Green Goddess Cabbage Salad

Finely chopped cabbage, cucumber and spring onion folded through a creamy dressing made with a whole avocado and Greek yoghurt. Thick enough to scoop with a corn chip, fresh enough to serve as a side next to roast chicken or grilled fish. Serves 4 to 6 as a side, or a small crowd as a dip.

Cabbage chopped small enough to scoop is what makes this work. Not shredded and not sliced, but diced almost to confetti so a corn chip can carry it without anything falling off on the way. The cucumber goes the same way, and the spring onion is sliced fine so it runs through every bite instead of landing in clumps.

The dressing is where I moved away from the original. A whole ripe avocado goes into the blender with Greek yoghurt, parsley, basil, chives, a small clove of garlic and the juice of a lemon, and it turns properly green and silky. The avocado is the reason it clings rather than slides, and the reason a chip comes out loaded.

The idea came from the viral Green Goddess Salad created by Melissa from Baked by Melissa. I kept her finely chopped cabbage base and reworked the dressing to suit how we eat at home: softer, creamier and more herbaceous.

It has become our Friday afternoon standard, sitting beside a wine and cheese board while everyone helps themselves. It still behaves like a proper side dish next to roast chicken, grilled fish or slow cooked beef. Whichever way it goes out, it is the bowl that comes back empty.

Prep: 20 min · Serves: 6 · Cuisine: Australian · Category: Side Dish

Ingredients

Salad

• ½ green cabbage, very finely diced
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, very finely diced
• 2 full spring onions, finely sliced

Dressing

• 1 cup lactose free Greek yoghurt - Regular full fat Greek yoghurt works beautifully too
• 1 full ripe avocado
• 1 small handful fresh parsley
• 1 small handful fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives
• 1 small garlic clove
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Vegeta stock powder
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 to 3 tablespoons water, if needed

Method

1. Finely chop the cabbage, cucumber and spring onions. The smaller you dice them, the better the texture. You want everything almost confetti-like and spoonable.
2. Add all dressing ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth and vibrant green.
3. Taste and adjust. Add more lemon if you prefer extra brightness. A little extra salt if needed. If the dressing feels too thick, add water one tablespoon at a time until it becomes creamy but pourable.
4. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss thoroughly until every piece is coated.
5. Let the salad sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. The cabbage softens slightly and the flavours settle.

Serving Suggestion

Set the bowl in the middle of the table with plain salted corn chips beside it and let everyone scoop. As a side it belongs next to The Grace Table Roast Chicken Method (Golden, Juicy & Extra Crispy Skin), Low and Slow Smoked Beef Brisket or Slow Pulled Beef with Sweet Paprika and Garlic, and it is a fresh, cold contrast against Baked Salmon with Lemon, Herbs and Cherry Tomatoes. Leftovers are very good spooned over warm Greek Yoghurt Flatbreads with shredded chicken, or served alongside Lamb Kofta.

Storage Notes

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The lemon and yoghurt keep the dressing from browning the way plain mashed avocado does, though the green deepens slightly after the first day. Stir well and add a small squeeze of lemon before serving again.

Notes

Dice size matters more than anything else here. Anything much larger than a small dice and the salad stops holding onto a chip and starts behaving like a coleslaw.

Use a properly ripe avocado. A firm one will still blend, but the dressing stays grainy rather than silky and extra oil will not fix it.

The dressing can be blended a day ahead and kept in a jar in the fridge with cling film pressed onto the surface. Chop the vegetables on the day and dress just before serving for maximum crunch.

Vegeta is doing most of the seasoning work, so taste before adding any salt. It is saltier than it seems once it is blended through the yoghurt.

Serving it as a dip rather than a side, leave the water out altogether so the mixture stays thick enough to scoop cleanly.

The Grace Table Tip

Serve it cold and bring it out at the last minute. The contrast between the cold, creamy salad and a room temperature corn chip is the whole point of eating it this way. If the bowl has been sitting out for more than half an hour, stir a handful of freshly chopped cabbage through it and the crunch comes straight back.

Vegeta is a vegetable stock powder sold in most Australian supermarkets. If you cannot find it, use 1½ teaspoons of chicken or vegetable stock powder, or ½ teaspoon fine sea salt with a pinch of garlic powder, then taste and adjust.