Garden Salad from The Sims 4

About this dish

Garden Salad is the very first recipe your Sim unlocks at the start of the cooking skill, and one of the most basic dishes in every installment of The Sims since the original 1999 release. In this version we elevated the classic with warm accents: alongside fresh romaine, cherry tomatoes, and red onion, the bowl gets pan-roasted eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, and mushrooms. This turns a simple cold salad into a complete light meal you can serve as a stand-alone lunch.

The dressing follows the classic 3-1-1 formula: three parts olive oil, one part vinegar, one part mustard. We use Russian-style mustard — noticeably sharper than Dijon — which gives the salad a punchy edge that plays nicely against the warm roasted vegetables. Garlic gets added at the very end to keep its aroma fresh. Parsley and romaine are torn by hand instead of cut, which keeps the leaves crisp and prevents the edges from browning.

Total time: 30 minutes including the vegetable roast. The listed quantities yield a large bowl — three solid servings. One serving comes in around 180 kcal, making this a smart choice for a light dinner or a quick weekday lunch.

Step-by-Step Cooking

1

Mix the dressing

In a small glass bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of Russian-style mustard, and 1 tablespoon of 9% white vinegar. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Whisk thoroughly with a silicone spatula until fully smooth — the sauce should thicken and pick up a light sheen. Set the dressing aside for 5–10 minutes to let the flavors mingle.

2

Slice the roasting vegetables

Wash the eggplant, two zucchini, and two bell peppers thoroughly under running water. Slice the eggplant and zucchini into 5–6 mm rounds — try to keep the thickness consistent for even roasting. Core and seed the peppers, then cut into thin strips. Slice the mushrooms thinly. Lay everything out on the cutting board.

3

Prep the fresh ingredients

Peel the red onion and slice into thin half-rings. Halve the cherry tomatoes (6) — halves soak up the dressing better. Finely chop the parsley with a knife, peel and mince the garlic (3 cloves). Tear the romaine lettuce by hand into large pieces — a knife bruises the leaves and they brown quickly.

4

Roast the vegetables

Heat a pan over medium with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the sliced eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and mushrooms — for visual effect, arrange them in tidy sections like in the photo. Roast for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but still slightly al dente. Pull off the heat and let cool briefly.

5

Assemble the salad

In a large patterned salad bowl, layer the romaine leaves. Distribute the red onion, cherry tomatoes, and parsley evenly on top. Then transfer the warm roasted vegetables straight from the pan into the bowl — do this gently with a silicone spatula so you don't crush the romaine underneath. Scatter the minced garlic over the top.

6

Dress and serve

Drizzle the salad with the prepared dressing in a thin stream — for visual appeal, pour from above with a spoon as shown in the photo, letting the sauce cascade over the vegetables. Gently toss the salad from the bottom up with two silicone spoons so the dressing distributes evenly. Serve immediately — Garden Salad doesn't sit well.