Listen, I have a rough history with salad in general. I’m a meat-and-potatoes-girl at heart. But this Green Goddess Salad makes my heart sing in a way I didn’t even know was possible! It’s packed with fresh herbs, crunchy greens, and an unbelievably creamy (and vividly green) dressing. It’s especially transcendent when you add crushed salt and vinegar chips on top (I mean, hello? I think I would like every salad better this way??)
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Yesterday we were all frantically searching the house for Truman’s lost homework. It wasn’t just one assignment, it was an entire week’s worth, because we pulled the kids out to travel for the eclipse (more on that in a minute!)
We tore the house apart and couldn’t think where else to look. Then Charlotte said, “Wait, have you looked in Edison’s closet? He’s always hiding stuff in there.” Eric runs off to look, and Truman hollers, “Oh yeah, and check under the bed too, that’s where Edison has been hiding the Triscuits lately.”
Lately? Lately?? I’m sorry, what now?? I know Edison (who is 4) has a snacking problem, but I didn’t know the other kids were silently complicit. Darn them!!
We did end up finding the homework, by the way, thank goodness. We had told the elementary office that we were looking everywhere for it (it was late) and when I finally brought it into the office, the receptionist actually stood and gave me a hug. Probably because she could see I had devolved into a crazy eyed freak by that point. (No one tells you this is how motherhood ages you. It’s not the wrinkles; it’s the spiraling pupils.)
But no regrets! The eclipse experience was AMAZING! (Can you see the solar flare on the bottom right? My dad took this amazing photo!) We’ve been planning a family reunion around this eclipse for several years, since my sister lives in Dallas and in the path of totality. It was cloudy all morning, but cleared up just in time for all 27 of us to see it! It was truly once-in-a-lifetime-level cool.
If you are on my email list, you received my post with eclipse-worthy snacks last week. Because I can find a reason to snack at literally ANY event. (I guess this is where Edison gets it??) Sign up here to get recipe ideas in your inbox! (Thank you to reader Virginia, who emailed me requesting eclipse snack ideas!)
Okay folks, it’s Goddess time! (← who remembers this song? aahhh high school haha.) Have you seen the Green Goddess salad that’s viral on Tiktok? Yeah, me neither. I asked my friend if she lets her teens on Tiktok and she said, when it first came out, I signed up to see what it was all about. I had so much hot garbage funneled into my brain so fast, I couldn’t imagine letting my kids on it. Haha! No shade on all you Tiktokers out there. The good news is, we can have an incredible Green goddess salad even without a buxom influencer telling us to!
What is green goddess dressing?
I mean, we know it’s green…but what is it? Green goddess is a creamy dressing made with mayo, fresh herbs, and lemon juice. You can really take it anywhere you want from those basic guidelines. There is a ton of variety in the recipes I found. I tried several ingredient combos, and I’m soooo happy with the one I landed on!! I could pour this stuff on anything.
I’m a sucker for fresh herbs. This dressing has parsley, green onions, basil, dill, and cilantro. Pile it all in!! I promise it’s not overwhelming. Herbs bring all the flavor, but we also need plenty of fat in this dressing to make it nice and creamy since herbs are so watery. We’re drizzling this dressing over basically calorie-free greens, so I promise, it’s a good idea to have some fat in our dressing.
So we are adding mayo, greek yogurt, and half an avocado. Skip the avocado if you must, but I’m telling you, those lil green monsters are champs at bringing in the creamy fattiness. And hello, they are totally on the color theme! It was too perfect, I couldn’t pass it up.
Like I said, this dressing is really adaptable, so don’t stress about getting every single ingredient, especially if you don’t love one of them, like cilantro. Just leave it out. Swap the lemon for lime. Out of basil? Add in more parsley. Use soaked nuts like cashews or walnuts in place of yogurt for dairy free dressing. Just follow your little heart!
We are adding a teaspoon of fish sauce for some amazing umami flavor and saltiness. Do you have this ingredient in your fridge? You should. I put it in so many things, it’s not a fishy flavor when you use it sparingly (which I always do). Technically you can leave it out, but I do highly recommend it! Use it to make last week’s recipe, Korean Beef. Or this Pork Ramen. Or this Banh Mi Sandwich! Yum.
