Anything Goes Green Salad
Description
This pick-your-own-protein salad is all about the green goddess dressing, an herby, punchy, creamy green sauce that originated in San Francisco in the 1920s. It's just as delicious as it is versatile: You can use any combo of tender herbs (cilantro, mint, basil, parsley, dill, tarragon, chives), cultured dairy (yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk, labneh, crème fraîche), and acid (lemon juice, lime juice, unseasoned rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar) you'd like, which means you're never more than a whiz away from a batch. Mix it into shredded poached and chilled chicken breasts, high-quality canned tuna, chickpeas, or boiled-and-chopped eggs.
Ingredients
60 grams tender herbs (such as dill, parsely, cilantro, basil, mint, tarragon, and/or chives) 115 grams mayonnaise 118 milliliters plain whole-milk yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk, crème fraîche, labneh or dairy-free alternatives 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 1 Tbsp. drained capers 1 garlic clove Kosher salt 2 lemons, divided Freshly ground black pepper Protien of choice: chilled cooked chicken breasts, one tin chickpeas, boiled eggs, or three tins oil-packed tuna 2 celery stalks 1 ripe avocado 1 head lettuce (Bibb, butter, romaine, iceberg) or mixed salad leaves Potato chips (optional, for serving)
Instructions
1. Combine the tender herbs, mayonnaise, plain whole-milk yogurt (or sour cream, buttermilk, crème fraîche, etc.), 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, 1 Tbsp. drained capers, 1 garlic clove, and a big pinch of kosher salt in a blender. 2. Finely grate zest of 1 lemon into blender. Cut lemon in half and squeeze in juice through your hand or a fine-mesh sieve to catch the seeds. Blend on high until bright green, and speckled with small pieces of herbs. Taste dressing and season with freshly ground black pepper and more salt as needed. 3. Prepare your protien of choice: slice chicken breasts against the grain to 1" thick, and tear into bite-size pieces. Drain and rinse your chickpeas well. Peel and cut boiled eggs into bite-size pieces. For tuna, drain and flake with a fork into bite-size pieces. Place protein of choice in a medium bowl. 4. Add 100 ml dressing to protein and mix well to combine. Place remaining dressing in a small bowl and set aside for serving. 5. Remove any leaves attached to 2 celery stalks. Thinly slice stalks on a diagonal and mix into salad. Season with salt and pepper. Top with any celery leaves. 6. Cut 1 ripe avocado in half. Remove pit, scoop flesh out of skin, and cut into ½"-thick wedges. 7. Separate leaves of 1 head of lettuce or your mixed leaves. Wash and dry leaves thoroughly. 8. To serve, place bowl of salad and reserved dressing on a platter and arrange lettuce, avocado wedges, and a big pile of potato chips around. Slice remaining 1 lemon into wedges. Drizzle a bit of juice over avocado. Arrange lemon wedges on platter. Season avocado with some salt and a crank or two of pepper.