Green Goddess Salad with Cucumber (Print Version)
Crisp cucumber and creamy avocado tossed with zesty herb-packed Green Goddess dressing. A refreshing, light meal.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 2 cups diced cucumber
02 - 1 large ripe avocado, diced
03 - 1 cup chopped baby spinach
04 - 1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
05 - 4 radishes, thinly sliced
06 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
→ Green Goddess Dressing
07 - 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
08 - 1/4 cup mayonnaise
09 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
10 - 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
12 - 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
13 - 1 garlic clove, minced
14 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
15 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
16 - Salt and black pepper to taste
→ Optional Additions
17 - 1/4 cup toasted walnuts or almonds, chopped
18 - 2 tablespoons crumbled feta or goat cheese
# Preparation Steps:
01 - In a large salad bowl, combine cucumber, avocado, spinach, romaine, radishes, and green onions.
02 - In a blender or food processor, combine Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, parsley, basil, chives, tarragon, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
03 - Pour the Green Goddess dressing over the salad and gently toss to coat all ingredients evenly.
04 - Top with toasted nuts and crumbled cheese if desired. Serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The creamy herbed dressing coats every vegetable perfectly without overwhelming their natural flavors.
- You can throw this together in twenty minutes flat when unexpected guests arrive and still look like youve spent hours in the kitchen.
02 -
- I once made this dressing an hour before guests arrived and the garlic intensified to almost overwhelming levels, so now I always make it right before serving or omit the garlic if prepping ahead.
- The Persian cucumbers contain significantly less water than regular ones, which prevents your salad from becoming a soggy mess if you have leftovers.
03 -
- The temperature of your ingredients matters more than you might think the dressing should be cold but not freezing, and room temperature avocados blend much more smoothly with the other components.
- Massage any tougher greens like kale or mature spinach with a tiny bit of olive oil and salt before adding the other ingredients for a more tender texture and better dressing absorption.