Sweetgreen Guacamole Greens Salad: The Best Copycat Recipe (Healthy & Flavorful!)

Inspired by the renowned salad chain, Sweetgreen, this Guacamole Greens Salad is a true culinary masterpiece, bursting with an explosion of fresh flavors and delightful textures. It’s more than just a salad; it’s a vibrant, satisfying meal that will leave you feeling energized and completely content.

This beloved salad recipe has recently undergone a delightful revamp, making it even more irresistible. Many years ago, I first shared my take on the Guacamole Greens Salad, a dish that quickly became a fan favorite. For those familiar with the popular Sweetgreen salad chain, this masterpiece needs no introduction; it has been a cherished mainstay on their menu for years, captivating taste buds with its vibrant profile.

My journey with this salad began during my time in Washington, DC. Occasionally, after a long day at work, I would treat myself to this flavorful creation. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I had to crack the code and recreate this sensation in my own kitchen. The challenge was on: could I replicate the Sweetgreen magic, or perhaps, even improve upon it?

Here’s a little confession: my homemade version, if I may say so myself, tastes even better than the original. It’s richer, fresher, and offers a level of customization that truly elevates the experience. To this day, it remains a staple in my kitchen, and judging by your feedback, it’s one of your most treasured everyday salad recipes too!

Why This Sweetgreen Copycat Guacamole Greens Salad Will Be Your New Favorite

What makes this particular salad so special? It’s a harmonious blend of carefully selected ingredients, each playing a crucial role in creating an unforgettable meal. This guacamole chicken salad is brimming with all sorts of wholesome and delicious components:

• Mixed greens: A crisp, fresh base for all the other vibrant ingredients.
• Juicy chicken: Adding a satisfying protein boost to make it a complete meal.
• Fresh tomatoes: Bursting with sweet, tangy flavor and a pop of color.
• Crisp red onion: A subtle bite that adds a delightful zing.
• Creamy avocado: The star of any “guacamole” dish, providing healthy fats and a velvety texture.
• Zesty lime juice: Brightening every component and tying the flavors together.
• Crunchy tortilla chips: Offering a satisfying crunch that mimics homemade guacamole.

But the true secret sauce, the element that elevates this salad to legendary status, is the zesty homemade Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette. Infused with fresh jalapeño and aromatic ground cumin, this herbaceous vinaigrette acts as the perfect binding agent, ensuring every bite is a symphony of flavor. It’s tangy, a little spicy, and incredibly refreshing, making it suitable for a variety of salads and grain bowls.

Crafting the Perfect Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

The dressing is undeniably a highlight. The easiest and most efficient way to prepare this vibrant cilantro lime vinaigrette is by using a small capacity food processor or a high-powered blender, such as a Vitamix (affiliate link). These tools ensure a smooth, emulsified dressing with perfectly chopped herbs.

While the vinaigrette can be prepared a couple of days in advance and stored in the refrigerator, it’s worth noting that the fresh herbs, particularly cilantro, may oxidize and lose some of their vibrant green color over time. However, this doesn’t significantly impact the flavor. Just be sure to give it a good shake or whisk just before tossing it with your salad to re-emulsify and distribute all those delicious flavors.

Simple Ingredients, Big Flavor

One of the greatest advantages of this Guacamole Greens Salad is its simplicity. It requires only a handful of readily available ingredients, most of which you can easily find year-round at your local grocery store. This makes it an ideal choice for a quick weeknight dinner or a fresh weekend lunch.

The recipe outlined below is designed to yield one generous large salad serving, perfect for a hearty main course, or two smaller side servings if you’re looking to complement another dish. Feel free to adjust the quantities of each ingredient to suit your personal preferences or the number of people you’re serving. Customization is key to making this recipe truly your own!

Key Guacamole Greens Salad Ingredients:

• Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette: My signature version of Sweetgreen’s popular dressing is crafted with heart-healthy avocado oil (or grapeseed oil), a generous amount of fresh cilantro, bright lime juice, a hint of finely chopped jalapeño pepper, and aromatic ground cumin. This vinaigrette strikes a perfect balance, being citrus-forward with just the slightest warming hint of heat. It’s incredibly versatile and tastes fantastic on an array of salads or even in your favorite grain bowls!
• Mixed Greens: For the base of this vibrant salad, I recommend using a good quality blend of mixed baby greens. Alternatively, a combination of mixed greens and crisp romaine lettuce offers a wonderful textural contrast and fresh foundation.
• Chicken: To make this salad truly hearty, feel free to use shredded rotisserie chicken for a quick option, or perfectly grilled chicken breast, seasoned simply with salt and pepper, for added flavor. If you’re looking to prepare a delicious vegetarian version, crispy baked chickpeas make an excellent and satisfying substitute, adding a delightful crunch.
• Tomatoes: Halved or quartered grape or cherry tomatoes are ideal. Their natural sweetness and juicy texture add a fantastic burst of flavor and a beautiful pop of color to the salad.
• Red Onion: Finely diced red onion is one of my personal favorite components in this salad! It provides a crisp texture and a pungent, fresh kick. If you find raw onion to be a bit too strong, a simple trick is to submerge the diced onion in cold water for about five minutes, then drain it thoroughly. This gentle soak helps to mellow out some of its sharper bite.
• Avocado: It simply wouldn’t be a “guacamole” salad without the luxurious addition of creamy avocado chunks! Ripe avocado contributes a rich, buttery texture and a wealth of healthy fats, making the salad incredibly satisfying and smooth.
• Tortilla Chips: To mimic the satisfying crunch and flavor of a bowl of guacamole with chips, we’ll add a handful of lightly crushed corn tortilla chips to the salad. They introduce a fantastic textural element and a salty, savory depth that makes the salad extra filling and incredibly addictive.
• Lime Wedges: Just before the final toss, a fresh squeeze of half a lime over the entire salad is that essential finishing touch. The burst of fresh lime juice brightens all the flavors, pulling everything together into a perfectly balanced and incredibly zesty dish.

The Unbeatable Appeal of This Guacamole Greens Salad

For me, a salad needs to be truly exceptional to be considered a satisfying main course. It must be a vibrant medley of ingredients, boasting a variety of textures and a symphony of flavors. This Guacamole Greens Salad not only meets but exceeds all those expectations. It’s incredibly hearty yet remains wonderfully light and citrus-forward, making it a perfect meal for any season, from warm summer days to cozy winter evenings.

Beyond its incredible taste, there are numerous reasons to fall in love with making this salad at home. Sweetgreen’s version, while delicious, typically costs around $12 per serving. By preparing this copycat recipe in your own kitchen, you not only save a significant amount of money but also gain complete control over the quality and freshness of every ingredient. You can select organic produce, choose your favorite type of chicken, and adjust the dressing to your exact taste preferences, ensuring a truly personalized and superior culinary experience.

If you’re a connoisseur of flavorful and fulfilling main course salads, I highly recommend trying my Mediterranean Chicken Salad with Sumac Dressing next. It’s another vibrant, healthy, and incredibly satisfying recipe that has also become a constant favorite in our kitchen. Prepare to broaden your salad horizons!

Embrace the joy of cooking at home and create a meal that is not only delicious but also tailored perfectly to your preferences. This Guacamole Greens Salad is more than just a recipe; it’s an invitation to enjoy fresh, wholesome, and incredibly flavorful food any day of the week.