Green Goddess Dressing (and Dip)
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Cool, creamy, and flecked with fresh herbs, green goddess dressing is wonderful on salads or served as a dip.
Green goddess dressing is a creamy salad dressing (or dip) typically containing mayonnaise, sour cream, an abundance of fresh herbs, anchovy, garlic, and lemon juice.The dressing was supposedly created by a chef at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco in the early 1920s to honor the actor George Arliss and his hit play, The Green Goddess. It’s a variation of sauce verte (green sauce), a French mayonnaise-based sauce made with chopped fresh herbs. It not only makes a delicious salad dressing and crudité dip, but it’s also is wonderful on seafood, especially salmon. If you’re using the dressing for a salad, it should be room temperature so that it’s a drizzleable consistency. If you’re serving it as a dip, chill it in the refrigerator for a few hours until thickened.
What You’ll Need To Make Green Goddess Dressing
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a food processor, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, parsley, basil, chives, tarragon, anchovy paste, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Process until the sauce is smooth and the herbs are very finely chopped, about 30 seconds.
Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Serve immediately if you’d like the dressing to be a drizzleable consistency, or chill for a few hours until thickened to use a dip. (To bring the dressing back to a drizzleable consistency after chilling, allow it to sit out at room temperature for about an hour and stir well before using.)
You May Also Like
- Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
- Basil Vinaigrette
- Creamy Greek Yogurt Dressing
- Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
- Roasted Salmon Quinoa Bowls with Green Goddess Dressing
- Zesty Homemade Italian Dressing
Green Goddess Dressing (and Dip)
Cool, creamy, and flecked with fresh herbs, green goddess dressing is wonderful on salads or served as a dip.
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup roughly chopped fresh basil
- ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh chives
- 1½ tablespoons roughly chopped fresh tarragon
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste (or two mashed anchovies)
- 1 small clove garlic, roughly chopped
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the sauce is smooth and the herbs are very finely chopped, about 30 seconds. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Serve immediately if you'd like the dressing to be a drizzleable consistency, or chill for a few hours until thickened to use a dip. (To bring the dressing back to a drizzleable consistency after chilling, allow it to sit out at room temperature for about an hour and stir well before using.) The dressing will keep well in a covered container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Serving size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 108
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Sugar: 0 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Cholesterol: 11 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Hello Jenn,
Many years I walked in darkness and did not like anchovies, not because I had tasted them, but because many friends who enjoyed pizza, did not like anchovies. I only repeated what I had heard. One fortunate day, I was able to taste a pissaladiere and absolutely fell in love with anchovies. Later on, I discovered than one of my favorite Spanish restaurants in Florida added Worcestershire sauce, which contains anchovies, to its proprietary salad dressing. Thank you for this great recipe as I look forward to new anchovy experiences.
Best, Keith
Is that restaurant by chance Columbia?
Ouch, yes, and I thought to be so 1905 clever.
🤣
I had some of this lovely dip left over after a party and used it tonight on roasted salmon. It was perfect!
I had fresh flat parsley and green onion on hand and felt like making a salad dressing or a sauce to go over salmon in the air fryer. Well this recipe did NOT disappoint! I didn’t have fresh basil or tarragon, so I subbed in dried and used Greek plain yogurt instead of sour cream. I like the addition of anchovy paste and my garlic clove was large. Blended everything in my mini food-processor et voila, c’est tres bon! I poured it over my salmon AND my spinach salad. This is going to be my go-to Goddess Dressing Dip! Thanks Jenn, for yet another great and tastey recipe! Janet from Toronto, CANADA
Made this without anchovies paste and was still so good! Used it on salmon, chicken and a mozz, basil and tomato sandwich. I’m obsessed, thanks for the recipe.
Wow, absolutely delicious. It makes a lot, so I feel like you could make a half recipe at a time. I made a quinoa bowl with lots of veggies and salmon, and drizzled this on top. Perfect. Now I’m going to refrigerate the rest to use as crudite dip.
Jenn, you goddess, thank you for the BEST green goddess dressing I’ve ever made. So fresh, bright, and savoury.
Wow, that’s a lot of herbs to buy for one recipe, with tons left over. I was thinking I could make a double batch next time so I could use up the herbs. So, Jenn, would this dressing freeze well? Thanks so much.
LOL – unfortunately, mayonnaise-based dressings don’t freeze well. Sorry Linda!
Delicious! I’ve been searching for a perfect Green Goddess dressing and I found it! I have tried several other recipes and frankly, threw a few out. This has a great balance of herbs, creamy goodness and brightness from the lemon. YUM! I serve this with veggies for dipping and also on salads. Prep takes a bit of time to wash and chop the herbs, but it is so worth it. Thank you so much Jenn!!
