It’s easy to get hooked on TikTok recipes. The particular corner of the internet—with its rapid-fire naming of ingredients, swift results, and literally zero cleanup—is satisfying, to say the least. And though not every viral recipe demands to be made or even turns out that tasty (remember the baked feta pasta? It inspired a plethora of feta recipes), a cooking video occasionally comes along that checks both boxes with ease. Today’s doable recipe du jour: Melissa Ben-Ishay’s green goddess salad.
Recognized by most as the founder of Baked By Melissa, the New York City-based brand known for colorful, bite-sized cupcakes, Ben-Ishay sometimes takes a detour from the sweet treats and sugary mixes that define her TikTok to focus on easy-to-make vegan salads. It’s a beautiful balance really. Last September, the baker posted a green dish that truly took off (we’re talking 1.6 million likes, 10,000 comments, and over 300 shares). It’s an understandable viral moment. Ben-Ishay is a master of ASMR-style recipe videos (chopping and juicing spinach has never sounded so pleasing), but she also managed to make a healthy, green creation that looks truly lush and indulgent.
Featured image by Michelle Nash.
Here at Camille Styles, we’re big on all things green goddess. And with just a handful of common ingredients whipped together in five easy steps, Baked By Melissa’s gorgeous salad is a no-brainer. Plus, it lasts up in the refrigerator for up to a week, so it’s a perfect fit for any plant-based meal plans.
Visit bakedbymelissa.com for the full, versatile recipe, but some things you’ll want to have on hand:
– a small head of green cabbage
– cucumbers
– chives
– green onions
– spinach
– basil
– olive oil
– your favorite nuts.
– Ben-Ishay also recommends a heaping helping of nutritional yeast.
Make the green goddess salad for the week ahead or a dinner party dip (Ben-Ishay suggests eating it with chips like guacamole, yum!). Salads By Melissa is officially our favorite Baked By Melissa offshoot. Watch the video below to see it in action.
Green Goddess Pasta Salad
Description
The Green Goddess Pasta Salad You’ll Make All Spring (and Summer) Long.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 bunch basil
- handful of any other soft herbs you like (chives, green onions, parsley, cilantro, etc.)
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (I ended up adding a little more to make it more vinegary but start here and adjust!)
- juice of 1 1/2 lemons
- big squeeze of honey (use vegan alternative sweetener to keep vegan)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1–2 tbsp of water to thin the dressing as needed
- 8oz fresh spinach
- 16oz pasta (two servings of any shape you like)
- prepped fresh vegetables: cucumbers, artichokes, avocado, peas, etc.
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water and set on the stove to bring to a boil.
- While the water begins to heat up, add the nutritional yeast, basil, fresh herbs, tahini, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, honey, and salt and pepper to a blender.
- Once the water is boiling, add the spinach and blanche quickly until the leaves turn bright green. Using a spider strainer, take the spinach from the pot and run under cold water. Add the the blender. ****This step is optional. You can also just add the raw spinach to the blender as is, but I prefer blanching mine first.
- Add the pasta to the water and cook according to package instructions.
- While the pasta cooks, blend the dressing ingredients together. Taste and adjust as needed to your own liking. Set dressing aside.
- When the pasta is finished cooking, drain from water. Add half of the dressing to the pasta while it’s warm, and toss to combine. Let pasta cool to room temperature.
- While the pasta cools, prep the vegetables. Chop any veggies as needed into small cubes. Reserve part of the vegetables for topping if desired.
- When ready to assembly, add the dressed pasta to a large serving bowl. Add the vegetables and remaining dressing to the pasta and toss to combine. Top with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Either serve right away, topping with additional vegetables, or let sit in fridge until completely cold and serve. Enjoy!
