Is the Green Goddess Salad worth your thyme?

In late 2021 Melissa Ben-Ishay, founder of Baked by Melissa, posted her recipe of the green goddess salad on TikTok. This vegan dish reached viral status, with even celebrities like Lizzo jumping on the trend.

But is this concoction of vegetables really worth the time, money and effort? Or will it join other TikTok food fads, like cloud bread, and fall into oblivion? It was time for me to finally put this trend to the test…

The salad itself is easy and affordable, consisting of diced cabbage, cucumber, spring onions and if you’re feeling fancy, extra chives. These ingredients complement each other well, providing volume, freshness, and a crunchy texture. I like how the cabbage maintains its hold, allowing the salad to last for days. There is nothing more repulsive than leftover wilted leaves waiting for you in the fridge.

But what truly makes this salad is the dressing: lemon juice, olive oil, nuts, garlic, shallot, rice vinegar, spinach, basil, chives, salt, and nutritional yeast. That sounds like a lot, but I was surprised to find I already had half the ingredients hiding in my cupboard! 

The dressing turned out rich, creamy, and full of flavour. The lemons’ acidity combines with the herbs and vegetables to produce a tangy and intense aromatic flavour that is undeniably delicious.

Packed with healthy fats, vitamins and antioxidants, this dish is also extremely nourishing. Plus, it caters to a variety of dietary requirements so most people can give it a try. It’s both vegan and gluten-free, and, if you removed the cashews, it would be nut-free too.

Its versatility allows you to adapt the recipe to your liking. I must admit, I was sceptical as to whether this would be anywhere near filling. With no carbs or protein, it seems like a ‘recipe for disaster’ if you wanted something to sustain you throughout the day.

The salad, however, was surprisingly satisfying and I even had enough energy to last me during my tennis session. That said, my housemate admitted that she scoffed a sandwich straight afterwards because “it was just cabbage.” 

To make this salad more appetising and nutritionally dense, I’d recommend adding protein, such as chicken, tofu, or edamame beans. Carbs are also a missing essential, so adding croutons, or using the salad as a dip for tortilla chips, would take this salad to the next level. If you want to spice things up further (literally) jalapeños would be a great touch.

Overall, I rate this salad a 7.5/10. It would have been SO MUCH higher if it hadn’t been for one thing: the onions. After eating this salad, you will genuinely have to avoid people for 3-5 working days. The raw onion and garlic gave me a monstrous breath. I tried everything: mints, gum, mouthwash – nothing could save me. If this becomes a staple menu item, NEVER choose it on a date. It would be fatal. 

So, either remove the garlic and onion or, preferably, just cook them before adding them to the blender. Also, dice the cabbage up finely. Not only will this make it easier to use as a dip, but it will also save you from looking like Bruce Bogtrotter while you devour it.

I’d say this recipe lives up to the hype and is definitely worth a try. Saying that, it could be improved with alterations, so adapt it to your liking. I’d choose pasta or pizza over salad any day – but who wouldn’t? This salad (minus the onions) will certainly be making a return to my kitchen.