Green Goddess Dressing

What stands out: You’ll love this yogurt-based lighter green goddess dressing, packed with fresh tarragon, parsley, chives, and dill. So fresh and beautiful, it’s great for salads or as a dip.

How long it takes: 10 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: blender or food processor
Servings: 12

Creamy Green Goddess Dressing

Flavorful. Green goddess salad dressing is like eating an herb garden. With nearly a full cup of chopped fresh herbs, the flavor of this dressing is undeniably and deliciously “herby.”

Beautiful. Don’t you just love that dreamy green tint? We think we could paint a wall with it. Then we could just head to the “Green Goddess room” whenever we wanted. (If you love the color of this dressing, be sure to try our avocado dressing, too! It’s creamy but without any dairy products. )

Better than store-bought. You can buy Green Goddess dressing in a bottle at the grocery store but we guarantee it won’t taste anything like from-scratch. How can it when the fresh herbs play such a starring role?

Straightforward and good for you. This recipe has a yogurt base and tons of green herbs, which are basically extra tasty green leafy vegetables, with all the vitamins and antioxidants you could wish for.

Versatile. Try green goddess dressing on a simple green salad, as a dip for veggies, or spread it on a sandwich. We think you’ll love it!

Love all the herbs but not into creamy dressings? Try chimichurri, from-scratch basil pesto, cilantro pesto, or salsa verde. Lots of herbal pleasure!

Did You Know?

You might think the name “Green Goddess” comes from all the green herbs, like the green goddess of gardening, or something like that.
Actually, the dressing was developed by the chef at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco in 1923, to pay tribute to actor George Arliss and his hit play, The Green Goddess (thanks, Wikipedia!). The dressing immediately became a hit, too, and continues to be popular, unlike the play. Sorry, George.

What goes in

• Greek Yogurt: By using yogurt as the base of this dressing, you are able to save calories and add protein.
• Mayonnaise: we stir in just a touch for added creaminess.
• Parsley, Chives, Dill, and Tarragon: Fresh herbs make all the difference in this dressing.
• Anchovy Fillets: Anchovy adds umami, the core fifth taste.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic is best but garlic powder can be substituted if you prefer a milder garlic profile.
• Rice vinegar: Vinegar adds tanginess. Rice vinegar is the same thing as rice wine vinegar but avoid seasoned rice vinegar which has added salt and sugar. Don’t substitute plain white vinegar because it’s too sour; however, white wine vinegar is okay.
• Salt and Pepper: Add as much as you like, to taste.

How it comes together

This one is pretty simple, folks! Just blend all the ingredients together, scraping down the sides of the blender or food processor as needed.

Ways to serve it

Salads. Green goddess dressing is quite thick and creamy. It’s not going to run to the bottom of your bowl of salad which makes it ideal for lettuce salads or bowls. Make your own croutons, too!

Dress up cooked vegetables or potatoes. Spoon it on a steamed artichoke, broccoli florets, or asparagus spears. Serve it with crispy roasted potatoes or a baked potato.

Dip it. Green goddess can be served as a rich dip for blistered shoshito peppers. Dip from-scratch French fries or roasted sweet potatoes wedges in green goddess. It dresses up carrot and celery sticks, too.

Make a sandwich. Use it as an alternative to plain mayonnaise for a flavorful sandwich spread. Mix it with cooked chicken breast, and diced celery for straightforward chicken salad. Use it instead of tartar sauce on a fishwich.

Tacos/nachos. Drizzle it over vegetarian tacos or cauliflower nachos.

Straightforward Recipe Variations

• Substitute other herbs: As long as you end up with nearly a cup of chopped herbs, the dressing will turn out rich. Use your favorites or what you have available. Make your own unique herb dressing. We wouldn’t recommend using a cup of tarragon or a cup of chives, though. Try to have a mix of at least a few herbs.
• Use dried herbs: If you can’t find fresh herbs, substitute dried. Use about 1 teaspoon of dried herbs for every tablespoon of fresh, since dried are more potent than fresh.
• Vegan green goddess: Looking for a vegan recipe? Try this green goddess recipe with avocado and olive oil by The Foodie Dietitian.
• Vegetarian green goddess: The anchovies add umami, a subtle flavor boost that could also be achieved by adding a tablespoon of capers or green olives. Try the the dressing with no anchovies because with so many herbs, you’re not likely to miss the umami.

Make Ahead Tip

If you have a lot of fresh herbs that need to be used, blend or process the herbs along with the vinegar, oil, garlic, anchovies, salt and pepper. Freeze the mixture and thaw it when you’re ready to make the dressing. Simply add the yogurt and mayonnaise and whisk the dressing until it’s smooth.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate leftovers in a tightly covered container for up to a week. If dressing separates, just give it a good stir to combine.

• Yield: 12
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Total: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (2% or full-fat)
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup roughly chopped parsley (small stems are okay)
• 3 tablespoons chopped chives
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 canned anchovy fillets (packed in oil), patted with paper towel to remove excess oil (see note)
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Method

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender or a food processor, scraping down sides as needed, until desired consistency.
2. Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week. Makes about 1 ½ cups.

Notes

Herbs: Other herb combinations can be substituted, if desired. Use what you have on hand or happen to like best. It’s best to have a mixture rather than all one kind.

Anchovy: 1 teaspoon anchovy paste can be substituted for anchovy fillets. Green olives or capers are a good vegetarian substitute, or simply omit this ingredient.