Once we’ve got our dressing ingredients all put together, sky is the limit on what you want to put it on. I love it with some simple cabbage (chopped up really small!) spinach, cucumbers, avocado and green onion. But that’s just one idea, you could put it on romaine lettuce butter lettuce, baby kale, arugula – really, any green veggies in any combination that you want. Some recipes call for broccoli or green bell pepper (nawwww…but you do you😂)
Although it really doesn’t matter what greens you choose once you find out about this next ingredient. It’s the kicker, the thing that transforms this salad from a bowl of vegetables into a sexy side dish: SALT AND VINEGAR CHIPSSSSSS!!! Y’all. I cannot get enough of this. Why am I not adding salt and vinegar chips to every salad of my life? #goals
TL;DR
Here’s the bullet list, all the reasons I love this green goddess salad more than life itself right now:
- it’s got a dressing with creamy smooth ingredients and plenty of lemon and herbs for flavor
- fish sauce for umami (a hack for not having to add anchovies, a traditional ingredient in many dressings)
- greens that are chopped itty bitty tiny, so you get all the goodness of the salad in each and every bite. this is huge for me.
- feta cheese, what’s a salad without a lil cheese? It’s tangy and perfect.
- and then, say it with me now….SALT AND VINEGARRRR yes please.
That’s it guys. I ate this salad every day for lunch for a week because I was so obsessed. If you want to make it dinner, throw in some rotisserie chicken breast or your protein of choice, salmon would be great! Now let’s make it!
Green goddess salad recipe ingredients
Here’s a quick list of what you need for the homemade dressing and the salad. Just look at this pile of GREEN. Don’t you feel like a champ already??
- plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- mayo (get the good stuff!)
- fresh parsley
- green onions
- fresh basil
- fresh dill
- cilantro (skip it if you hate it)
- lemons
- cucumbers
- garlic
- green cabbage
- baby spinach
- fish sauce
- avocado
- feta cheese
- salt and vinegar kettle chips (optional but I mean, not really?? so good!!)
How to make green goddess salad
Bust out your blender, he’s the real MVP today.
Start by adding all the liquid-y ingredients at the bottom, this will make it easier on the motor. Greek yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, fish sauce, etc.
Then add all the herbs on top. You don’t need to chop them first! Just throw them in. Here’s how I slice cilantro away from the stems. Repeat for all the herbs.
Blend away until you have this vibrant deliciousness in front of you.
Doesn’t it look like Hulk potion or something? Like, maybe if you drank this whole thing, suddenly you might be able to lift a car or something?? Green Goblin was onto something.
Set the dressing aside and get chopping. For today’s salad, we are using cabbage, spinach, cucumbers, avocado (the other half of the one you used in the dressing!) and green onions.
And when I say chopped, I mean chopped. Even the spinach. Small bites are what make this salad so amazing. All the flavors can fit compactly right on your fork when you do a decent job chopping. I swear, I would love salad in general so much more if they were all chopped to this level.
And that’s it my friends! Do NOT skip the salt and vinegar chips and the feta cheese!
How to store green goddess dressing
Green goddess salad dressing can be stored for up to a week in the fridge. Because we are using avocado it will start to discolor a little bit after day one, but it’s still tasty I promise. After a week, the fresh herbs aren’t going to keep very well. Use it or freeze it before then.
Can you freeze green goddess dressing?
Yes, you totally can! Make sure it’s labeled and in an airtight container or ziplock bag. Defrost it overnight in the fridge and then give it a quick whir in your blender or food processor to fully combine, just in case any separation occurred in the freezer.
Frequently asked questions about green goddess dressing
Fresh herbs, lemon, creamy yogurt, and a little garlic, yowz! It’s very fresh tasting, but also feels decadent because we’re using full-fat Greek yogurt and mayonnaise. PLUS an avocado for all the perfectly green fattiness that gorgeous veggie can offer. (veggie? fruit? Feels like a veggie, but I just checked, it’s a fruit. weird.)
