Easy Green Goddess Dressing Recipe

This green goddess dressing is exactly what we need right now. It’s creamy, tangy, and fully loaded with fresh, herbal flavor. I’ve savored it by the spoonful while imagining sunny days ahead. The Green Goddess is going to carry us through to spring. We’re going to make it. I can feel it.

I put some soup recipe development on hold when I finalized this dressing. I’ll figure it out soon enough (hint: it’s also green). I’m too busy drizzling this versatile dressing over anything and everything. The funny thing about this green goddess dressing recipe is that it’s so very simple. I tried adding lemon juice and olive oil, and they only distracted from the beautiful combination of good Greek yogurt and fresh herbs. In fact, you can use any combination of fresh herbs for this recipe. That leftover parsley and cilantro in the fridge? Let’s use ’em up.

Green Goddess Dressing Ingredients

This salad dressing differs from most other green goddess dressings, but the flavor and texture remains so similar. Typically, you’ll find mayonnaise, lemon, and anchovies on the ingredients list. This recipe relies on Greek yogurt for tang and creaminess instead.

Greek Yogurt

High-quality whole-milk yogurt makes this dressing spectacular. I splurged on Straus Family Creamery and it’s just so good. I suspect regular plain yogurt would work well, too, though it will be more runny.

Fresh Herbs

Now we’re talking! This dressing calls for an overflowing cup of fresh, leafy herbs. Here are some notes on your options. Tarragon: If you’re looking for classic green goddess flavor, be sure to use some tarragon. Its licorice-like flavor is strong, so limit the tarragon to about 2 tablespoons (or a small handful). Chives or green onion: Chives are more classic, but green onion works almost nearly as well. To avoid overpowering your dressing with oniony flavor, limit these ingredients to about 1/4 cup. Basil, parsley, cilantro, dill and/or mint: Use these to fill up the rest of your cup. Any one of these herbs (or any combination) will work beautifully. For dressing that would be suitable with Mexican meals, try using a lot of cilantro (and maybe add a fresh jalapeño—see recipe note). Dill lovers, try an all-dill dressing and drizzle it over potatoes.

Garlic

Just one small-to-medium clove—no more! In sauces and dressings, garlic often grows in intensity as it rests.

Salt and Pepper

Plenty of each—dressing should be bordering on salty when it’s your main seasoning for fresh produce. This dressing loves black pepper!

Watch How to Make Easy Green Goddess Dressing

Salad Serving Suggestions

This herbaceous dressing is so versatile. Build a salad with any of these ingredients:

Almonds, pepitas or sunflower seeds Bell peppers Carrots, shaved or thinly sliced Cooked chickpeas or lentils Cucumber Feta or goat cheese Fresh, leafy greens—including butter lettuce, baby gem, romaine and spring greens Red onion Snow peas or snap peas Tomatoes Radishes

You can also use this dressing as a veggie dip for any of the above suggestions.

Please let me know how your dressing turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you. Looking for more homemade salad dressings? Here are a few more favorites:

Carrot Ginger Dressing or Ginger Salad Dressing Creamy Tahini Dressing Fresh Mint Dressing How to Make Vinaigrette (Plus 3 Essential Variations!) Sunshine Salad Dressing

Make it spicy: Add jalapeño! Remove and discard the seeds and ribs from a medium jalapeño. Roughly chop the pepper flesh, and blend half of it with the other ingredients. Blend, taste, and add even more if you’d like. Recommended equipment: A small to medium-sized food processor is perfect for making this dressing, such as this 11-cup Cuisinart (affiliate link). Or make it in a blender—you’ll likely need to double the recipe to gain enough traction. As a last resort, you could finely chop all of the ingredients by hand.

Easy Green Goddess Dressing Recipe - 20

title: “Easy Green Goddess Dressing Recipe” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-28” author: “John Jackson”

Green sauce is a common occurrence in my house. It adds a pop and herbaceous flavor to the meal. While we adore avocado dressing and cilantro jalapeno sauce, this green goddess sauce recipe has become a staple in our refrigerator.

What is Green Goddess Dressing?

Green Goddess dressing is a smooth, creamy salad dressing or dip made with a mix of fresh green herbs, avocado, yogurt (or sour cream), jalapeno for a kick, fresh lime juice, garlic, and salt and pepper. While I love picking up a bottle of Trader Joe’s green goddess dressing when in a rush, it tastes much more fragrant and tastier when I make it from scratch. Plus, it takes good use of all those odds and ends of extra cilantro, parsley, and mint I have in my fridge. Whiz it up in a blender and store it in the fridge until ready to serve. It doesn’t get any easier than that! 🙂 It’s a Super-versatile sauce - serve it as a sauce, dip, spread, or dressing that can honestly be put on everything. And with one switch of ingredients, you can easily make it vegan! Customizable it by choosing your favorite mix of herbs, and enjoy this vibrant and refreshing sauce in 10 minutes!

Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions

The list of ingredients is short and sweet - and I bet most of them are already in your kitchen. Note: Anchovies are part of the original Green Goddess recipe (and usually included in store-bought salad dressings), but I kept them out to keep it vegetarian. Capers would be a nice addition or even a splash of vegan Worcestershire sauce or coconut aminos. Scroll to the recipe card for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities.

How to Make

A goddess-flavored dressing that’s ready before you know it. Use a blender or food processor, whichever you have on hand. Add Ingredients in Order: Add ingredients to the blender jar in this order: Water, garlic, jalapeno, yogurt, lemon juice, herbs, avocado, salt, and pepper. Blend: Blend to a smoothie-like consistency. Transfer to a serving bowl and chill until ready to serve.

Serving Suggestions

As the name suggests, the green goddess is classically served as a salad dressing, but you can get creative with this one. Its eye-catching tint of green will make you want to dive in.

How to Store

Leftover green goddess sauce can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. For best results, add 2-3 tablespoons of water, lime juice, or olive oil to prevent the surface from turning brown.