Udon and Zucchini Noodles • Bell Pepper • Cherry Tomatoes • Kohlrabi • Broccoli

Salad recipe by Green Garden Bakery youth and chef coach Nettie Colón from Red Hen Gastrolab.

Download this recipe (pdf)

Lemon Pesto Zoodle by Green Garden Bakery Youth

Inspired by a muffin.

Green Garden Bakery (GGB) is known for their delicious baked goods, including their popular lemon zucchini muffin. It is the inspiration for this salad that youth Elicia, Johnny, D’Loveantae created. They call it a “salad of hope,” because of the different ways GGB gives hope to the community through their food distribution and product sales “We want people to know we continue to work amidst the calamity of 2020 and 2021,” says D’Loveantae. Chef Coach Nettie agrees, “their recipe tells the story of these young people, and that story includes a lot of love behind it.”

4 Berry Alarm

With Lemon Pesto Dressing

Makes 8 (1-cup) servings

Salad Ingredients
  • 4 oz. uncooked udon noodles
  • 1 medium yellow bell pepper, julienned
  • 1 cup spiralized or long thin strips zucchini
  • 1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup peeled and chopped kohlrabi
  • 1 cup chopped kale (stems removed)
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • ½ cup chopped broccoli florets
  • 8 cups mixed salad greens
Dressing Ingredients
  • ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. chopped shallot
  • ½ tsp. grated lemon peel
  • ⅔ cup light olive oil
  • 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
  • ¼ tsp salt or to taste
Toppers
  • Raw red or golden beet matchsticks
  • ½ cup roasted and salted pepitas
Directions

  1. Cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain; rinse with cool water.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl add remaining salad ingredients, except salad greens.
  3. To make the dressing, process lemon juice, mustard, sugar and lemon peel in blender until smooth. Slowly add oil to blender with motor running. Add spinach leaves and process until smooth and creamy. Season with salt to taste.
  4. Stir half the dressing into the salad mixture; toss to coat well. Arrange salad greens on plates. Spoon salad mixture on top; drizzle with remaining dressing. Garnish salads with beets and pepitas.

Add seasoned chicken to salads:

Heat oven to 350˚F. Rub 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts with 2 Tbsp. canola oil, 1 Tbsp. smoked paprika and 1 ½ tsp. Cajun seasoning. Sear chicken in ovenproof skillet just until both sides are golden. Place pan in oven; bake 15 to 20 minutes or until no longer pink in center. Let cool, chop and add to salad mix.

Future and Career Planning

"Through Roots you get to meet successful people in interesting careers. I didn’t know you could like your job."

— Cecilia