Growing ingredients for a good salad in temperate climates is usually easy, and we’re all familiar with typical ingredients like lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions. The challenge is that none of these grow reliably in the hot, humid tropical climate of Bocas del Toro.
The good news is that we can grow an even better salad in the tropics! While we may not have the traditional greens and vegetables, our tropical climate offers a much wider variety of options, flavors, and far more nutritious profiles.
Everything listed below provides a delicate taste and texture—nothing bitter or harsh—and with the right dressing, you can create a truly exceptional salad.
1. KangKong Spinach (Water Spinach)
KangKong deserves the top spot for a reason. This leafy green is an excellent substitute for lettuce, offering a mild flavor and tender texture. It can be eaten fresh or cooked, and it thrives easily in tropical climates like Bocas del Toro.
Often regarded as a superfood, KangKong is incredibly nutritious, packed with vitamins A and C, iron, calcium, and antioxidants. It’s also known to support digestive health, thanks to its high fiber content.
Growing KangKong is very easy in our climate, it can grow both in water or soil, it likes a lot of water, but can tolerate short droughts as well. Kangkong is also a vey fast grower, providing you with an endless supply of fresh greens. You can let KangKong sprawl all over the ground or you can grow it up a trellis.
2. Edible Hibiscus (Green and Red)
Edible hibiscus, known for its beautiful green and red leaves, adds both flavor and color to your tropical salad. These leaves are tender, slightly tangy, and can be eaten raw. They’re also a good source of calcium, potassium, and antioxidants.
This plant thrives in humid climates and grows quickly, making it a perfect addition to your tropical garden. Its young shoots and leaves are ideal for salads.
Growing Edible Hibsicus is so easy, it kinda grows itself. The edible hibiscus plants thrive the heat and humidity of Bocas del Toro. They grow on almost any soil condition, can tolerate both wet and dry conditions and require no attention to thrive.
These plants are short lived but if you let them, they will drop seeds and establish themselves, our edible hibiscus come back year after year with no input from anyone.
3. Surinam Spinach
Surinam spinach (also known as waterleaf) is a soft, succulent green with a mild, slightly tangy flavor. It’s rich in vitamins A and C, iron, and fiber. Not only is it easy to grow in tropical climates, but it also adds a nice crunch to your salad.
In addition to its culinary uses, Surinam spinach is often used in traditional medicine for its antioxidant properties.
Growing Surinam spinach is very easy in our climate. Surinam spinach is a fast-growing plant that thrives in almost any soil, it can tolerate dry or wet conditions and requires no attention at all. They prefer some shade during the hottest part of the day.
4. Katuk Shoots
Katuk (Sauropus androgynus) is another tropical favorite, known for its tender shoots. These shoots have a mild, pea-like flavor, making them an excellent raw salad ingredient. They can also be stir-fried or added to soups.
Katuk is a powerhouse of nutrients, rich in protein, vitamins A and C, and iron. It’s also very easy to grow and thrives in hot, humid climates.
Growing Katuk is extremely easy in Bocas. Katuk thrives in our climate and can tolerate any soil condition. It can also tolerate wet or dry conditions. Katuk is a long lived perennial that can provide an endless supply of nutritious greens for many years to come with absolutely no effort.
5. Molokhia Spinach
Molokhia, also called Egyptian spinach, has been a staple in Middle Eastern and African cuisine for centuries. Its leaves have a mild flavor and texture when raw, making it a great addition to salads.
Highly nutritious, Molokhia is rich in fiber, vitamins A, C, and E, calcium, and magnesium. It’s a fast-growing plant that thrives in tropical environments, making it perfect for your Bocas del Toro garden.
Growing Molokhia in Bocas is very easy. Molokhia thrives in our climate, it can grow in almost any soil and can tolerate both wet and dry periods. Molokhia is a short-lived plant, but before the end of its life it drops hundreds of seeds that easily germinate under the mother plant, once the small seedlings are established you can cut down the larger plants and let the small ones grow to maturity.
6. Purslane
Purslane is a succulent green with a crisp texture and slightly tangy, lemony flavor. It’s often eaten raw and makes a wonderful addition to salads. In addition to its culinary versatility, purslane is one of the best plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
It’s also high in vitamins A, C, and E, magnesium, potassium, and iron. Purslane is hardy, grows well in hot climates, and is low-maintenance.
Growing Purslane is super easy, Purslane can grow in almost any soil and can tolerate wet or dry conditions. As long as it gets full sun purslane will thrive.
7. Bele Baby Leaves (Pacific Spinach)
Bele (Abelmoschus manihot), also known as Pacific spinach, has tender, spinach-like leaves that are ideal for salads. Young leaves are the best for fresh consumption and have a mild, pleasant flavor.
This nutritious plant is packed with vitamins A, B, and C, as well as calcium and iron. Bele grows quickly and abundantly in the tropics, providing a steady source of fresh greens year-round.
Growing Bele Spinach is relatively easy in our climate. Bele needs a bit more attention to grow well than the other plants on this list. It's a very hardy plant and can tolerate both wet and dry conditions well, but Bele can be susceptible to some leaf-eating insects that can make the leaves look like Swiss cheese. If you don't mind about the cosmetics this is not a problem, the leaves are perfectly edible. The Bele plant also has to be protected from the harsh sun, it prefers mostly shade to grow well with just a few hours of early morning or late afternoon sun.
In the tropics, we’re not limited by what can’t grow. Instead, we have a world of new possibilities at our fingertips, where you can create salads that are richer in flavor and nutrients than anything found in a typical grocery store. With a little knowledge and the right plants, your tropical garden can provide you with an endless supply of fresh, vibrant greens that thrive year-round.
All the plants mentioned in this article—from the versatile KangKong to the tender Bele baby leaves—are perfectly suited to tropical climates like Bocas del Toro. Best of all, they can be easily grown in your own backyard.
How to make a great tropical salad?
Harvesting:
To get the best taste and texture this is the way we harvest greens to make a great salad.
Katuk: We harvest the young shoots including the last couple of baby leaves.
KangKong: We use the young shoots and baby leaves and also the mature leaves.
Purslane: You can use any part of the plant, we enjoy the unopened flower buds with a small stem and a few leaves attached, it adds a perfect crunch to the salad.
Bele Spinach: We use the youngest leaves of the plant all the way up to two inches. The young tender leaves have a milder flavor and a crunchier texture than the mature leaves.
Molokhia Spinach: You can use the young and more mature leaves, avoiding the older rougher leaves. The young seed pods are also edible but they get fibrous when mature.
Edible Hibiscus: We prefer the young baby leaves but the mature leaves are also really enjoyable.
Surinam Spinach: We prefer the young baby leaves but the mature leaves are also really enjoyable. The flowers are also edible and have a very mild taste.
Our favorite tropical dressing:
When it comes to dressings, we like to keep it simple... and tropical! Our favorite dressing is only 3 ingredients.
Blend a passion fruit with seeds included, add extra virgin olive oil to taste, and some sea salt, mix, and serve.
Ready to start growing your own tropical salad garden?
All of the plants listed here are available for purchase from our nursery. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or just starting out, we have the right plants to help you grow your own food. Visit our nursery or contact us today to get started on your journey to homegrown, nutrient-packed salads!