Green Goddess Salad

15 Minute Green Goddess Salad Recipe filled with crisp green lettuce, cucumber, tomato, avocado green pepper and sunflower seeds then topped with creamy green goddess dressing for the perfect bite.

Make it a meal and add a little protein to the top with my Grilled Chicken or Garlic Herb Roasted Shrimp.

Healthy Green Salad With Homemade Dressing

With the right combination of fresh ingredients and a stellar dressing to tie everything together, salads are my kind of comfort food. Not only do they deliver on both flavor and texture, but they also leave you feeling lively and refreshed. This quick and easy dish is destined to join the ranks of your top favorite salad recipes!

Vibrant green vegetables give this salad its signature color while the tomato, red onion and sunflower seeds sprinkle in some nice variation. The dressing coats each component with a lightweight layer of tangy, herby, garlicky goodness. It all comes together to form heaven in a serving bowl! Nothing beats a big bite that combines a little bit of everything.

Why Is it Called Green Goddess Salad?

I honestly couldn’t envision a more fitting name for this dish – it contains a lot of green and it tastes divine enough for a goddess! However, there’s actually another reason why this salad was given its name.

The dish was first created to be served as a starter for the lead actor of a play called “The Green Goddess.” Ever since it was brought to life at the Palace Hotel in 1923, different adaptations of green goddess salad have been composed in kitchens across the world. I’ve personally tried a bunch of different versions, and this one is the best of the best!

What You’ll Need

Let’s go over the good-for-you ingredients that make up this tempting salad. The amounts are included in the recipe card below this post.

• Green Leaf Lettuce: Roughly chopped.
• Diced Green Pepper
• Diced English Cucumber
• Halved Cherry Tomatoes: If preferred, you can swap these out for halved grape tomatoes.
• Diced Red Onion
• Sunflower Seeds: Stick with the unsalted ones to avoid adding unnecessary sodium – the salad dressing will provide plenty of flavor.
• Sliced Avocado
• Green Goddess Dressing: I highly recommend whipping up my light and creamy homemade version rather than buying it bottled!

How to Make Green Goddess Salad

Get ready to fall in love with the convenience of this recipe. You’ll have a wholesome salad on the table in no time!

1. Combine Everything But Avocado & Dressing: Add the prepared lettuce, green pepper, cucumber, red onion, cherry tomatoes and sunflower seeds to a large mixing bowl.
2. Toss With Dressing: Drizzle the green goddess dressing over the salad ingredients. Use two wooden spoons to toss the salad until everything is evenly coated.
3. Add Avocado & Serve: Top the salad with the sliced avocado, then serve it immediately.

Tips and Tricks

Check out the helpful hints below to ensure the success of your salad.

• Make the Dressing in Advance: Making your salad dressing a few hours or even a day ahead of time allows the flavors to fuse together, giving you an even yummier end result. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
• Use a Large Mixing Bowl: It’s important that everything is evenly coated in dressing so that every inch of your salad is packed with flavor. Grab the biggest mixing bowl you can find so you won’t have to worry about spillage slowing you down.
• Serve the Salad Immediately: If you’re not serving all 6 helpings of this salad at once, I recommend serving the dressing on the side or tossing it with individual portions. Leftovers will last longer if the dressing and the salad ingredients are stored separately.

Variation Ideas

Green goddess salad doesn’t come with a strict formula – it’s super flexible! Here are some worthwhile ways to switch it up every so often:

• Bulk It Up: Cooked chicken and crumbled feta cheese would taste incredible in this salad. Try it out if you’re looking to serve a substantial main course.
• Swap Out the Greens: Not a fan of green leaf lettuce? Substitute it for another kind of lettuce or the salad greens of your choice (such as spinach, arugula or kale).
• Crank Up the Heat: If you’re looking for a spicy version of this salad, then go ahead and blend a jalapeño into the dressing. Alternatively, dice it up and mix it into the salad, removing the seeds if desired.
• Make the TikTok Version: Green goddess salad has recently gone viral on TikTok, only the internet sensation is more of a chopped salad that’s served as a dip. To mimic that trendy adaptation, leave out the tomatoes and make sure everything is diced up nice and finely, including the avocado. Toss the salad as usual, working gently to avoid smooshing the avocado, then serve it with your favorite pita or tortilla chips for dunking.

Serving Suggestions

So many different dishes will complement this crave-worthy salad, from Air Fryer Salmon to Grilled Chicken Kabobs. If you’re adding a protein and turning it into an entree, partner it with Garlic Ranch Potatoes or Honey Roasted Carrots. Anything you’d normally serve with a fresh green salad is fair game!

Storage Instructions

Keep leftover green goddess dressing chilled in an airtight jar and refrigerate any extra salad ingredients in a separate airtight container. The salad will last for up to 24 hours and the dressing will stay good for 5 days. Note that neither one is suitable for freezing.

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More Quick-Fix Salad Ideas

• Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
• Grilled Buffalo Chicken Salad
• Fattoush Salad
• Tomato Panzanella Salad
• Shrimp Avocado Mango Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
• Superfood Broccolini Salad

DON’T MISS A RECIPE ->

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