An easy take on a viral salad recipe, this Green Goddess Salad uses leafy greens and fresh veggies. It’s a vibrant and refreshing healthy recipe that will have you dreaming of summer weather. Serve it topped with protein for a complete meal or as an appetizer for all your favorite main courses!

overhead green goddess salad in a serving bowl

The components of our green goddess salad dressing

This homemade dressing is healthy and nutritious, but not too heavy. It is the perfect compliment to this simple salad and the components are all incredible. Here is what goes into it:

Shallot: Shallots are one of the best alliums out there! It serves a similar purpose as onions but is more mild than most onions. It has a sweetness to it and works really well when raw.
Garlic: We sure love garlic! It is pungent and helps to round out this dressing. If you are a big fan of garlic you can always go heavy-handed and add a bit more than we do. Alternatively, you can also roast the garlic to add an extra level of flavor.
Pine nuts: This superfood is a great way to incorporate key vitamins and minerals into this recipe. They have a mild nutty flavor, and the oil content helps create the creamy texture of this salad dressing.
Fresh basil: We love to use fresh basil in this green goddess dressing, not only for the color but for the refreshing flavor it adds as well.
Green onions: These are both a topping in the salad and a component of the dressing. Also called scallions, green onions are a delicious addition to this dressing and include a significant amount of fiber.
Vinegar: We recommend using rice vinegar or white wine vinegar as one of the liquids that help bring this dressing together. Both of these vinegars are fairly mild when combined with the rest of the dressing.
Olive oil: This is another liquid that is important in creating the perfect salad dressing texture. We use plain olive oil, but feel free to use your favorite!
Lime juice: To make this dressing bright and refreshing, we find that lime juice adds the perfect amount of acidity!
Jalapeño: If you’re a fan of spice, you are going to love the jalapeño in this dressing. It gives a slight warmth to the dressing without overpowering it. You can always remove the jalapeño if you are sensitive to spice.
Parmesan cheese: Shredded parm is a great addition to this salad dressing. Its sharp and cheesy flavor help to balance out the natural acidity of this dressing.

How to make dairy free green goddess dressing

Whether you have a dairy allergy or dairy intolerance or are cutting back on dairy to be more environmentally friendly, there are tons of reasons for following a dairy free diet. And it is super simple to make this recipe dairy free!

ingredients for green goddess dressing in a food processor

a spoonful of green goddess salad dressing over a food processor

All you need to do is remove the parmesan cheese from the salad dressing. If you still want a cheesy flavor but cannot have parmesan cheese, you can replace it with your favorite dairy free shredded parmesan. You can also swap in a tablespoon of nutritional yeast in it’s place!

Nutritional yeast is a dairy-free (and gluten-free) supplement that many people with food allergies incorporate in their recipes! It has a cheesy and nutty flavor so it is commonly used as a substitute for parmesan.

overhead green goddess salad in a serving bowl with dressing

How to make green goddess salad

Slice up leafy greens into thin ribbons.
Prepare your salad toppings:
1. Quarter and cube up the cucumbers. We love to use our fullstar vegetable chopper because it makes prep super fast! But you can easily chop up your cucumbers by hand.
2. Slice scallions into 1/4 inch cylinders.
Make your salad dressing:
1. Place pine nuts, fresh basil, a small shallot, jalapeño, garlic, and chopped green onions into a food processor.
2. Use a citrus juicer or hand reamer to squeeze the juice from two limes into the food processor.
3. Pour in olive oil and your choice of vinegar.
4. Sprinkle on salt and add the shredded parmesan cheese.
5. Blend the ingredients together in your food processor until the ingredients are combined.
Add your chopped lettuce to a bowl, top with cucumbers and green onions and pour the dressing over.
Mix it together using tongs and voila! You have a delicious salad!

How to store leftovers

If you anticipate having leftovers, we recommend storing the dressing separately from the salad itself – this will prevent the leafy greens from wilting!

You can store the dressing for 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container. You may notice after a day in the fridge that the color may dull. This occurs naturally when blending fresh herbs.

As far as the salad itself, we recommend storing the lettuce separately from the toppings in an airtight container. All of the ingredients will last for 3-5 days in the fridge. To maintain the texture of the chopped lettuce, place a paper towel in the airtight container to absorb excess moisture.

More easy salads you’ll love

Looking for more salad recipes? Try these healthy options!

Our spin on cowboy caviar, chickpeas, black beans, and veggies combine with a sweet dressing to create this Mediterranean Chickpea Salad Recipe.
The perfect summer salad recipe, this Cucumber Thai Salad is crunchy, refreshing, and completely irresistible.
Healthy and so easy to make, this Southwest Salad is guaranteed to knock your socks off!
Wholesome and nutritious, this Greek Salad comes together with simple ingredients you probably already have on hand.