If you love chopped salads, you’re going to love this green goddess salad.
This salad has been all over my Tiktok. Green goddess salad isn’t anything new, but this version does it with a twist and it’s pretty amazing. If you have any resolutions this year to eat healthier or go vegan-lite or full on vegan, this salad should be in your back pocket.
I have this thing where I love eating salad with a spoon. Weird, I know, but chopped salads will forever and always be number one in my heart. So when I saw Baked by Melissa (link) dicing up cabbage and cucumbers and mixing them with sliced green onions, I was sold. She serves it up with a creamy vegan green dressing and scoops it up with tortilla chips, pure magic!
What is green goddess salad?
Any salad that’s tossed with green goddess dressing is a green goddess salad. There are hundreds of takes and variations which is nice because it’s perfectly customizable.
Green goddess salad dressing
Its pretty green tint is what inspired the name “green goddess.” Invented in San Francisco, the original recipe calls for anchovies, green onions, parsley, tarragon, mayo, sour cream, and chives all blended into a creamy tangy dressing. The green goddess salad dressing we’re making today doesn’t have much in common with the classic aside from the chives and green onions. There’s no anchovies, mayo, or sour cream, making it completely vegan. The dressing is a riff off vegan pesto and is herby, fresh, bright, and slightly tangy. It also has an addictive cheesiness to it because of the nutritional yeast.
Green goddess salad ingredients
The salad itself is simply cabbage, cucumbers, green onions, and chives, all cut into a very fine dice, similar to a finely chopped coleslaw. The dressing is Melissa’s green goddess dressing, which is a take on a vegan pesto with walnuts and nutritional yeast instead of pine nuts and parmesan.
How to make green goddess dressing
For the dressing you’ll need:
- lemons – the juice of two lemons adds freshness and acidity
- olive oil – extra virgin olive oil for the good fats
- rice vinegar – a bit of extra tang and hint of sweetness
- shallot – a sweeter onion flavor
- garlic – because garlic
- basil – for that herby freshness found in pesto
- spinach – for a bit of extra green
- nutritional yeast – adds cheesy savoriness and B12 vitamins
- walnuts – a hint of a nutty base
- salt – to meld all the flavors and highlight the highs
Place the ingredients into a blender, with the liquid ingredients first, then blend until smooth and creamy.
Storage and make ahead
The salad keeps for 2-3 days in the fridge, either dressed or undressed. If you want to make it ahead of time just to have around, it’s better to dress it beforehand. The acid in the dressing keeps it fresh and cabbage is very hearty, it’ll taste great!
What is nutritional yeast?
Nutritional yeast is cheesy, nutty, and full of flavor. Think of it like powdered cheese, but vegan and shelf stable. It’s a flaky, golden powder that’s made from a species of yeast grown specifically for food, then harvested. When harvested, heat deactivates the yeast, then it’s washed, dried, and crumbled. The result is a cheesy, nutty, savory ingredient that is used to make vegan cheese sauces, vegan dips, in soups, scrambles, stews, and more. Like its name implies, it’s super nutritious, full of protein, B vitamins, and antioxidants. This recipe works best with large flake nutritional yeast, which you should be able to find anywhere that carries bob’s red mill, or online.
Green Goddess FAQ
- Can I make this in advance?Yes! Cabbage is super hearty and you can make this in advance, it will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days, just make sure to give it a good stir before serving.
- I don’t like cabbage what can I use instead?If you don’t want your salad base to be cabbage, use shredded kale or chopped lettuce. Any somewhat hearty leafy green will work.
- How long will the dressing keep in the fridge?The dressing should last up to 3 days in the fridge, covered. Make sure to stir it before using.
- Does this salad taste good the day after?This is the kind of salad that tastes amazing the day after because the cabbage will soak up the dressing. It’s similar to how coleslaw tastes perfectly fine a couple of days after you make it.
- What other nuts can I use instead of walnuts?If you’re allergic to walnuts or just plain don’t like them, you can substitute in any other nut or just leave it out entirely. Some nuts to try: pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, cashews, pine nuts, pistachios, or even sunflower seeds.
- Can I use another kind of vinegar?Rice vinegar is super delicious, but if you only have another kind of vinegar at home you can feel free to substitute. Some good substitutes would be: white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
- How many servings does this make?Really it can be as many or as little servings as you like but for our nutritional info, this salad serves 4.
Variations
This particular salad is vegan but if you don’t have nutritional yeast at home and aren’t vegan you can substitute in parmesan for the nutritional yeast.
- Add crispy bacon for protein and crunch
- Add diced chicken breast or crumbled firm tofu for lean protein
- Top it off with toasted sesame seeds for a nutty finish
- Spicy green goddess salad: add 2-3 diced jalapeños and 1 diced green pepper
- Guacamole green goddess salad: add 3 diced avocados and the juice of one lime
- Super green green goddess salad: swap the cabbage for 1 pound shredded brussels sprouts, add 1 pound chopped spinach, and 1 head shredded kale
- Taco goddess salad: swap the cabbage for lettuce and add 1 cup crumbled cojita cheese and 1/2 diced small onion
Hope you enjoy. Give scooping it up with a spoon a try, maybe you’ll be a chopped salad spoon convert too!
xoxo steph
Tiktok Green Goddess Salad
A super satisfying green goddess salad inspired by tiktok.
Serves 4
4.72 from 297 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 small cabbage finely diced, or iceberg lettuce
- 3-4 small Persian cucumbers finely diced
- 1 bunch green onions sliced
- 1/4 cup chives finely sliced
Green Goddess Dressing
- juice of 2 lemons
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 small shallot
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1 cup spinach
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1 tsp salt
Special Equipment
blender
Instructions
Finely dice or chop up all of the vegetablesand toss in a large bowl.
In a blender or food processor, add the dressing ingredients, liquids first: lemon juice, olive oil, rice vinegar, shallot, basil leaves, spinach, nutritional yeast, walnuts, and salt. Blend until smooth.
Add the dressing to the bowl with the diced vegetables and mix well. Enjoy on its own, on tacos, as a side with protein, or scooped up with tortilla chips!
Estimated Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Tiktok Green Goddess Salad
Amount Per Serving
Calories 285Calories from Fat 165
% Daily Value*
Fat 18.3g28%
Saturated Fat 2.2g14%
Cholesterol 0.01mg0%
Sodium 630mg27%
Potassium 804mg23%
Carbohydrates 24.7g8%
Fiber 10.5g44%
Sugar 8.9g10%
Protein 11.2g22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
