What's So Special About TikTok's Viral Green Goddess Salad?

TikTok has become a social media platform jam-packed with food trends, thanks to the plethora of clips featuring innovative recipes and unique pairings. The now-viral green goddess salad is no exception, as this healthy recipe has enraptured users far and wide. Just consider that the original green goddess recipe clip on TikTok has gained millions of likes and thousands of comments since being posted. It's also inspired countless TikTokers to try out the recipe on their own. As for what makes this salad so appealing, its popularity could be attributed to a special ingredient: nutritional yeast.

This version of green goddess salad is a chopped salad and consists of standard components like cabbage, chives, and cucumbers. However, the bright green dressing calls for the addition of nutritional yeast, along with ingredients like garlic, olive oil, and walnuts (among many others). This kind of yeast is a dormant form of the common bread-leavening agent and is known for its immense nutritional value when fortified. Many people liken its flavor to that of cheese, so it's a popular addition to all types of recipes, including viral salad dressings.

If the green goddess dressing recipe seems familiar to you, that's because it's the name of a popular salad dressing created in the 1920s. The dressing was first developed by a chef at San Francisco's famed Palace Hotel in honor of a famous actor of the era. The dressing is still a mainstay at the establishment, though it's changed quite a bit over the years. It now consists of ingredients like mustard, eggs, and capers, along with a wide selection of greens.

@bakedbymelissa

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Overall, TikTok's version of the dressing focuses on healthier ingredients and is notably lacking mayonnaise (which was a big part of the original dressing recipe as served at the Palace Hotel). Additionally, the salad base featured on the social media platform features three chopped veggies, whereas the Palace Hotel serves its dressing with a smattering of salad greens, zucchini, and crab. Overall, the viral green goddess salad is a bit more substantial and flavorful, although reactions on TikTok appear to be mixed.

While there's no denying the virality of TikTok's green goddess salad, the response hasn't been all sunshine and roses. A commenter on the original clip stated, "Wow this dressing disappointed so much, tried my best to save it so it was eatable," while another person said, "I tried this and was most definitely NOT impressed." And while quite a few comments praised the recipe, the gastrointestinal effects were hard to ignore. As illustrated by one TikToker, "I practically ate the entire bowl and I had the worst stomach ache of my LIFE but it was so worth it."

If you're interested in trying to make the green goddess salad, consider that there are many variations with which you can experiment. For instance, one commenter replaced the nutritional yeast with Parmesan cheese, while another used lime juice instead of lemon. In other clips featuring the recipe, people added ingredients like avocados or jalapeños. Also consider that many people served the salad accompanied by tortilla chips, which offsets the textures of the salad beautifully. While it may not be to everyone's taste (or gut microbiome), the viral green goddess salad surely has captivated the people of TikTok.