Do you grow vegetables or even herbs in your window sill? Welcome to the gardening grub club.
As long as I can remember, we’ve had some sorts of vegetables growing out back in the garden. Tomatoes always did well in our hot Southern California gardens, as did zucchini and eggplant. During my college years, I didn’t have a vegetable garden, but I did have a “college bookshelf” (bricks and boards) laden with herbs and houseplants. It has always been nice to be able to grab the potted basil plant and pinch off a few leaves for the plate of pasta. Here’s my current window sill basil pot, ready for some dinner action.
I’ve always been a garden dreamer. One year I put in what I called a “salsa garden” – tomatoes, Jalapenos, tomatillos, onions, and cilantro. Another year I put in an edible flower garden, with pansies, violas, nasturtium and other pretty flowers that can be eaten. Every salad that summer was a riot of color and floral design.
Remember my monstrous chard leaves from a few years ago? (I don’t mind a few little bug holes. That just shows you it’s organic!)
And my gargantuan zucchini? I really have to harvest a bit earlier, eh?
I’m late putting in my summer garden this year, but I will not be deterred, and am planting tomatoes, eggplant, Jalapeno pepper, black zucchini and orange mint. I am dreaming big with plans for roasted vegetable medleys come July-August.
I’d love for you to plant a garden, even if it is only in a pot on the patio or balcony, or a little herb on the window sill. The emotional rewards for being able to eat food that you have grown are huge. You feel like a million bucks when the tomato and herbs in your dinner salad came from out back.
I had to buy the grape tomatoes for this salad because mine aren’t ready yet, but the Italian parsley and cilantro came from my garden, as did the radishes.
Recipe: White Bean Cilantro Chopped Vegetable Salad
Summary: Overflowing and chunky with vegetables, this healthy salad can be a vegan main dish or side dish, and makes a great potluck offering.
Ingredients
- 2 (15-ounce) can small white beans, drained, rinsed and drained again
- 12 ounces grape tomatoes, halved (mixed colors are nice)
- 1 small zucchini, diced small
- 3 mini bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced small (mixed colors are nice)
- 5-7 radishes, stemmed and diced small
- 1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Pinch kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Garnish: toasted pine nuts (optional)
Instructions
- Into a large bowl, place the white beans. Add everything else – tomatoes through black pepper, and mix gently but well with a large spoon.
- Taste and adjust lemon juice and salt level to your liking. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later.
- Serve on plates or in wide, flat bowls, topping each with a tablespoon of toasted pine nuts if you like.
- Serves 4-5 for dinner, or more for a side salad.
Recipe source
Dorothy Reinhold | Shockingly Delicious
Sunday Supper
See this page for all the wonderful #SundaySupper dishes I have made since I joined this group, and links to all the other delicious dishes made by my fellow cooks.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Diet type: Vegan
Diet tags: Low calorie
Number of servings (yield): 4
Culinary tradition: USA (General)
My rating
Today’s Sunday Supper recipes
Today our Sunday Supper cook’s club is celebrating Recipes from the Garden, sponsored by American Family Insurance, and hosted by Jennifer of Peanut Butter and Peppers. American Family Insurance invites you to follow their #Choose Dreams Pinterest board, and to connect with them on their website, or on social media at LinkedIn, Youtube, Google+, Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest.
Join the grub club with us and muck around in the dirt, then pick something from the list below to grace your table!