Love it! I only had fresh parsley and no dried chives. I used dried basil and tarragon and it stil turned out awesome! Thank you for another super keeper recipe, Jenn.
Amazing flavour!!! I do have a question following on a comment from a previous poster. If you subbed greek yogurt, would you sub it for the mayo, for the sour cream, or for both?
Glad you like it. If you want to use Greek yogurt, I’d use it in place of the sour cream. 🙂
Should I use Italian parsley or regular curly parsley? We have tried many of your recipes and all have been wonderful! Thanks in advance, Jamie
Hi Jamie, Either will work but I use Italian. 🙂
Best Green Goddess dressing/dip I’ve tasted! This has the perfect blend of herbs! I added a little more garlic, but that was the only change. We only use Dukes mayo and it gives this such a smooth creamy base. I’ll definitely be making this again!!
This is so good on salads, as well as a dip with crudités!
I copy a favorite salad from a local restaurant: Bibb lettuce, Roma tomatoes, cucumber, radish,Gorgonzola crumbles, and candied pecans, topped with this delicious Green Goddess dressing.
Hi Jenn,
This dressing is simply delicious. We love it on everything, it is our current favourite topping for quinoa patties, but we keep a jar made at all times this summer. My little herb garden can barely keep up!
Thanks for all your great recipes. Big hugs from Vancouver Island. 😊💕
Hi Jen
Is the parsley measurement 1 cup before it is chopped or after? – Same question with the Basil. Thanks for another great recipe – having this with the salmon bowl tonight.
Hi Corinne, I’d chop them first. Hope you enjoy!
This is super easy to make and so good with crudite. I’m a big fan of tarragon, so I’ll be making this often.
Omg I just looked at my question and I’m not sure what the translation was for my question about tarragon substitution for thyme but I apologize. I have no idea what it meant by nursing LOL. Talk to text… It’s really important to proofread.
😂
I couldn’t find fresh tarragon in the store to make this nursing tonight. Can you substitute fresh thyme instead? I realize they don’t have the same flavour profile but it did cross my mind. Other than that I would leave it out. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Hi Judy, It’s fine to replace the tarragon with thyme. Enjoy!
Just a question, is there anyway to make this dressing without sour cream?
Hi Gkb, You could substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream. Hope you enjoy!
Sounds so yummy. How long will this last in the refrigerator?
Hi Pauline, I’d guess it would keep nicely in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jen,
Might you develop a recipe for kefir? I ferment my own given my lactose intolerance as well as an immune deficiency which lead to lots of antibiotic use for years–trying to repopulate my gut! Anyway, a salad dressing with plain kefir–or any other recipe you might concoct would be greatly appreciated! (I regularly bake bread using the kefir but have struggled to find other good recipes using it)
Hi Kathryn, Sorry to hear you struggle with gut issues! While a kefir recipe is not something I’ve ever considered creating, I will add it to my list of recipes to potentially develop. 🙂
How long will this keep in the fridge? I think I’ll always want to have this on hand
Hi Tom, I’d say it keeps well for 4 to 5 days. Glad you enjoyed!
Can you substitute Greek yogurt for the mayo? Trying to keep it on the healthier side.
Hi Sophia, It won’t have quite the same rich flavor, but it will work. I would cut back on the lemon juice because of the tartness of the yogurt.
Thank you so much for this fabulous recipe. I just made it with dry herbs except I had fresh chives out of my garden. It is so delicious I will definitely keep this in my fridge. Thanks again for your fabulous recipe I love it.
Bonniebela715@hotmail.com it’s🤗
Hi! Can you substitute yogurt instead of mayo?
Hi Valerie, I think you could sub yogurt for the sour cream but not for the mayo. Sorry!
I’ve subbed sour cream with fat free greek yogurt (I like Fage, thick and not super tangy). I’ve also used low fat mayo to lighten it up.
non-dairy substitute for sour cream? Recipe sounds so so good!
Thanks.
Hi James, You can replace the sour cream with more mayo and add a bit more lemon juice.
Hi Jennifer,
If you do not add in the anchovies paste will it make a big difference? Or can you suggest a substitute.
Thank you,
Peggy
Hi Peggy, I don’t think it will make a big difference, but you could add a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce.
Planning on making this with the salmon quinoa bowls this weekend. Can I sub a teaspoon of capers for the anchovy paste?
Sure, Cassie, that should be fine!