A Bite Inspired by… The Secret Garden (1911 novel):
Looking for a light and healthy salad that’s super easy to make? You’ve come to the right place! My “Healthiest Garden Salad” recipe, inspired by “The Secret Garden”, has a delicious, no oil dressing that delivers bold flavors through the use of fresh herbs. Serve as a side salad or add a simple, grilled protein to create the perfect entree! This post also contains instructions for night-before meal prep, so you can get a healthy dinner on the table even faster!
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“The Secret Garden” is one of my all-time favorite stories. I’ve not only read the original novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett more than once, I’ve also watched the movie and seen the musical. It’s just such a magical and whimsical story that was way ahead of its time. Burnett broaches important topics, such as chronic illness and depression, that were taboo to discuss publicly during the early 1900s when the story was written. Her story has had a lasting impact on children and adults alike for generations, and now it’s the inspiration for my latest recipe.
For those who are unfamiliar with the story, here’s the basic premise. A young girl named Mary Lennox moves to England to live with her uncle, Mr. Craven. Mary is extremely surly and spoiled, while her uncle is in a severe depression following the death of his wife. Mary befriends Mr. Craven’s son, Colin, who suffers from a spinal problem, and the two of them work together to bring his late mother’s garden back to life. The garden becomes a safe-haven for the children, helps to restore Colin’s health, and brings solace to the family. My summary doesn’t really do the story justice, but you get the picture.
My recipe inspired by “The Secret Garden” is a delicious garden salad that will make you feel the same way Mary and Colin felt when they were in his mother’s garden: rejuvenated, refreshed, and extremely healthy! It has a variety of fresh from the garden vegetables: baby romaine, carrots, radishes, and alfalfa sprouts. These veggies are light, but extremely nutritious. Plus, the salad doesn’t get its flavors from a really oily, heavy dressing. Instead, following in the spirit of the secret garden, it gets its delicious taste from a variety of fresh herbs. That’s right– this recipe has absolutely NO OIL. There’s nothing in this salad, except for the garden itself (and a splash of balsamic vinegar!) The balsamic vinegar gives the dressing an earthy, slighty sweet complexity (I like MiaBella Balsamic Vinegar.) This salad is so delicious, even hard-to-please Mary Lennox would approve (I hope!)
This recipe serves 4 people as a side salad, but it’s also super easy to turn it into an entree salad for 2 people . Just add a grilled protein like chicken, tofu, or steak! Adding a protein creates a healthy, simple, and surprisingly, filling meal. It can be really hard to stay healthy during the weekdays, when you’re tired and feeling lazy. That’s the beauty of this recipe– you can do nearly all the prep work the night before!
Here’s how:
The night before:
- Slice the radishes and carrots. Put them in a tight container (no air!) and place in the fridge.
- Chop up the herbs and place them in a freezer bag. Make sure the bag is tightly sealed and put it in the fridge.
- Marinate your protein and refrigerate. I love using Stubb’s Marinades
. They’re super easy and so SO delicious!
The day of:
- Grill your protein.
- Assemble the salad with your pre-cut veggies.
- Make the dressing.
- Toss the salad and top with your protein.
If you follow this method, you can have a healthy dinner on the table in less than 15 minutes. This salad means that healthy weekday eating is in your grasp– no more excuses! 😉
No matter how you choose to eat it, this salad will make you feel like you’re in the secret garden with Mary and Colin regaining your health and your youth with every bite you take. Enjoy!
- For the salad:
- 5 ounces baby romaine
- 5 large radishes, sliced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 1 ounce alfalfa sprouts (about 1 cup)
- For the dressing:
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fresh chives, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon oregano, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon rosemary, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste (optional)
- Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add all the dressing ingredients into a small bowl. Stir well.
- Add dressing to the salad. Toss well. Enjoy!
Salads are one of my favorites and I love sprouts! Excellent looking dish, thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much, Erica! I love sprouts too! Hope you enjoy!
I never read the secret garden but I do love a lightly dressed salad with herbs. Your choice of herbs looks great. Another one I like in a salad is dill but I don’t know that dill would complement the balsamic vinegar as well as the ones you selected.
Thank you so much, Romain! Dill is also great in dressings. I’ll actually be posting a Spicy Vegan Ranch Dip on the blog later this week that includes dill, so you should definitely check that out once it’s up. Thanks again!
This salad sounds perfect for fancy dinners!! David loves radishes and I love sprouts so the ingredients for this are a match made in heaven!
Thank you so much Mikaela! This would definitely be a great side salad for a fancy dinner. Hope you and David enjoy it!
Salads are one of my favorites and my go-to. I always feel so much lighter but yet full from a salad. It just sits so well with my belly! This looks delicious! Must check out the book too!
Thank you so much Cindy! I love salads too. I always feel so good after eating them because they’re super nutritious, but filling like you said. Thanks for stopping by!
I love new light and healthy salad recipes like this one. I run out of ideas! I’ve never made a dressing like this without oil but I can’t wait to try it!
Thank you so much, Karen! After you make your first oil-free dressing, you’ll be hooked! It just feels so much lighter, yet still has a ton of flavor. Thanks again!
I love that book! This looks so refreshing and clean. Perfect for spring.
Thank you so much, Riva! It’s definitely a great salad for spring, especially if you have a vegetable garden. You can add any other fresh veggies you happen to have on hand and use the same herb dressing. It tastes good with anything. Thanks again!
There’s no question that fresh herbs really amp up the flavor in a salad dressing! Do you always make your own? Most people have bottles of the stuff crammed into the door of their fridge, but I prefer homemade.
Thank you so much, Lisa! I do usually make my own. It tastes so much better and it’s a lot easier than people think, especially if you’re using fresh herbs! Thanks again for stopping by!
Salads are perfect for lunch and I love the addition of crispy radish in it. Also enjoyed the gist of the book and I will try to get it in the library next time.
Thank you Sandhya! I love radishes, as well! They’re delicious in salads. And definitely check out the book– it’s one of my favorites! Thanks again for stopping by!
I love salads year round! And this salad looks so amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you so much, Debi!
“The Secret Garden” was one of my all-time favorite books growing up! 🙂 I haven’t read it in such a long time, but I really should read it again. Your salad sounds so fresh and light. I love balsamic vinegar as the base for a dressing too!
Thank you so much, Marie! And, I know right? I read it as a kid too, but just picked it up again recently after seeing the musical. SO GOOD! And you definitely read it through new eyes as an adult. Worth a fresh read for sure, if you get a chance. Thanks again!
The Secret Garden was my favourite book growing up. My mom bought that for me when I was 10, and I remembered it looking boring but when I started to read it – I got sucked right in. It’s a very sweet and lovely book and what’s funny is I can totally see how your salad relates to the book! I love that it can be pre-made ahead of time and it’s not overloaded with dressing! Taste the natural flavours of the salad! 😀
Thank you so much, Joyce! I totally feel the exact same way about the book– it really sucks you into a whole different, magical world. “The Secret Garden” is all about appreciating the world in its most natural state and so is this salad. Hope you enjoy!