This Green Goddess Kale + White Bean Salad recipe from The Whole Smiths is healthy, hearty and fresh all at the same time. It’s a breeze to make and you’re guaranteed to fall in love with it.

How It All Started.

Over the fall I had the pleasure of working at a local cafe/restaurant/coffee shop here in town called the Charming Fig. I’ve been a fan of Charming Fig since even before they opened and were doing amazing charcuterie boards locally. Julia, the owner, is a delight and was more than welcoming when I reached out asking if I could come work for her. The truth was and is, I have been struggling personally in some areas lately and longed to have a place outside of The Whole Smiths to be creative and be out of the house. Working from home and being home so much with Knox, as adorable and amazing as he is, left me with little time to myself. Creatively, mentally and peacefully. It’s no doubt a struggle a lot of women and mothers face.

And while I loved my time working at Charming Fig and had amazing co-workers to hang with, it became a struggle to manage keeping The Whole Smiths going, juggling mom duties for a toddler and busy two teens and making it make sense from a financial perspective. So while my time was cut short, I did get to create this awesome salad that was a hit with the customers at Charming Fig. Ok fine, not to brag, but everyone I’ve made it for raves about it. And you will too.

What Is In a Green Goddess Kale + White Bean Salad?

Well, it’s pretty self explanatory I have to say. For one, kale and beans to name a couple of the more obvious ingredients. As far as the beans go, I use some combination of three different types. Navy beans, cannellini, garbanzos, and even black eyed peas. The truth of the matter, is you can use any combination of white beans to make this salad rock. Just make sure to use three cans.

Kale is kale, until it’s not. There’s a huge variety of kale and while you really can use any kind of kale you’d like, I find this recipe works best with a curly kale. We tried it with a flat leaf kale at the restaurant and it just fell flat. It needs a cure kale to give it some bulk. The curse kale holds up better to the heft of the beans and they work together in perfect harmony.

And finally, the start of the show, the green goddess dressing. A green goddess dressing typically a creamy, herby dressing with bold flavors. You may be thinking, “Like a ranch?”, but it’s brighter, zestier and really just has a very herb-forward flavor. For this green goddess dressing I used basil, dill and chives as the herbs. It lended itself to a perfect herb blend. I also used lemon juice, and some red pepper flakes to increase its acid and add an extra layer of flavor.

For the base, I used my 30-Second Homemade Olive Oil Mayo. If you haven’t made it yet, I highly encourage you to give it a try. It’s free from all of the artificial ingredients that make mayo so gross as it uses either olive oil or avocado oil. While this mayo is my absolute favorite, you can use any mayo of preference in this recipe.

The final result is a perfectly balanced salad that will leave going for seconds and thirds.

A Big Batch.

Note, this makes a large batch. There’s about 6 to 8 servings in this recipe. If you are not planning to eat it all at once, you can mix the beans, onion, and cucumber together and store it in the refrigerator and assemble and toss it as needed at a later date. Just add the feta and cranberries when you’re ready. I designed this recipe to be great for meal prep and having throughout the week.

This Green Goddess Kale + White Bean Salad also makes a great main dish for the entire family. Add some protein like rotisserie chicken or some hard boiled eggs and you’re ready to go! It’s also a convenient and crowd-pleasing dish to take to any potluck or gathering. Prepare everything at home and toss the ingredients when needed.

A photo of a kale salad in a white bowl with beans and a creamy green goddess dressing.

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5 from 1 vote