Green Goddess Salad

This Green Goddess Salad is an easy, great summer salad with avocado, cucumber, peas and a green goddess dressing.

This salad is easy to make and has amazingly fresh, crisp flavors perfect for hot days. It is a stand-alone light meal or a healthy side dish that easily pairs with pasta dishes, grilled meat or Smoked Chicken Quarters, to name a few.

Dress up your table with a good-for-you wholesome salad to make the freshest and most flavorful part of your day.

Ingredients

For the Dressing

• Mayonnaise
• Sour cream
• Garlic 
• Lemon
• Fresh herbs

For the Salad

• Romaine hearts
• Mixed salad greens
• Persian (or English) cucumber
• Avocado
• Snap peas
• Celery
• Almonds, for garnish giving it an extra crunch.

How to make it

For the Dressing

1. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, and garlic to a food processor and pulse until the garlic is minced.
2. Add the lemon, parsley, tarragon, and chives.
3. Pulse until the herbs are finely chopped and the dressing is your desired consistency.

For measurements and times, scroll to the full recipe at the bottom of the page.

For the Salad

1. Add all the ingredients of the salad to a large bowl.
2. Drizzle the dressing over the top and toss to combine.
3. Sprinkle with almonds and enjoy immediately (perhaps with this Sicilian Steak!).

This light and hearty salad serves a party of 4 and can be prepped in just 10 minutes.

Variations

I used almonds to garnish this salad to give it some extra crunch, but you could use walnuts, sunflower seeds, or Roasted Pepitas.

It would even be good with pine nuts, so here’s a post on my other blog, Texanerin Baking, with 4 different, easy ways on How to Toast Pine Nuts.

Fresh herbs like parsley, tarragon, and chives are often used in green goddess dressing, but feel free to swap them out for cilantro, basil or mint if you prefer.

You can use whatever mix of lettuce you’d like. I like the crispness of romaine hearts and the flavor of the mixed greens.

Olives or artichoke hearts would also make a great addition.

If you’re looking for another creamy salad, try this Healthy Creamy Pea Salad!

Can I make it vegan?

Sure! You can find many brands of vegan green goddess dressing, so if you have a preference, you can save some time and buy your favorite.

If you want to make your own vegan goddess dressing, there’s no shortage of recipes. This one from The Mediterranian Dish takes just 5 minutes and uses tahini for a silky, nutty flavor. And here are more Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes if you’d like something else!

Other fresh summer salads

If you’re looking for more hearty and fresh salads, take a gander at these.

Can I prepare it ahead of time?

Sure, if you’re prepping for a dinner party or family meal, you can make the dressing beforehand. It will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

You can chop the veggies and greens and keep them chilled in the fridge. The things I wouldn’t prep beforehand are the avocado, as it will turn brown. And leave off the almonds until you’re ready to serve or they might get soggy.

When you’re ready just add the avocado, drizzle on the dressing, and toss and garnish with almonds.

If you’re making it ahead of time, don’t chop the greens with a knife because the edges will turn brown. Just use your hands.

When you’re ready just add the avocado to the mixed greens, drizzle on the dressing, toss and garnish with almonds.

What to serve with this salad

I’ve got loads of main recipes that work well with this salad, but here are some of my favorites.

Enjoy this Green Goddess Salad and if you make it, please leave a comment below and let me know what you think. 🙂