A salad so heavenly, yet so easy that even the greenest of chefs can whip it up!
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There’s little question when someone mentions “The Green Goddess” who they’re referring to. While green appears in a variety of theistic mythos and religions – from the Celtic Green Man (the god of Spring), to Osiris (the ancient Egyptian god of rebirth), even God’s blessings of renewal are embodied by the color green! – there is one arguably quintessential green goddess: Gaia, Mother Earth. Hailing from ancient Greek folklore, Gaia (Terra to her Roman worshippers) is the goddess of the Earth and new life. All other green gods touch base on her essential cornerstones of nature, rebirth, blooming, and prosperity, which means when someone serves up a Green Goddess Salad, it’s living up to an immortal standard!
At FFF we want to ensure that our version of this most verdant dish upholds the expectations of a meal named for a goddess like Gaia! That’s why our Green Goddess Salad is deliciously nutritious, rejuvenating, and so easy to make! In no time whatsoever, you’ll be dining on the most refreshing salad we’ve published yet and our easiest to make! Filled with healthy greens and flavor, make your next Green Goddess Salad a heavenly experience!
Is Green Goddess Salad Healthy?
Green Goddess Salad is a bowl full of divinely delicious and wholesomely nutritious ingredients! With vitamin K and potassium from the cabbage as well as vitamins A and C from the green onion, this salad will have you well-fed and satisfyingly so! Keto-friendly, vegetarian, and paleo, easily made in a pinch, and flavorful – what more can you ask of your green goddess?
Many green goddess dressings contain mayonnaise, making them a no-go for vegan eaters; however, there are vegan green goddess dressings on the market or try making it at home with our easy-to-follow recipe for totally vegan green goddess dressing!
Is the green goddess salad really named after Gaia?
As always, that’s not the whole story. Green goddess dressing isn’t as old as the ancient Greeks – actually being something like 100 years old, and not 3100 years old. The green goddess salad dressing was created in 1923 at the Palace Hotel. In honor of the actor George Arliss, executive chef Philip Roemer named the dressing (at the time containing anchovies, scallions, tarragon, mayonnaise, and greens like chives and parsley) after the play (and subsequent film release) The Green Goddess.
Well, surely the titular green goddess of the play must be referring to Gaia, too, right? I’m afraid not. As was unfortunately customary and common at the time, The Green Goddess exemplifies an exoticized southeast Asia, being set in a fictional realm within the Himalayas and revolving around the stereotypical worship at a temple devoted to a similarly fictional “Green Goddess”. A product of the times, when Hollywood was deeply steeped in obsessive Orientalism, the play and films for which the dressing is named are tragically antiquated for their racial insensitivity.
We at FFF prefer to revere the renewing, rejuvenating feeling you get when eating a deliciously prepared Green Goddess Salad, as if served by the goddess of nature and rebirth, herself!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 fennel bulb
- 4 green onions
- 1 green cabbage (about 3 pounds)
- 1 cup Italian parsley leaves
- 2 cups Green Goddess dressing
- Salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare
Slice and dice fennel and green onions.
Chop
Chop cabbage and parsley, and combine with fennel.
Dress
Toss with dressing, season to taste.
Devour!
FAQs & Tips
Green goddess salad is super easy to make, serves relatively chilled, and gets even better after all of the flavors have some time to mingle with each other! Let your salad sit in its dressing in sealed containers in your fridge crisper (to ensure your salad doesn’t get too cold or start to wilt), and serve up the next day for a heavenly homogenized taste of ambrosia!
Honestly? Anything green! Avocados, spinach, and other leafy herbs make delicious and nutritious additions to any green goddess salad! Try adding finely chopped nuts and/or a green tea egg to your salad for extra protein and earthiness!
While our recipe calls for cabbage, there are a variety of greens you can use in substitution! For more nutritious options, try spinach or kale in your next green goddess! For fewer calories, try refreshing heads of lettuce like iceberg and butter crisp! The darker green your leaves, generally the more nutritious your salad. The lighter your leaves, the fewer calories in your salad.
Serving Suggestions
Green Goddess Salad tastes divine all on its own, but no pantheon is complete without a couple of other heavenly dishes! Serve up your Green Goddess Salad with the taste of Poseidon in a low-carb, paleo shrimp and zucchini boat, or try a couple of keto stuffed peppers hot out of Hades! Or, if you’re feeling a little indulgent after your refreshing green goddess, try a Dionysian drink of violet Aviator to wash down your verdant vegetables!
Ingredients
- 1 fennel bulb
- 4 green onions
- 1 cup Italian parsley leaves
- 1 green cabbage about 3 pounds
- 2 cups Green Goddess dressing
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the fennel bulb and slice it in half. Trim off the stem and reserve the fronds for the dressing or garnish.
- Remove the core from the fennel halves, chop into 1/4-inch dice, and keep in water to prevent browning.
- Trim the roots from the green onions and slice them diagonally. Roughly chop the Italian parsley leaves.
- Halve the cabbage, remove the core, and chop into 1/4-inch dice to yield 10 to 12 cups.
- Combine the cabbage, onions, parsley, fennel fronds, and diced fennel in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss well.
- Let the salad sit for 10 minutes after dressing, then adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
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