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–+ servings
two white bowls full of lettuce, croutons, herbs and avocado. Three water glasses and a bottle of olive oil.
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5 from 3 votes

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!
Prep Time25 minutes
Course: lunch, Salad
Cuisine: American
Servings: 2
Calories: 632kcal
Author: Leigh Anderson

Ingredients

Croutons

  • 1/4 c olive oil
  • 2 thick slices day-old bread torn into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 cloves garlic whole, smashed
  • salt

Basil-Tahini Dressing

  • 1/4 c tahini
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 c lightly packed basil leaves
  • 1/4 c water
  • salt and pepper

Salad

  • 1-2 small heads lettuce little gems, bibb lettuce or a few handfuls of mixed greens
  • 1/2 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