Chopped Dill Pickle Salad

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This Chopped Dill Pickle Salad is creamy, crunchy, and packed with 30g of protein per serving! Made with buttery croutons, crisp veggies, feta, and a oil-free dill pickle dressing (made with Greek yogurt). Delicious, high-protein, and meal prep friendly. (Gluten-Free option).

Prep Time22

Cook Time8

Total Time30

Servings:

Author: Bri Beaudoin

Ingredients

Croutons

2 cups cubed sourdough bread (⅓ to ½-inch cubes, about 1 cm)
1 tablespoon melted butter
fine sea salt and pepper (to taste)

Salad

2 cups finely chopped kale (see note 1)
2 cups finely chopped cabbage (red and/or green)
2 cups finely chopped romaine lettuce (see note 2)
2 (14 fl oz/398 ml) cans chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1 chopped English cucumber
6 chopped radishes
1½ cups crumbled feta cheese (see note 3)
¼ cup finely chopped dill

Creamy Dill Pickle Ranch Dressing

1 cup plain Greek yogurt
⅓ cup roughly chopped dill pickle
1 tablespoon dill pickle juice (from the pickle jar)
1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar (see note 4)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
black pepper (to taste)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Croutons: Preheat oven to 425℉ (220℃). Scatter 2 cups cubed sourdough bread on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon melted butter and toss to coat well. Sprinkle with fine sea salt and pepper to taste. Bake until golden and crisp, about 8 minutes. Let cool.
Prep Salad: In a large bowl, combine 2 cups finely chopped kale, 2 cups finely chopped cabbage, 2 cups finely chopped romaine lettuce, 2 (14 fl oz/398 ml) cans chickpeas, 1 chopped English cucumber, and 6 chopped radishes.
Start Dressing: Add ⅓ cup (of the 1 cup plain Greek yogurt) to a blender. (Keep remaining ⅔ cup Greek yogurt for later). To the blender, add ⅓ cup roughly chopped dill pickle, 1 tablespoon dill pickle juice, 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt. Blend until smooth.
Finish Dressing: Transfer the blended dressing to a medium bowl. Add the remaining ⅔ cup Greek yogurt and 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill. Stir until smooth (see note 5). Season with black pepper to taste.
Combine: Drizzle the dressing over the bowl of salad. Toss to coat. Add croutons, 1½ cups crumbled feta cheese, and ¼ cup finely chopped dill. Toss to mix. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Notes

Kale: Curly kale recommended, otherwise substitute lacinato.
Lettuce: Romaine stays crisp for days so it's great for this dish—especially if you're meal prepping. You can substitute Butter lettuce, Iceberg lettuce, or similar.
Feta: I recommend buying a block of feta in brine and crumbling it yourself. Pre-crumbled feta doesn't taste as good and it tends to dry out easily.
White Vinegar: Delivers the classic tang of dill pickles! Swap with rice vinegar or lemon juice. If you use lemon juice, refresh leftovers with an extra squeeze of lemon before serving—because citrus flavor weakens over time.
Dill Pickle Ranch Dressing: Blend only some of the Greek yogurt first, then stir in the rest. This keeps it creamy, not watery. Blending it all makes the dressing too thin—trust me, I've tried it!
Gluten Free Option: Use gluten-free bread or substitute gluten-free storebought croutons.
Storage Tips: Store salad and dressing separate, in the fridge. Croutons are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Yield: About 12 cups (assumes 4 large servings, about 3 cups each).

Nutrition