Savory Sunday: Arugula Salad with Tomato and Avocado

Guest post by Shelby Smith

Want to add a fresh and different flavor to your salad? Arugula can be used as an easy garnish, replacement for lettuce in any sandwich, or the base for any salad. Fresh arugula is buttery, but also has a peppery flavor. They have a look and texture similar to spinach.

      Arugula salad with tomato and avocado is quick, easy, and healthy. This is a great salad that can be put together quickly, have anything added to it, and be a nice change from a traditional Caesar or chef salad. You could even take this recipe and put it inside a bacon sandwich as a different take on a BLT.

            I grew the arugula myself in the Fenton Community Garden as part of my internship.

Ingredients

·         2 cups or a large handful of fresh arugula.

·         1 ½ cups of chopped romaine lettuce.

·         1 avocado peeled and cubed.

·         1 medium tomato cubed.

·         ¼ cup shredded parmesan.

·         1/3 cup of balsamic vinaigrette, fresh or store bought.

Directions

·         Slice and cube the lettuce, tomato, and avocado.

·         Toss the salad with parmesan cheese in a large bowl.

·         Either drizzle with vinaigrette or serve on the side.

Your salad should be cool, crisp, and refreshing. If you are going to store the salad in the refrigerator for more than a half hour, cut the avocado and mix in the dressing right before serving it to avoid brown avocados and wilted greens.

Any kind of cheese can be added to this or you can add dried cranberries and walnuts for a more crunchy and chewy texture. This would be a great side for the mushroom and spinach quiche, see that recipe here.

Optional Vinaigrette Recipe

·         In a bowl or Mason jar, mix together a ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar, ¾ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, ½ teaspoon of salt, pepper, and thyme plus 1 teaspoon of sugar.

·         Shake well when ready to use.

·         Use the mason jar as easy storage.

"Savory Sunday" is a new weekly blog series with seasonal recipes from the garden.

About the Author:

Shelby Smith is a senior double major in multi-platform journalism and film studies at the University of Maryland College Park. She was a sports copy-editor for a campus publication called Unwind Magazine and a writer at The Campus Current newspaper at Anne Arundel Community College.