Green Goddess Salad . It’s filling, tangy, crunchy, and easy on the eyes. The dressing is out of this world delicious and creamy, the lemon shrimp are bright and tender and the perfect protein. Everything you need in a fantastic salad!
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If you're in the mood for some other big, ole salads with a magical dressings and that will keep you full for hours, you've come to the right place! Try my Grilled Steak Salad, Greek Salmon Salad, or my Grilled Shrimp Salad!
Pull Up A Chair and Let's Chat!
This green goddess salad really is sooooo good. It's got everything I require - a phenomenal dressing, a great protein source, plenty of crunch, and something tangy. Not only are the flavors great, but it's so very simple to put together. It's also a good meal salad. You won't get hangry 30 minutes after eating it. I promise. It'll stay with you so you can do all the things you need to do to conquer the world!
What Goes In It
Cashews and Avocado Oil - The base for the green goddess salad dressing. This is a healthy version of mayo, basically.
Rice Vinegar, Parmesan Cheese, Lemon, Fresh Basil, Garlic, Green Onion - The flavor heroes of this story. The amount of flavor in the dressing is mind boggling. It is so good!
Shrimp - The protein for this recipe. If you need other ideas, I have some below.
Red Onion, Apple Cider Vinegar, and Water - For the quick-pickled red onions. If you've not ever tried these, you must!
Salad Ingredients - Iceberg, Radicchio, Spinach Leaves, Cucumbers, Sweet Peppers, Tomatoes, Avocado
You Spin Me Round
The equipment and tools needed for this green goddess salad recipe is basic and very straightforward. I would like to impress upon you, however, the importance of keeping your salad green nice and dry.
One of the easiest ways to do this is by using a salad spinner for cleaning and drying. You may think I've lost my mind, but the spinner thing throws off so much water. Moisture is the enemy of lettuce and using one of these will help your produce stay fresher, longer!
I didn't think I needed one until I actually put one to work. They're awesome. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
Buy Now → How To Make The Perfect Shrimp
We need some good shrimp for our green goddess salad so, let's talk about how to make them perfect.
I prefer an easy-peel, tail-on frozen shrimp. The peel protects them from freezer burn, and unless you live close to the coast, frozen shrimp is the way to go.
All you need to do to cook them is bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt that water like the ocean, honey. Make sure you use plenty. This will make the difference between a meh shrimp and a perfectly seasoned one.
Carefully add the thawed shrimp to the boiling water. The part is key. Do not overcook them. Shrimp only take a few minutes, depending on their size.
In general:
- Small shrimp: Cook for 2 minutes.
- Medium shrimp: Cook for 3 minutes.
- Large shrimp: Cook for 4-5 minutes.
Once they turn pink and curl, they are done. They need to be opaque and firm.
After the shrimp are done, immediately place them in an ice bath to halt any further cooking. Now, you have perfectly cooked shrimp ready for this amazing green goddess salad!
How To Make It
This is such a simple green goddess salad recipe. I'll give you a brief rundown of the festivities, but the specifics will live in the recipe card below. All you need to do is:
- Make the Quick-Pickled Onions.
- Cook The Shrimp.
- Make The Dressing.
- Assemble the Salad.
That's it! Super easy, super delicious, and so good for you, too!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this green goddess salad recipe gluten-free?
This green goddess salad recipe is completely gluten-free!
Is this recipe dairy-free?
This green goddess salad recipe does contain parmesan cheese. However, all you need to do is substitute this with nutritional yeast! It's an easy swap!
Storage Instructions
I prefer storing my salads ingredients separately in the fridge. Keep the lettuce in a large zip top bag or bowl with lid and a paper towel to absorb excess liquid. The heartier veggies can be stored together in airtight container for a couple of days. Cut and serve the avocado only just before you're ready to eat.
The shrimp will stay good for up to 3 days as will the green goddess dressing. And, finally, the pickled onions will stay good up to a month in the fridge as long as they're submerged in the brine!
Tips And Tricks
- Wash and dry your salad greens well. Use a salad spinner to remove as much moisture from the leaves as possible. Store them with a paper towel to absorb any excess water.
- This is a fantastic meal prep salad. Layer the greens on the bottoms, then veggies and shrimp. Store the dressing and avocado separately and add when you're ready to eat. I love doing this is meal prep containers and shaking everything together when I'm ready.
- If you like a thinner dressing, simply add a couple tablespoons of water the blender.
- I prefer using shell-on, deveined shrimp. Sometimes called easy-peel, cooking shrimp with the shell on gives them more flavor. The shell also helps protect the shrimp during freezing. Note: The vast majority are frozen on the boat or soon after.
Variations and Substitutions
- Use whatever protein you like for this salad if you're not a fan or don't have any shrimp. Think: Grilled Chicken, Grilled Steak, Salmon, Pork Tenderloin, Chickpeas, Hard-boiled Eggs.
- Add fresh herbs. I love throwing in soft fresh herbs like basil or parsley into the dressing mix for added flavor.
- Make it vegan. The only ingredient in the green goddess salad dressing that is not plant-based is the parmesan cheese. However, the original recipe this is based on is made with nutritional yeast, so feel free to use that instead!
- Switch out the nuts.
Recipe
Green Goddess Salad Recipe
Ingredients
The Quick-Pickled Onions
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- apple cider vinegar
- water
- 1-2 tablespoon maple syrup or honey, optional
Green Goddess Dressing
- ½ cup fresh basil
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- ¼ cup cashews
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 bunch green onion, cut into halves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- juice of 2 lemons
- fresh ground pepper, to taste
The Shrimp
- 2 lbs shrimp, shell-on and deveined
- 2 lemons, halved
- kosher salt
The Salad
- 1 head iceberg, chopped
- 1 head radicchio, chopped
- 2-3 cups fresh spinach leaves
- 4-5 Persian cucumbers, diced
- 5-6 small sweet peppers, diced
- 1 pint mixed tomatoes, diced
- 1-2 avocados, sliced
- kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
Pickled Onions
- Place sliced onion into a glass jar. Fill jar halfway with vinegar. Fill remainder of jar with water. Add maple syrup to your desired sweetness.
- Let this marinate for at least 20 minutes before using.
Dressing
- Add all dressing ingredients to a blender. Pulse until smooth. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Add a little water if you like it thinner.
Shrimp
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil with lemons. Salt the water liberally. Add shrimp. Boil until shrimp is just cooked through. Remove from water and place into ice bath. Peel when cooled. Set aside.
Assembly
- Toss salad ingredients together. Add shrimp, pickled onions, and avocado slices Drizzle with dressing. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
If you guys make this Green Goddess Salad Recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I absolutely love to hear from you all and always do my best to respond to each and every one of your comments!
If you need another great salad idea, try a classic iceberg wedge with my homemade blue cheese dressing! Top it with perfectly cooked slices of steak and you'll have a fanastic meal in no time!
Thank you!
I am so incredibly happy that you are here! I hope you try my Green Goddess Salad Recipe and fall in love with it. If you make this recipe, please share and tag me on Instagram! I absolutely love seeing each and every one of your kitchen masterpieces! And, as always, if you ever have any questions about any of my recipe, please don't hesitate to contact me!
Happy Cooking!
-Rufus
Rufus for Real is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. I may earn a commission, with no additional cost to you, if you purchase through those links.
Rufus for Real is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
For another great recipe, try my French Onion Pot Roast or my Beef Shepherd's Pie!
brenda says
so tasty! and healthy!