Green Goddess Quinoa Salad
Published 4/7/2024
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Full of delicious flavor, this Green Goddess Quinoa Salad is a healthy meal that is as filling as it is tasty. It’s packed with fresh veggies and herbs, and the homemade green goddess dressing is one of our absolute faves as it comes out perfectly creamy, tangy, and herby.
Add in some white quinoa, and you’re set to have a lunch, dinner, or side that is both super delish and nutrient-dense.
I swear, every year when we get those first few sunny spring days, I’m craving all the greens and herbs. And this green goddess quinoa salad is exactly that! It’s the perfect nutrient dense and super flavorful quinoa salad that is oh so versatile. We’ve enjoyed this as a main dish topped with grilled chicken thighs, as a side or even alongside scrambled eggs in the morn.
To make this gorgeous salad, simply cook the quinoa mixture, make the dressing, add your veggies, and toss! And after one taste of our homemade green goddess dressing (it’s SO good we’ve used it as a dip 👀), you’ll never buy store-bought again.
Green Goddess Quinoa Salad – What You’ll Need
- Lemon juice: The tangy and acidic component of the dressing. Freshly squeezed lemon juice works best.
- Apple cider vinegar: Another acidic element that adds depth of flavor to the dressing.
- Honey: This natural sweetener balances out the acidity of the lemon juice and apple cider vinegar.
- 2% Greek yogurt: This is the creamy base of the dressing and provides a tangy punch.
- Fresh herbs: We used herbs like fresh cilantro, fresh parsley, fresh dill, and fresh mint, which add an earthy and herby flavor to the salad.
- Ginger: Freshly grated ginger adds a spicy and slightly sweet flavor to the dressing.
- Avocado: This adds a creamy texture to the dressing and provides healthy fats.
- Kale: This leafy green is a nutritional powerhouse packed with vitamins and minerals.
- Veggies: We added frozen peas and mini cucumbers for a refreshing crunch and added nutrients.
- Pistachios: Use roasted and salted pistachios for a nutty and salty crunch.
- Feta cheese: This adds a tangy and salty flavor to the salad that is just SO tasty.
To Make the Dressing
To make the green goddess dressing, you’ll need at least a small blender or food processor. A high-speed blender is recommended for a smooth and creamy consistency.
Our Favorite
Beast Blender
The Beast Blender is our go-to blender for smoothies, dips, soups, and everything in between. It’s the perfect size and moderately priced. Oh, and oh-so powerful!
Recipe Substitutions
We tested the recipe for this dressing multiple times, the measurements give you a tart and sweet green goddess dressing. If you would like it thicker and creamier, double the Greek yogurt.
We also found that any soft-leaf herb is delicious! Feel free to try the recipe with different types of herbs.
This recipe has been tested with lime juice in place of lemon juice, and it works great. It is slightly more tart but equally as tasty.
Don’t have green onion? White onion works, too!
You can also swap frozen peas for edamame beans and mini cucumbers for English cucumbers.
Top Tips for Green Goddess Quinoa Salad
Make ahead: You can make the dressing and quinoa up to a day in advance, store them separately, and then toss everything together just before serving.
Add protein: For a more filling meal, add some grilled chicken or tofu on top of your salad.
Double the recipe: This salad makes great leftovers and can be enjoyed for lunch or dinner the next day.
How to Store
If you have leftovers, we recommend storing the salad and dressing separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. The salad will stay fresh for 3-4 days, and the dressing will last for up to 1 week.
Green Goddess Quinoa Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Dressing
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, ~1 small lemon
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons 2% Greek yogurt
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- ½ cup fresh dill
- 1 green onion
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- ½ large avocado
Salad
- ⅔ cup white quinoa, (~2 cups cooked)
- 6 cups chopped kale, ~3 cups massaged kale, deboned and massaged
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups frozen peas or edamame, thawed
- 2 cups sliced mini cucumbers or English cucumbers
- ½ cup fresh roughly chopped mint
- 2 green onions, diced
- ¼ cup chopped pistachios, roasted and salted
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the quinoa. Add the quinoa and 1 ⅓ cups water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 15-18 minutes until all of the water has been absorbed and the quinoa is cooked.
- Remove the quinoa from the heat and transfer to a plate or small pan to cool. Set aside.
- Prepare the dressing. Add the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, garlic, and Greek yogurt to a high-speed blender. Blend on high until all the ingredients are combined and the garlic has minced.
- Add the salt, cilantro, parsley, dill, green onion, ginger, and avocado to the blender and pulse the ingredients until the dressing is smooth. Set aside.
- Add the raw kale to a large salad bowl. Add the olive oil and massage the oil into the kale with your hands for 2-3 minutes. The kale will soften and reduce by about half.
- Add the peas, cucumbers, mint, green onions, pistachios, salt, and cooled quinoa to the kale and toss. Add the dressing and toss again.
- Top the salad with feta and black pepper. Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator.
Tips & Notes
- We tested the recipe for this dressing multiple times, the measurements give you a tart and sweet green goddess dressing. If you would like it thicker and creamier, double the Greek yogurt.
- We found that any soft-leaf herb is delicious. Feel free to try the recipe with different types of herbs.
- This recipe has been tested with lime juice in place of lemon juice, and it works great. It is slightly more tart but equally as tasty.
- If you don’t have green onion, use white onion.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photography: photos taken in this post are by Erin from The Wooden Skillet.
Loved it. Used sweetheart cabbage instead and topped with roasted sesame seeds. For the dressing I added in some basil and spinach as well. Will definitely make it again. Thanks for the recipe!
Ooo yum! Those sound like delicious additions 😀
This is so good! Funny because I’m not a big fan of kale and my partner doesn’t like quinoa but we both loved this salad. We added chicken for extra protein and it was delightful.
Yum!
Love this recipe! I have made it many times and it never disappoints. Thank you for a great healthy recipe.
Aw thanks so much, Donna!