it with olive oil to soften it up and give it flavor. 

Extra goodies included a ripe avocado turned into an avocado rose, goat cheese (makes everything amazing), sunflower seeds (to add that crunch factor) and kalamata olives for a sour punch. 

Here’s the recipe for this Garden Abundance Salad! Keep in mind, this is more of a guide. Throw together any assortment of veggies, fruit, fresh herbs and cheeses to create a delicious garden fresh salad! 

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Garden Abundance Salad

Servings 1

Author Emily Weeks, RDN, LD

Ingredients

• 1 cup kale, torn into small pieces
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cucumber, sliced
• 3-4 strawberries, sliced
• 1 cup multi-colored cherry tomatoes, sliced
• fresh basil leaves
• fresh Italian parsley, to taste, chopped
• fresh thyme, to taste
• 1 small avocado, sliced
• kalamato olives
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup goat cheese
• 2 Tbsp sunflower seeds
• salt + pepper

Instructions

1. Rub the 1 tsp of olive oil over the torn kale pieces. Arrange all other items in a large bowl. Top with the 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar. 

Emily Weeks, RDN, LD

Hi! I’m Emily, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and self-taught intuitive chef. I firmly believe that cooking is the simplest and most important step we can take to improve our minds and bodies and build healthier communities. Join me and let’s bring food back to the kitchen!