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Green Goddess Salad Recipe with Creamy Herb Dressing

This Green Goddess Salad is an easy, refreshing summer salad featuring avocado, cucumber, snap peas and a bright green goddess dressing.

Light, crisp, and fast to prepare, this salad is perfect for warm days. Serve it as a satisfying light meal or as a healthy side alongside grilled meats, pasta, or roasted chicken. The fresh herbs and crunchy almonds make it a standout on any table.

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Ingredients

For the dressing

  • Mayonnaise (½ cup / 112 g)
  • Sour cream (¼ cup / 57.5 g)
  • Garlic (1 clove, smashed and peeled)
  • Lemon juice (2 tablespoons)
  • Fresh parsley (½ cup, lightly packed)
  • Fresh tarragon (¼ cup)
  • Chives (¼ cup, sliced)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

For the salad

  • Romaine hearts (2 cups, roughly chopped)
  • Mixed salad greens (2 cups)
  • English or Persian cucumber (1, sliced into 1/4″ half-moons)
  • Avocado (1, sliced)
  • Snap peas (1 cup)
  • Celery (½ cup, diced)
  • Sliced almonds (¼ cup) for garnish

How to make it

For the dressing

  1. Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until the garlic is finely minced, about 30 seconds.
  2. Add lemon juice, parsley, tarragon, and chives. Pulse until the herbs are finely chopped and the dressing reaches your preferred consistency, about 45 seconds.
  3. Season with salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

For the salad

  1. Place the romaine, mixed greens, cucumber, snap peas, and diced celery in a large bowl.
  2. Gently add the avocado slices.
  3. Drizzle with the green goddess dressing and toss to combine.
  4. Sprinkle with sliced almonds just before serving to keep them crisp.

This recipe makes about 4 servings and can be prepped in roughly 10–15 minutes.

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Variations

Swap the almonds for walnuts, toasted sunflower seeds, or pepitas for a different crunch. Pine nuts would also be lovely toasted briefly for extra depth. If you prefer different herbs, cilantro, basil, or mint can replace or complement the parsley, tarragon, and chives.

Use any combination of lettuces you like — romaine adds crispness while mixed greens bring more flavor. Add-ins such as olives or artichoke hearts also work well for extra savory notes.

Vegan option

To make this vegan, substitute the mayonnaise and sour cream with plant-based versions or use a tahini-based dressing for a silky alternative. A simple vegan green goddess made with tahini, lemon, garlic, and fresh herbs creates a similar creamy, herb-forward flavor.

Make-ahead tips

You can prepare the dressing up to three days in advance and keep it chilled in an airtight container. Wash and chop the vegetables ahead of time and store them in the fridge. Do not slice the avocado until right before serving to avoid browning, and hold off on adding the almonds until serving to keep them crunchy. When assembling, tear the greens with your hands rather than slicing to prevent browning on the edges.

What to serve with it

This Green Goddess Salad pairs nicely with many mains. Try it with grilled or roasted chicken, salmon, pork steaks, or a light lemon-garlic pasta for a bright summer meal.

top view close up of a hand reaching for a green goddess salad in a white bowl full of romaine hearts, mixed salad greens, cucumber, avocado, snap peas, celery, and almonds

Green Goddess Salad

Author: Erin Dooner

Servings: 4

Prep time: 15 mins | Total time: 15 mins

Ingredients

For the dressing

  • ½ cup mayonnaise (112 g)
  • ¼ cup sour cream (57.5 g)
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ½ cup fresh parsley leaves (30 g), lightly packed
  • ¼ cup fresh tarragon leaves (12.75 g)
  • ¼ cup sliced chives (10 g)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

For the salad

  • 2 cups romaine hearts, roughly chopped (144 g)
  • 2 cups mixed salad greens (80 g)
  • 1 English cucumber, cut into 1/4″ half-moons
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 1 cup snap peas (98 g)
  • ½ cup diced celery (50.5 g)
  • ¼ cup sliced almonds (59 g) for garnish

Instructions

For the dressing

  1. Add mayonnaise, sour cream, and garlic to a food processor fitted with an S-blade. Pulse until the garlic is minced, about 30 seconds.
  2. Add lemon juice, parsley, tarragon, and chives. Pulse until herbs are finely chopped and the dressing is smooth, about 45 seconds.
  3. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

For the salad

  1. Combine the romaine, mixed greens, cucumber, snap peas, and celery in a large bowl.
  2. Add the avocado, drizzle with dressing, and toss gently to coat.
  3. Top with sliced almonds and serve immediately to preserve texture and color.

Notes

Use any lettuce mix you prefer. Romaine adds crunch while mixed greens contribute varied flavor. Serve immediately for best texture.

Enjoy this Green Goddess Salad — if you make it, leave a comment to share how it turned out!