- 3 Cheese Naan Pizza with Sausage, Mushrooms, and Arugula by Neighborfood
- Asparagus Penne with Bacon Cream Sauce by Country Girl In The Village
- Basil, Honey and Walnut Gelato by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
- Chimichurri Skirt Steak by Magnolia Days
- Garden Foccacia by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
- Greek Stuffed Tomato by Yours And Mine Are Ours
- Grilled Shrimp with Grilled Sweet Peppers by Daily Dish Recipes
- Herbed Chicken Kabobs by Momma’s Meals
- Individual Indian Corn Pudding Souffles by Delaware Girl Eats
- Lemon Herb Slow Cooker Roast Chicken by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Quinoa Tabbouleh by Supper for a Steal
- Rosemary and Lemon Chicken Thighs with Asparagus by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
- Rosemary Cornbread by Alida’s Kitchen
- Salmon Peppers and Onions by Family Foodie
- Spinach Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Strawberry Basil Pasta Salad by Peanut Butter and Peppers
- Summer Pasta Puttanesca by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Summer Vegetable Lasagna by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Tortellini with Garden Fresh Pesto by The Foodie Army Wife
- White Bean Cilantro Chopped Vegetable Salad by Shockingly Delicious
Join us around the family table for #SundaySupper
- Twitter how-to: Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag throughout the day on Twitter to see our recipes. To join the conversation anytime, simply use the #SundaySupper hashtag to share your favorite tips and recipes.
- Pinterest: Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more recipes and photos.
- Join: To join the Sunday Supper Movement, sign up by clicking here → Sunday Supper Movement.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by American Family Insurance. All opinions are my own.
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I just love chopped salads — this one looks great!
Cathy,
Me too! They are so much easier to eat than big honkin’ pieces of lettuce.
Wow! This really looks good! I could have some right now!
So good for lunch or dinner. Leftovers pack great for lunch the next day!
I absolutely love fresh summer salads like this. I like to make a big batch and munch on them all week. I’m adding this one to my to make list!
Courtney,
Absolutely right…you can eat on this one all week.
Hehehe love the photos of your guy!! We had big zucchini like that when I could grow in the ground, but not so much in my containers 🙁 the kids loved seeing how big they would grow! I can’t wait to give this salad a try. It is a great fresh idea for a side dish that I think we will love!
Bobbi,
Isn’t it funny how large it got?
This looks great. I’m all about bringing big healthy salads like this to work. They are great for eating on the go and plenty filling.
Lane,
You’re right. This is an awesome salad for work. It will keep you satisfied so you won’t run to the vending machine.
You weren’t kidding about the giant basil plant! Also I’ve received big zucchini’s like that. They are massive. This salad has a little bit of everything, just perfect.
Susan,
Some things just grow BIG here!
That humongous zucchini has bread (or cake!) written all over it! Your salad looks absolutely amazing – fresh, colorful and healthy.
Alida,
I think I did make zuke bread out of that behemoth!
This salad has my name written all over it. I make a version of this with artichokes… it’s my favorite summer salad to date!
Shaina,
Oh artichokes! That’s a great idea!
Edible flower garden is the best idea ever!!! Love it – oh and your salad? Well, like always my friend it’s amazing.
Bea,
You HAVE to plant an edible flower garden. It was so much fun!
This looks so good! Yummy!!!
Deanna,
Thank you!
Love this recipe and really love that great pic of your son peeking through the leaf!
Thanks Isabel! That photo was serendipitous!
love this salad!!! and holy cow, now that’s a zucchini!!!
Holy moly, it sure is! It was so heavy!
WOW!!! Look at the size of those! Clearly you know how to garden – and cook!
Foodie Army,
It’s Alaskan-sized!
I can never resist a chopped salad…and adding beans and herbs make it an irresistible meal!
Liz,
Chopped salads are just so much easier to eat!
Your chopped salad looks amazing, Dorothy! I know its hard to keep up with zucchini when they start coming in!
Cindy,
It is, and clearly I fell down on the job that year.
Love the colors in your salad! What a beautiful dish. Herbs and fresh veggies… what more do you need? lol Yum!!
Shannon,
Agree! Well, maybe I need a glass of wine. And if I had had an avocado, I woulda put that in, too!
I love your “theme gardens”. So cool! And I love this colorful, summery recipe!
Brianne,
Theme gardens are so fun to dream up!
My goodness you sure do grow some ginormous veggies. And you make a colorful salad too. It’s one that catches your attention with the brightness and makes you want to dig in right then.
Thanks Renee! Sometimes I forget to harvest in time. 🙂
I love the gigantic zucchini! Ha ha!! Your dish looks just delicious and light! I would love to have this for lunch!
Jennifer,
We ate it for dinner, and I need to make it again and have it around for lunches. I know it will go fast.