Green Goddess Dressing Recipe
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This green goddess dressing recipe is ready in minutes! Full tangy, herbal flavor, it’s perfect for salads or enjoying as a dip.
Green goddess dressing is one of my favorite things to make in the spring. Actually, I love it all year long, but this dressing just tastes like spring feels.
It’s a great way to use up any fresh herbs you might have lingering in the fridge, or whatever you have popping up in the garden.
Plus, it takes only five minutes to make!
What is green goddess dressing?
Originating in California, green goddess dressing is an herb-based dip for salads and vegetables.
While its popularity has gone up and down over the years, this delicious recipe deserves a place in your rotation.
Recipes for the dressing vary, with some recipes using only the traditional chives and parsley, while others include other herbs like cilantro, dill, and tarragon.
The creamy dressing is perfect for green salads, as a veggie dip, or even drizzled over grilled chicken.
How to make green goddess salad dressing
To make this recipe, you’ll need either a blender or food processor. I prefer to use my 3.5-cup food processor, which is the perfect size for making a batch of dressing.
Roughly chop parsley. You can eat the stems, but I prefer to use just the leaves. You can either pull off the leaves by hand or just chop off the stems right below the start of the leaves.
Chop the chives, and remove leaves from the tarragon or thyme stems.
Add the herbs and the remaining ingredients, except the salt and pepper, to your food processor. Don’t forget to put the lid on!
Blitz until the herbs are finely chopped and the dressing is completely smooth. If you want a thinner dressing, add a small amount of water until the desired consistency is reached.
Taste and add salt and pepper as desired, then pulse a couple of times to blend.
Transfer your fresh dressing to a pourable container and drizzle away!
Substitutions and variations
If you don’t want to use mayonnaise or sour cream, you can make green goddess dressing with avocado.
Make sure your avocado is soft enough, or it won’t blend properly. A perfectly ripe avocado will make your dressing wonderfully creamy and thick. If needed, you can thin out the dressing with a bit of water.
When it comes to herbs, nearly anything goes! You’ll need at least 1 packed cup of fresh herbs.
Use leafy herbs like parsley (flat-leaf or curly is fine) or cilantro as your base. Then, add in dill, mint, oregano, fennel fronds, or even baby arugula or green onion.
Can’t find fresh tarragon? I like to use thyme in its place.
Depending on the amount and type of herbs you use, your resulting dressing will be anywhere from pale to vibrant green. It’s all about personal tastes!
Don’t like capers? You can use white wine vinegar instead.
Or, if you want to go traditional, use anchovy paste.
You can swap the raw garlic for roasted, if you prefer a milder bite.
Storage Tips
This homemade salad dressing will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Because of the high dairy content, I do not recommend freezing it.
FAQ
Dried herbs cannot be swapped in for the bulk of fresh herbs. Consider using dried herbs in small amounts only, but keep most of your herbs fresh. I recommend using only 1-2 tablespoons of dried herbs in this recipe.
Traditionally, green goddess includes anchovies. In order to replicate their briny flavor, I’ve swapped in capers.
Yes! Simply swap the mayonnaise and sour cream for vegan versions, or use avocado instead.
Other dressing recipes you might like
This is such a flavorful dressing — you’ll find yourself making excuses to enjoy it!
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It means so much when you enjoy my recipes, so let me know how it goes and leave a comment if you have any questions.
Green Goddess Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 packed cup fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, thyme, or dill
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 teaspoons capers
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor, add the herbs, garlic, and capers, then add mayonnaise, sour cream, and lemon juice.
- Blend until herbs are finely chopped and dressing is smooth. If a thinner consistency is desired, blend in a small amount of water. Taste dressing and add salt and pepper as needed, then pulse a few times to mix. Store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Notes
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate based on online calculators. Any nutritional information found on Stetted should be used as a general guideline only.
About Megan
I focus on fresh ingredients and easy methods, with spins that keep meals interesting. Dinnertime shouldn’t be stressful or complicated, and I’m here to help you enjoy the time spent in the kitchen. Read more…
This turned out perfectly! Definitely is going to be one of my go-to salad dressing recipes from now on.
We loved this green goddess dressing! Going to make sure I always keep it stocked in the fridge!
This was so delicious on a salad. I remember when this was the “hot” dressing before ranch, and it’s good to see it coming back!
My daughter and I are HUGE fans of green goddess dressing – I have never made it at home, and we tried your recipe yesterday. I will never buy the bottled kind again – scratch is SO MUCH BETTER!!
This was so easy and delicious! Loved your idea of using all avocado too! Will try that next time!
I’ve heard of this dressing but never made it myself. It’s creamy and delicious and so easy to make in a jiffy!
So yummy and delicious! Everyone in my family loved it – even those picky eaters 😉
yum