Springtime Tomato Salad with Pesto Sauce

From: Modified from Julia’s Album

Cooking Time: 20 min

Serves: 6

Directions: 1.) In a large bowl, mix the cherry tomatoes, avo-cado, cucumber and onion together. 2.) Make pesto sauce. Using a food processor or blender, add herbs, nuts, garlic and Parmesan cheese and pulse until a paste forms. Add salt and pulse again just until mixed. 3.) While the food processor is running, slowly pour in the olive oil until pesto becomes emulsi-fied and has a sauce-like consistency. 4.) Add 1/4 cup pesto sauce and squeeze of lemon juice over vegetable salad mixture. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Ingredients: Salad: 1 pound cherry tomatoes, variety of colors, sliced in half 1 cucumber or zucchini, sliced 2 avocados, diced 1/3 cup red onion, diced small 1/4 cup pesto (recipe below) 1 tbsp lemon juice Salt and pepper to taste Pesto Sauce: 1/4 cup tree nuts (typically pine nuts, but walnuts, cashews or almonds work also) 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil (can be replaced with other herbs or greens) 2 cloves garlic 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2-3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

---

Notes:

Tomato salad can be kept in fridge for 3 days with dressing. Pesto sauce can be used as salad dressing, or served warm over pasta. It is yummy on bread, pizza or dipped with vegetables. Enjoy!

Nutrition:

166 calories, 14 g fat, 115 mg sodium, 572 mg potas-sium, 10 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 2 g protein, 525 IU vitamin A, 21.3 mg vitamin C, 40 mg calcium, 1 mg iron