A vibrant, easy-to-make dish loaded with fresh veggies!

As a university student, finding quick, affordable, and nutritious meals amidst a busy schedule of classes and study sessions can feel like a quest. Enter the garden pesto salad — a vibrant, flavourful dish that's not only easy to whip up but also packed with energy-boosting ingredients. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup homemade pesto
• 1 head romaine lettuce or bag of mix baby leaves
• 1 Cucumber
• 4 tomatoes
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 avocado
• 3/4 cup mozzarella cubes
• salt
• pepper
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

1. Cut up the romaine lettuce, slice the cucumber, and add that to the bowl with the tomatoes, green onion, avocado cut into chunks, and mozzarella cubes.
2. Add in the pesto and lemon juice and gently mix up the salad. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, add any other toppings you want, and enjoy!

For the basil dressing

• ½ cup packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons raw pine nuts
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 medium lemon, juiced)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste