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    Category Home » Recipes » Green Goddess Salad with Basil-Tahini Dressing

    Green Goddess Salad with Basil-Tahini Dressing

    Published: Sep 13, 2019 · Modified: Apr 6, 2022 by Leigh Anderson · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This vibrant, refreshing salad makes a great lunch or light dinner, but the dressing is real the star here. Creamy basil-tahini dressing takes less than 5-minutes to blend together and is tangy, garlicky and absolutely delicious!

    two white bowls full of lettuce, croutons, herbs and avocado. Three water glasses and a bottle of olive oil.

    This hearty Green Goddess Salad is the perfect way to showcase vibrant spring produce. It’s made up of tender baby lettuces, creamy ripe avocado, snap peas, cucumber, garlic croutons, and of Basil-Tahini Dressing! The whole thing is a delight to eat!

    Tahini is a Middle Eastern condiment made from ground, toasted sesame seeds. It’s a pantry staple in my kitchen, I highly recommend keeping some on hand. It makes a luscious, creamy base for salad dressings and sauces like Creamy Tahini Caesar Dressing or Miso Tahini Soba Noodles. Mix it with labneh, garlic and lemon juice for a delicious creamy Labneh Dip. Search “tahini” in the search bar to find more ways to use this special ingredient!

    This salad is great on it’s own or topped with extra protein like crispy chicken thighs, or grilled skirt steak for a more filling meal.

    Ingredients You’ll Need:

    Here’s everything you need to make this salad. Dressing: tahini, basil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Croutons: a few slices of day-old bread, olive oil and garlic. Salad: a small head of lettuce or a few hand fulls of mixed greens, avocado, snap peas, cucumber and fresh, leafy herbs like basil, mint, tarragon, dill, chives or watercress.

    Check out the notes section of the recipe card below for ingredient information and substitutions!

    Two slices of bread, an avocado cut in half, two lemons, olive oil, a bowl of tahini, snap peas, half a cucumber and a bowl of lettuce.

    Recipe Step by Step:

    Step 1. Make the Croutons

    Toasted, garlicky croutons are my favorite addition to any salad. Once you learn how easy it is to make them you’ll never reach for store-bought again. Tear a few slices of day-old bread into bite-sized pieces then toast them in pan with olive oil and garlic until golden brown, season with salt and toss them into you’re salad. It’s as simple as that!

    left: a cast iron pan with toasted bread. right: a glass jar filled with bright green tahini-basil salad dressing.

    Step 2. Blend the Dressing

    Blend all of the dressing ingredients together in a blender or food processor until creamy. Note: tahini tends to seize up and get a bit thick when blended with lemon juice. If that happens just add more water until the dressing is smooth and pourable.

    a white ceramic bowl filled with salad, croutons and two water glasses on the side.

    Step 3. Toss and Serve

    Pour a few tablespoons of dressing into a large bowl, you may not need all of it. Add the salad ingredients right on top, followed by the croutons. Toss everything together until evenly combined, season with salt and pepper. Serve right away!

    FAQs and Expert Tips:

    What is tahini?

    Tahini is Middle Eastern condiment made by grinding sesame seeds into a smooth and creamy consistency like peanut butter. Tahini is one of the main ingredients in hummus. You can purchase tahini paste in most supermarkets in the same area as nut butters or order it online. 
     

    Check Out More Salad Recipes:

    • Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salad
    • Little Gem Wedge Salad with Bacon, Blue Cheese, and Warm Garlic Croutons
    • Spring Couscous Salad with Feta, Avocado & Fresh Herbs
    • California Chopped Salad
    • Frisée Salad with Bacon, Croutons and Poached Egg (Lyonnaise Salad)

    I love to hear from readers and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. If you make this recipe be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! Don’t forget to follow along on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram for all the latest updates!

    two white bowls full of lettuce, croutons, herbs and avocado. Three water glasses and a bottle of olive oil.

    Green Goddess Salad with Basil-Tahini Dressing

    This vibrant, refreshing salad makes a great lunch or light dinner, but the dressing is real the star here. Creamy basil-tahini dressing takes less than 5-minutes to blend together and is tangy, garlicky and absolutely delicious!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 2
    Calories: 632kcal
    Author: Leigh Anderson

    Ingredients

    Croutons

    • ¼ c olive oil
    • 2 thick slices day-old bread torn into bite-sized pieces
    • 2 cloves garlic whole, smashed
    • salt

    Basil-Tahini Dressing

    • ¼ c tahini
    • 3 tbsp lemon juice
    • 1 clove garlic
    • ½ c lightly packed basil leaves
    • ¼ c water
    • salt and pepper

    Salad

    • 1-2 small heads lettuce little gems, bibb lettuce or a few handfuls of mixed greens
    • ½ English cucumber thinly sliced
    • 1 c sugar snap peas roughly chopped
    • 1 avocado thinly sliced
    • 1 c fresh herbs watercress, basil, dill, mint, parsley or chives

    Instructions

    Croutons

    • Heat a saute pan or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil to the pan, once it's hot add in the torn bread and garlic cloves. Cook, stirring frequently until the croutons are golden brown and crispy. Transfer the croutons to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the excess oil. Season with salt. 

    Basil-Tahini Dressing

    • Blend all ingredients together in a blender or food processor. Season well with salt and pepper. Note: if the dressing is at all bitter, add more salt to mellow it out.

    Assembling the Salad

    • Give the lettuce a good wash then dry it in a salad spinner. Tear any large leaves into smaller bite-sized portions.
    • In a large bowl toss together all of the salad ingredients with the toasted bread and basil-tahini dressing. Season well with salt and pepper. Serve right away!

    Notes

     
    Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
    • Lettuce: You can really use any lettuce you like for this recipe. I like a combination of bibb lettuce and little gems. You could also use mixed greens or arugula.
    • Herbs: Feel free to play around with different leafy green herbs. Watercress, basil, dill, mint, parsley or chives would all be suitable.
    •  Tahini: Tahini is a paste made by grinding sesame seeds into a smooth and creamy consistency like peanut butter. Tahini is one of the main ingredients in hummus. You can purchase tahini paste in most supermarkets in the same area as nut butters or order it online. 
     
    Storing  Leftovers:
    • Leftover tahini-basil dressing will stay fresh covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 632kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 31g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 158mg | Potassium: 918mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4356IU | Vitamin C: 54mg | Calcium: 187mg | Iron: 6mg
    Did you make this recipe?Share a picture on Instagram and tag me: @Craving_California and use the hashtag: #CravingCalifornia!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lily Aguilar

      July 27, 2021 at 9:35 pm

      5 stars
      Made the green goddess salad yesterday and it was yummy! The dressing was incredibly good as were the home made croutons. The only thing I would have changed is to take out the avocado. I normally love avocado, but I didn’t feel that it added to thus recipe. Still delicious though!

      Reply

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    I'm so glad you're here. My name is Leigh and this is my food blog where I share California inspired recipes and tons of tips and tricks for better home cooking!

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