Pin it There's something about a green goddess dressing that stops me mid-morning and makes me forget I'm eating something healthy. I discovered this wrap on a Tuesday when I had leftover roasted chicken and a fridge full of herbs that were about to wilt, and instead of making the same sad salad I always do, I threw together this vibrant creation on impulse. The moment I tasted that first bite—the creaminess of avocado meeting the brightness of fresh tarragon and lemon—I knew this would become my go-to lunch when I need to feel nourished without feeling like I'm on a diet.
I made these for my sister one Sunday when she stopped by unexpectedly, and she ate two in a row while barely pausing to breathe between bites. Watching her dip the second wrap in extra dressing while telling me about her week reminded me why I love cooking for people—it's never really about the food, it's about giving them something that tastes like you're taking care of them. She asked for the recipe that day, and now she texts me photos of her versions with different vegetables and proteins, which has somehow become our thing.
Ingredients
- Cooked chicken breasts (about 300 g), sliced or shredded: Use rotisserie chicken from the store if you're short on time—it's honestly just as good and saves you 15 minutes.
- Greek yogurt (60 g): This is what makes the dressing creamy without heaviness; regular yogurt works but adds tanginess, so taste as you go.
- Mayonnaise (30 g): Just enough to make the dressing luxurious without it becoming mayo-forward.
- Crumbled feta cheese (30 g, optional): If you skip it, add a pinch more salt to the dressing—it adds a subtle saltiness that ties everything together.
- Ripe avocado, sliced: Pick one that yields slightly to pressure; it should slice cleanly and not fall apart.
- Cucumber, julienned: The crunch matters here, so cut it thin and don't prep it more than an hour ahead or it weeps into your wrap.
- Baby spinach (1 cup): The tender leaves are less bitter and disappear into the wrap without becoming chewy.
- Fresh parsley, chives, tarragon or basil, green onion (fresh herbs, about 1/2 cup total): Don't skip the herb combination—each one brings something different, and together they create that enchanting green goddess flavor.
- Garlic clove (1 small): Just one; it should be a whisper, not a shout, in the dressing.
- Fresh lemon juice (1 tbsp): Fresh is non-negotiable here—bottled lemon juice tastes tinny against the brightness of the herbs.
- Large whole wheat or spinach tortillas (4): These are more forgiving than flour tortillas and won't tear when you roll them.
- Salt, freshly ground black pepper, and olive oil (1 tbsp optional): The olive oil makes the dressing silkier, but honestly it's optional if you want to keep it lighter.
Instructions
- Make the green goddess dressing:
- Throw your Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, feta if you're using it, all those fresh herbs, garlic, and lemon juice into a blender or food processor. Pulse until it's smooth and a vibrant green—you're looking for the color of spring grass. Taste it, and if it needs more salt or brightness, trust your instinct and adjust.
- Warm your tortillas:
- A quick pass in a dry skillet or 20 seconds in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel makes them pliable and prevents them from cracking when you roll. They should be warm enough to smell toasty but not so hot they tear.
- Build your wrap:
- Lay a tortilla flat and spread a generous spoonful of that green goddess dressing down the center in a thin line. Layer baby spinach first (it acts like a barrier so the tortilla doesn't get soggy), then your sliced chicken, avocado, cucumber, and any extra herbs you want to scatter on top.
- Add the finishing touch:
- Drizzle another small spoonful of dressing over the vegetables, just enough to coat without making it fall apart when you roll. This is the moment where you can taste and make sure everything tastes right before committing to the roll.
- Roll with confidence:
- Fold the sides of the tortilla in about an inch, then roll from the bottom up tight and firm, like you're wrapping a present. The tighter you roll, the better it holds together when you bite into it.
- Serve or store:
- Slice it in half on a diagonal (it looks better that way), and eat it immediately while everything is still bright and fresh. If you're prepping ahead, wrap each one tightly in parchment paper and refrigerate for up to 24 hours—the flavors actually deepen overnight.
Pin it There was this one morning when I made a batch for a day of work and brought them to my office, and the smell of fresh herbs and lemon filled the break room so completely that three people asked what I was eating and where they could get one. By lunchtime, I was teaching my coworker how to build her own while she sat at my desk asking questions about substitutions and whether she could use dill instead of tarragon. It was one of those small, unremarkable moments that somehow made me realize how food can turn a regular Tuesday into something people remember.
Customizing Your Wrap
The beauty of this wrap is that it bends to what you have and what you're craving on any given day. I've swapped the chicken for grilled tofu when I wanted something lighter, and I've added crispy chickpeas for extra texture and protein. Sometimes I scatter sliced radishes or shredded carrots for a sharper crunch, and once I added thinly sliced beets because I had them on hand and wanted to see what would happen—it was unexpectedly wonderful. The green goddess dressing is the constant that ties everything together, so as long as that's good, you can play around with the vegetables and protein without worrying about the wrap falling apart.
The Story Behind Green Goddess Dressing
Green goddess dressing has this old-fashioned California elegance to it, like something that belonged in a 1970s kitchen garden where people were eating fresh and thinking about how food made them feel. I looked up its history once out of curiosity and found out it was invented at a San Francisco restaurant, and that made so much sense—it's the kind of dressing that tastes like it came from somewhere with great produce and people who care about flavor. What I love about making it fresh instead of buying it bottled is that it tastes alive, like you're tasting the herbs and the lemon at their peak, not some version of them that's been sitting in a jar for months.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
The dressing keeps beautifully in the refrigerator for up to four days, which means you can make it at the start of the week and have it on hand for wraps, salads, grain bowls, or even drizzling on fish or roasted vegetables. The wrapped wraps themselves last up to 24 hours if you wrap them individually in parchment paper, though honestly they taste best eaten the day you make them when everything is still crisp and the flavors haven't started to blur together. If you're packing one for lunch, keep it away from anything warm in your bag, and maybe bring the dressing on the side if it's going to sit for more than a couple of hours.
- Prep your vegetables the night before but don't assemble until the morning of eating to keep everything fresh and crisp.
- If you love these wraps as much as I do, make a double batch of dressing on Sunday so you can throw together wraps for the week without thinking.
- The wrap is the whole meal, but it pairs beautifully with iced green tea or a crisp glass of Sauvignon Blanc if you're eating it for dinner instead of lunch.
Pin it This wrap has become my answer to the question of what to eat when I want something that tastes indulgent but leaves me feeling energized instead of sluggish. It's the kind of meal where you finish eating and think about how good you were to yourself, and somehow that matters more than anything else on the plate.
Recipe FAQs
- → What ingredients contribute to the green goddess dressing?
The dressing is made with Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, fresh parsley, chives, tarragon or basil, green onion, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper blended together until smooth.
- → Can this wrap be made vegetarian?
Yes, by substituting grilled tofu or chickpeas for the chicken, you can enjoy a protein-rich vegetarian alternative.
- → How should the tortillas be prepared for rolling?
Warm the tortillas briefly in a dry skillet or microwave to make them pliable before layering the ingredients and rolling.
- → What makes this wrap a high-protein meal?
The cooked chicken breasts and Greek yogurt in the dressing provide significant protein content, making it a satisfying choice.
- → What are some suggested additions for extra texture?
Adding sliced radishes or shredded carrots can provide a pleasant crunch alongside the fresh vegetables.
- → How should leftovers be stored?
Wrap tightly in parchment or plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours to maintain freshness.