Name: High Protein Green Goddess Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup fresh basil (tightly packed); 1/2 cup baby spinach (tightly packed); 1 small shallot (roughly chopped); 1 clove garlic; 1/3 cup nutritional yeast; 1/4 cup tahini; 1/2 cup olive oil; 2 tablespoons rice vinegar; 1 lemon (juiced); Salt; 1 can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed); 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; Salt; 3-4 cups romaine lettuce (finely chopped); 1/3 cup green onion (chopped); 2-3 Persian cucumbers (thinly sliced); Rotisserie chicken (shredded); Optional: pita chips or tortilla chips to scoop

Even as a dietitian, I’m on a never ending quest to eat more vegetables.

I love vegetables. I love when they’re in season and prepared well. I love ordering veggie-heavy dishes at restaurants.

But for some reason, at home, I always find it a little bit of a struggle to eat enough of them.

I suppose it’s similar to the salad-you-get-at-a-salad-place conundrum (you know, how salads you make at home are almost never as good as the salad you get a salad place). Vegetables outside of my house (truly even at a friend’s house) always appeal more than the ones at my own house.

And don’t get me wrong, I have hundreds of ridiculously delicious veggie recipes. This Broccoli Caesar Salad with Crispy Chickpeas and Smashed Cucumber Salad with Marinated Feta are current favorites.

But right now, we’re here for this incredible green goddess salad.

I discovered this salad when it went viral a few years ago. And I gotta be honest – it’s genius.

The salad utilizes crunchy romaine lettuce as a base. The bulk of the salad is the dressing – a dressing that’s loaded with different vegetables, herbs, and aromatics to make it not only flavorful, but incredibly nutrient-dense too.

It’s such a fun way to eat salad that I’d really never thought of. Instead of adding more vegetables to your salad, in this case, you add them to your dressing.

There’s no wrong way to eat a vegetable. And the benefits of veggies (antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals) certainly don’t disappear just because they’re blended.

I have nothing but good things to say about this viral salad. Except for: it’s lacking protein.

And despite protein being the most trendy thing ever right now, it’s also just important.

Protein helps with fullness. It’s imperative in meals to really give them that staying power.

And while this salad has everything else a salad needs: vegetables, fiber, fat, flavor… it needed a protein upgrade.

So, this high protein green goddess salad was born. It uses crispy chickpeas (the best!) for added protein, carbs, and a fun crunch texture.

It also has shredded rotisserie chicken for the easiest protein addition.

All in all, this salad is still ridiculously easy to make. The most “cooking” you’ll do is adding all of your dressing ingredients to the blender in order to make the dressing.

Prepare ingredients

Gather your ingredients and preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Prep the chickpeas

Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Dry them well with a paper towel or kitchen towel. Toss chickpeas with olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, and salt and spread them evenly on the lined baking sheet.

Roast chickpeas

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, tossing halfway.

Make the salad dressing

While chickpeas are in the oven, prepare the salad and dressing. Add all dressing ingredients to a powerful blender.

Blend until smooth

Blend until smooth. The dressing will be smooth, thick, and creamy. For a thinner dressing, add more olive oil.

Assemble the salad

Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, add the chopped lettuce, green onion, and sliced cucumber.

Add dressing

Add the dressing.

Toss salad

Toss well to combine.

Top

Top with the shredded rotisserie chicken and cooled crispy chickpeas.

Serve

Serve! Make sure to use pita chips or tortilla chips to scoop.

Notes

Basil and spinach: Make sure to use fresh basil and spinach for the dressing (not dried or frozen!). I find that baby spinach is best.
Shallot: The shallot adds great flavor to the dressing, but omit if you don’t like it.
Garlic: Because this is salad dressing – and not being cooked – be careful not to add too much garlic. A little goes a long way! Fresh garlic is best here, but if you don’t have, you can use garlic powder.
Nutritional yeast: A wonderful addition for a cheesy flavor and a little boost of B vitamins.
Tahini: Adds creaminess to the dressing and a little protein too.
Olive oil: The olive oil really helps tie everything together and make the dressing smooth. You can swap it for another neutral oil if you prefer, like avocado oil.
Rice vinegar: Rice vinegar also helps to blend the dressing with a neutral flavor. You can swap it for balsamic vinegar, but it will change the taste slightly.
Chickpeas: To save time, try roasted your chickpeas ahead of time. Store them at room temperature in an airtight container. Or if you don’t feel like cooking chickpeas, you can buy roasted chickpeas at most grocery stores.
Salad: In the base of this salad, I only use romaine lettuce, green onion, and Persian cucumbers. But this salad is totally customizable. Omit the green onion if you’re not into them. You can also add any other crunchy veg, like chopped bell peppers or carrots.
Pita chips: One of the best parts of this salad is scooping it like a dip with chips! Try pita chips or tortilla chips.
Storage: You can make the dressing ahead of time and store in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Prepare the salad before eating or serving. Once tossed with the dressing, the salad will stay for about a day. I recommended waiting to add the chickpeas until right before eating or serving so that they stay crispy.