This pick-your-own-protein salad is all about the green goddess dressing, an herby, punchy, creamy green sauce that originated in San Francisco in the 1920s. It's just as delicious as it is versatile: You can use any combo of tender herbs (cilantro, mint, basil, parsley, dill, tarragon, chives), cultured dairy (yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk, labneh, crème fraîche), and acid (lemon juice, lime juice, unseasoned rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar) you'd like, which means you're never more than a whiz away from a batch. Mix it into shredded poached and chilled chicken breasts, high-quality canned tuna, chickpeas, or boiled-and-chopped eggs.
All products featured on Bon Appétit are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through the retail links below, we earn an affiliate commission.
What you’ll need
Blender
$40 At Amazon
Measuring Cups
$28 At Bon Appétit Market
Measuring Spoons
$10 At Bon Appétit Market
Cutting Board
$10 At IKEA
Chef's Knife
$34.53 At Amazon
Medium Bowl
$17 At Amazon
Small Bowl
$15 At Amazon
Microplane
$18 At Amazon
Platter
$40 $30 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
2-4 servings
Ingredients
3
½
½
2
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
Preparation
Step 1
Combine 3 (heaping) cups tender herbs (such as dill, parsely, cilantro, basil, mint, tarragon, and/or chives), ½ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt (or sour cream, buttermilk, crème fraîche, or labneh), 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, 1 Tbsp. drained capers, 1 garlic clove, and a big pinch of kosher salt in a blender.
Step 2
Finely grate zest of 1 lemon into blender. Cut lemon in half and squeeze in juice through your hand or a fine-mesh sieve to catch the seeds. Blend on high until bright green, and speckled with small pieces of herbs. Taste dressing and season with freshly ground black pepper and more salt as needed.
Step 3
If using 2 chilled cooked medium skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 lb.), slice against the grain 1" thick. Tear each slice into bite-size pieces. If using one 15-oz. can chickpeas, drain and rinse well. If using 8 boiled eggs, peel and cut into bite-size pieces. If using three 5-oz. cans oil-packed tuna, drain and flake with a fork into bite-size pieces. Place protein of choice in a medium bowl.
Step 4
Add ¼ cup dressing to protein and mix well to combine. Place remaining dressing in a small bowl and set aside for serving.
Step 5
Remove any leaves attached to 2 celery stalks. Thinly slice stalks on a diagonal and mix into salad. Season with salt and pepper. Top with any celery leaves.
Step 6
Cut 1 ripe avocado in half. Remove pit, scoop flesh out of skin, and cut into ½"-thick wedges.
Step 7
Separate leaves of 1 head Bibb, butter, romaine, or iceberg lettuce. Wash and dry leaves thoroughly.
Step 8
To serve, place bowl of salad and reserved dressing on a platter and arrange lettuce, avocado wedges, and a big pile of potato chips around. Slice remaining 1 lemon into wedges. Drizzle a bit of juice over avocado. Arrange lemon wedges on platter. Season avocado with some salt and a crank or two of pepper.
How would you rate Anything-Goes Green Goddess Salad?
Leave a Review
Reviews (55)
Back to TopSounds good. But basil at this time of year is expensive. It's certainly not in my garden, it's covered with 8" of snow. I wish receipts would be posted with a sense of the season for many.
Carol
Spokane, WA
1/21/2024
Oops I’ve used normal yoghurt instead of Greek yoghurt - but nonetheless still tastes delicious. Next time I would, however, reduce the amount of lemon juice I squeeze in , as I think my lemon is a bigger one than the one mentioned in the recipe. Would make again.
Anonymous
Canada
12/30/2023
This is by far my favorite salad! I love how flexible the dressing is! I will usually combine whatever fresh herbs I have with dry herbs and let it sit for an hour or two to build flavor. I always use chickpeas as my protein and like to drizzle a few tablespoons of the dressing over the rinsed chickpeas and let it all marinade for an hour or two also.
Trista Brophy
Gainesville, Florida
5/7/2022
OMG ur my Salad Goddess, M-Baz. I LOVE using kettle chips instead of croutons (stale, bland). I am obsessed with their power packed crunch and it's a great way to use all the itty bitty crumb accumulation in the depths of the bag. (SnV the best, but also try KBBQ or Jalapeño). I started kettle crusting my salad after living in Senegal for a few years, where they put extra crispy French fries in salad -- also so good. Recommend always use a base of parsley in my dressing herb mix to keep any leftover dressing looking vibrantly green.
Anonymous
TEXAS
4/23/2022
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING??? FOUR PAGES, or TWO DOUBLE SIDED FOR A SALAD DRESSING RECIPE??? COME ON GET SOMEONE TO FORMAT THIS FOR PRINTING>>> LETS GET ENVIRONMENTALLY MORE CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT PAPER WASTE AND SAVE TREES
LovesLilac
Los Angeles
4/12/2022
The reviews on this recipe are so fun, and I loved it. The dressing is so fresh and flavorful and the dish is super easy. I served with salt and vinegar chips, as recommended, and scooped the salad up with the chips. My only complaint is that I used buttermilk as the dairy and found the dressing to be lacking heft. Next time I will use greek yogurt as recommended.
nilssons
Boston, MA
3/14/2022
Yummy with the option of Greek Yogurt! Adjust garlic and amount of capers according to taste.
Anonymous
Boulder CO
1/4/2022