Last year, and perhaps again this year(?), the Green Goddess Salad took social media by storm, with thousands of people sharing their versions of this EXTREMELY tasty dish – and many foodie social media creators getting ten’s of millions of views.
I think the beauty of the salad is that it’s pretty simple to make! It combines finely chopped cabbage, cucumber, and green onions with a creamy herb-packed dressing that’s completely dairy-free and vegan (at least my version is).
BUT! Is it healthy? The answer, for most recipes out there, is…. YES! Green Goddess Salad is genuinely a healthy lunch choice – offering a nutrient-dense combination of vegetables, healthy fats, and essential vitamins!
***This is an article about the nutrition of the green goddess salad – not the actual recipe***
For my full recipe go to….
What Is Green Goddess Salad?
The Green Goddess Salad is [typically] a vibrant, nutrient-packed dish featuring fresh vegetables – almost always tossed in a creamy herb-based dressing. While the way you prepare it, and what you serve it with determines how healthy it is (I like to dunk LOTS of tortilla chips in mine), it is generally considered a great source of many vitamins and minerals.
The salad went viral on social media last year (thanks Baked By Melissa!), and my instagram version, at just 200calories a serving (minus the chips!), did pretty well too!
Green Goddess Salad Ingredients (& Variations)
Traditionally (yes, this recipe is actually over 100 years old!), green goddess salad centres around a creamy dressing made with anchovies, fresh herbs, mayonnaise and vinegar.
The ‘classic’ version combines mayonnaise or Greek yogurt (or in my case, olive oil and cashews) with herbs like basil, parsley, tarragon, and chives.
The base typically includes crisp vegetables such as romaine lettuce, cucumber, and avocado.
There are however LOTS of variations of the green goddess salad – many of which incorporate different leafy greens like spinach, kale, or arugula for added nutrition.
Common dressing ingredients include, but are not limited to:
- Fresh herbs: basil, chives, parsley, tarragon
- Aromatics: garlic, shallot, green onions
- Acids: lemon juice, rice vinegar
- Fats: olive oil, extra virgin olive oil, mayonnaise
- Creamy elements: Greek yogurt, avocado
Other versions often add cherry tomatoes, green cabbage, or nutritional yeast (mine does too – YUM!) for extra flavour and nutrients.
Some recipes, like my vegan green goddess salad recipe, skip dairy entirely, using avocado, nuts and olive oil to create the creaminess.
What Nutrition Does the Green Goddess Salad Pack?
Green goddess salads deliver a mix of essential nutrients whilst remaining relatively low in calories.
As noted, my recipe is only 200kcals per serving… (AGAIN, without the tortilla chips!)
The salad provides lots of quality vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants from its fresh ingredients, making it a nutritious choice for most people.
KEY Macronutrients
I’m going to go off my recipe (found here) for these numbers… But this can vary drastically depending on which recipe you use! The numbers below are PER SERVING and without any additional foods to serve the salad with (but you can literally eat it on its own – trust me!)
Calories: A typical serving of my green goddess salad contains anywhere from 200-300 calories, depending on portion size. The calorie content is pretty low due to the large amount of low-calorie vegetables.
Carbohydrates: Carbs make up roughly 10 grams per serving, primarily from fresh vegetables like white, onions, lemon juice and shallots.
Fats: The salad delivers about 20-22 grams of healthy fats, mainly from ingredients like healthy olive oil and cashews in the dressing.
Protein: This isn’t a high protein lunch option – coming in at around 4-5 grams per serving.
Fibre: There’s around 2-3grams of fibre per serving. It’s not a huge amount – but it contributes to your goal of roughly 30-35 grams per day (as per the NHS’s guidelines!).
Vitamins and Minerals in the Green Goddess Salad
Away from the key macronutrients, Green goddess salads also offer an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals.
The leafy greens in particular provide substantial amounts of key nutrients that support overall health.
Vitamin K (EXCELLENT SOURCE – roughly 100% of your daily recommended amount!): Vitamin K appears in quite high concentrations in the green goddess salad, particularly from the inclusion of kale, spinach, and/or romaine lettuce. This vitamin is VITAL for optimal bone health and blood clotting functions.
Vitamin A (GOOD SOURCE): The vitamin A in the salad come primarily from dark leafy greens. These support eye health and immune function. A single serving can provide a significant portion of daily vitamin A needs (around 25-30%)
Vitamin C (GOOD SOURCE): is abundant in fresh herbs like parsley and chives, plus any citrus added to the dressing. This antioxidant vitamin supports collagen production and immune health. This salad will give you roughly 30% of your daily recommended dose.
Folate (GOOD SOURCE): There’s a decent amount of folate in the salad, with around 20% of your daily suggested dose, which is essential for… something? Oh yeah – cell division and DNA synthesis! Whatever that means!
And finally…
Potassium (OKAY SOURCE): It’s not the highest source of potassium, but the green goddess salad, when it includes avocado and leafy greens, helps regulate blood pressure and supports heart function.
How Healthy Is the Green Goddess Dressing?
This does kinda depend on which recipe you’re using!
If you’re throwing lots of mayonnaise in there, then that’s obviously not going to be optimal. But if you use recipes like mine, that utilise the wonder-food that is olive oil, with nutrition-packed nuts, then your green goddess dressing is going to be pretty healthy!
Put it this way – a tablespoon or two of mayonnaise can add an additional 180 calories to your serving, along with another 18-20 grams of fat! Supermarket mayonnaise is also, typically, full of preservatives and lower quality oils (but not always!).
Instead, using greek yogurt, avocado, olive oil and nuts (or a combination of several) can give you a just as good flavour but with the added health benefits!
Other Green Goddess Inspired Recipes…
I wrote an article here about different pairings with the green goddess dressing!
But… here’s another one of my own green goddess-inspired recipes…
Green Goddess Butterbeans!
2 Comments
Where is the recipe?
This is an article about the nutritional aspects of the salad. For Gina’s actual recipe, you can find it at https://ginabnutrition.com/lunch/viral-green-goddess-salad/