TikTok's Green Goddess Salad Dip Makes Eating Your Vegetables Easy
Let's face it, veggies often take a back seat on our plates; but there's one veggie-centric dish that's been grabbing the internet's attention — green goddess salad dip. This creation, brought, in part, into the spotlight by TikTok creator @bakedbymelissa, is a blend of homemade green goddess dressing — creamy, citrusy, and herbaceous — with a mix of chopped cabbage, cucumbers, and chives. The result is a unique fusion that's like pesto, chimichurri, and coleslaw all rolled up into one. And the best part? A crunchy tortilla chip is the recommended vehicle for scooping up this zesty dip.
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This recipe's viral status points to its widespread appeal, yet opinions are mixed. Many have embraced it wholeheartedly, like TikTok @Naek47, who commented "This is now a staple in the house, the kids call it salad dip." Others, like @rachelrae111, aren't as enthusiastic, stating, "I spent forever making this and it tasted so so bad to me. Idk why. I hated it." Fortunately, there's more than one way to whip up this dish, offering room for customization to suit different tastebuds.
Homemade green goddess salad dip in a snap
This salad dip is a twist on classic green goddess dressing, whose history far predates its appearance in TikTok trends and grocery store shelves. The original dressing was inspired by the 1920s play and subsequent movie "The Green Goddess," which, despite its name lending fame to the dressing, is noted for its dated and culturally insensitive portrayal of Indian culture. (But that deserves its own story.) When the star of the aforementioned play stayed at San Francisco's Palace Hotel, the chef created a green, mayo-based dressing served over canned artichokes and named it accordingly. Since then, it has evolved into a fresher, mayo-free recipe still served at the Palace Hotel today.
This being said, there's plenty of room for creativity with this salad. To make the viral dip version following @bakedbymelissa's recipe, blend garlic, shallots, lemon juice, chives, olive oil, rice vinegar, walnuts, cashews, basil, spinach, nutritional yeast, and salt in a blender until smooth. This will create a creamy sauce perfect for pouring over finely chopped cabbage and enjoying with chips.
You can use a variety of fridge and pantry staples to make your dip. Start by swapping out the cabbage with other diced vegetables like celery, onions, or radishes. For the sauce, explore ingredients like jalapeno, avocado, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, yogurt, or fresh herbs like dill, parsley, arugula, and cilantro. You can also try making it nut-free with sunflower or pumpkin seeds instead of walnuts and cashews.
Getting creative with green goddess salad dip
No matter how you choose to whip it up, the green goddess salad dip is surprisingly versatile and can be used for more than just dipping. If you run out of chips or simply want a lighter option, stir it into some crisp mixed greens for a fork-friendly salad. It's a great (and way more fun) stand-in for your standard coleslaw at barbeques, too. If you want to get even more inventive, try sprinkling it on top of tacos, or mix it into cool pasta salad or potato salad for a zesty kick.
The bright green dressing is equally versatile on its own. Beyond using it to dress your favorite salad, you can also serve it as a vibrant veggie dip on a crudité platter. Its citrusy, acidic nature also makes it a smart addition to guacamole. (Goodbye, browned avocado.) The fun doesn't stop there; this dressing shines as a marinade or sauce for proteins, infusing them with its lively, herby flavor.