Hey, I say anything that helps you to eat more vegetables is healthy! Who’s with me? This dressing is packed with fresh herbs and actually has some decent protein (for a dressing) from the greek yogurt. The creaminess comes from the yogurt, mayo, and avocado, so while it does have fat, I say it’s a healthier option than your average creamy dressing. As with all condiments, it’s all about how much you use!
In the 1920s, a California hotel chef dedicated a salad to an actor, who was in a play called The Green Goddess. The play and the salad were both extremely successful, but today most people only know the salad. (When I actually sit and think about the name of this salad, all I can picture is the Green Giant veggie brand dude, with the leafy Adam-and-Eve-outfit, and the Peter Pan shoes. You know that guy??)
You can find bottled commercial versions of green goddess dressing in just about any grocery store! I personally haven’t found one that can beat the flavor of fresh made dressing though. You should definitely give this recipe a try (it’s SO easy!!)
More salad recipes you’ll love
- Strawberry Spinach Salad << every time strawberries are in season I make this!
- Seriously the Best Taco Salad << everyone loves taco salad, everyone
- Easy Broccoli and Bacon Salad << this stuff is legendary at potlucks!
- Apple Gorgonzola Salad << super flavorful, so good for fall
- Green Salad with Feta and Beets << no chopping required…you’re welcome
- Thai Steak Noodle Salad from The Produce Moms
- Red Cabbage Salad with Bacon and Goat Cheese from Kalyn’s Kitchen
- Lemon Sea Salt Arugula Salad from Fed and Fit
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Green Goddess Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1/3 cup whole milk plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise, high quality, like Best Foods
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, use less if using table salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 medium avocado, save the rest to garnish
- 1/4 cup green onions, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, packed
- 1/3 cup fresh basil , packed
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, packed
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, packed
For the salad:
- 1/2 head green cabbage, finely chopped
- 6 ounces fresh baby spinach, chopped small
- 1 large English cucumber, sliced and then quartered
- 1/4 cup green onions, chopped small
- 1 and 1/2 medium avocados, sliced
Optional toppings
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 and 1/2 cups salt and vinegar kettle chips, crunched
- crushed red pepper
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor, add 1/3 cup plain yogurt, 1/2 cup mayo, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, 1 clove of garlic, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Cut an avocado in half and scoop half of it into the blender. (Save the rest)
- Add about 1/4 up green onions. (I use not-quite-all of the green parts from a bunch.) You only need to bother chopping them into 2-inch pieces.
- Add 1/2 cup fresh parsley. Use a chef's knife to cut the leaves of the parsley away from the stems, dragging your knife along the length of the stem. See photo. You don't need to chop the parsley, just shove it into a 1/2 cup measurement, and when you have enough, toss it in the blender.
- Do the same for about 1/3 cup basil. Cut the leaves away from the stems. Remove any very large stems but don't stress yourself out if a few get tossed in. Don't chop, just shove it into the measuring cup until it's full and then add it to the blender.
- Repeat the process of cutting the dill leaves away from the stems, and packing into a 1/4 cup measuring cup. Add to the blender.
- Repeat the process of cutting the cilantro leaves away from the stems, and packing into a 1/4 cup measuring cup. Add to the blender.
- Blend the dressing ingredients together until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as necessary. Taste it and adjust seasonings as necessary; you might want to add more lemon juice or salt or pepper.
- Finely chop the green cabbage. Annoyingly small. I promise, small bites make for the best salad! Add to a serving bowl.
- Chop about 6 ounces of spinach into very small pieces, first one way, then turn and chop the other way. Add to the bowl.
- Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise, then in half again. Chop the cucumber into slices. Add to the bowl.
- Chop about 1/4 cup of green onions from the same bunch.
- Family Style serving: Add dressing, as much as you like, and toss the salad. Top the tossed salad with the remaining avocado, sliced (plus another one if your crowd loves avocado). Top with 1/2 cup feta cheese, and 1 and 1/2 cups crushed salt and vinegar chips. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper. Pass the remaining dressing at the table.
- Individual servings: Divide the chopped cabbage, spinach, cucumber, and green onions among 6 salad plates or bowls. Toss each serving with dressing, you don't have to use it all. Top with sliced avocado, feta cheese, salt and vinegar chips, and sprinkle with crushed red pepper. Pass the remaining dressing at the table.
