By Mark Kiffin, owner of The Compound Restaurant

The great thing about this recipe is that you can mix and mingle the herbs and lettuces to match your taste. If you don’t care for cilantro, put in fresh dill. Seasonally, there should be local leaf lettuces, especially ones like arugula, baby spinach, and red romaine or oak leaf that also can be switched in and work perfectly for this salad. Use whatever light leafy greens you find at our amazing Santa Fe Farmers’ Market or wherever you buy local produce.

Print Recipe

Spring Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

Ingredients

Dressing

  • 2 scallions
  • 1 teaspoon roasted garlic
  • 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1/4 cup pea shoots
  • 1/4 cup basil leaves
  • 1 avocado, ripe but still green
  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
  • Juice of 1 medium lemon
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup grapeseed oil (or canola oil)
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Salad

  • Olive oil
  • 4 ounces sourdough bread, torn into cubes
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 head butter lettuce
  • 4 ounces sugar snap peas
  • 4 ounces radishes
  • 2 baby cucumbers
  • 2 scallions
  • 1 avocado

Instructions

Dressing

  • Place scallions, garlic, greens and herbs, avocado, vinegar, and lemon juice in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a stainless steel bowl and stir in remaining ingredients. If the dressing is too thick, add a touch more buttermilk.

Salad

  • Heat skillet over medium heat, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom, add torn bread, and continue to cook until lightly brown. Remove to paper towels.
  • Pull lettuce leaves apart and use a salad spinner or strainer to wash, drain, and dry the leaves.
  • Slice peas, radishes, cucumbers, and scallions. Mix prepared vegetables in a large bowl.
  • To serve, drizzle dressing over vegetables and toss, then arrange on chilled salad plates. Slice avocado and place around the salad.

Chef Mark Kiffin is celebrating his twenty-fifth anniversary as owner of The Compound Restaurant, a cornerstone of the culinary landscape in Santa Fe, located in the Arts District on Canyon Road. The restaurant, renowned for its distinctive style and elegance, was a James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurant in 2024. Kiffin’s signature contemporary American menu combines New World influences with the culinary style and flavors of the Mediterranean, and The Compound is truly farm-to-table, with a seasonally evolving menu that focuses on regional and local ingredients.