Green Goddess Dressing
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Green Goddess dressing is a creamy, herby blend of mayo, sour cream, garlic, lemon, lots of fresh herbs, and a touch of anchovy. It’s one of those back-pocket recipes that instantly makes greens, veggies, or any simply cooked protein way more delicious.
Green goddess 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.
Green goddess not only makes a delicious salad dressing and crudité dip, but it’s also wonderful on seafood, especially slow-roasted salmon or roasted salmon and quinoa bowls, or simple grilled chicken.
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.
“My new favorite way of making salad greens and fresh veggies pop! I love that you just toss a handful of ingredients in the food processor, pulse a few times, and voila — deliciousness!”
What You’ll Need To Make Green Goddess Dressing
- Mayonnaise & Sour Cream – These two make the dressing extra rich and creamy. Go for a good mayo, like Hellmann’s or Duke’s, and if you want it lighter, swap the sour cream for Greek yogurt.
- Fresh Lemon Juice – Brightens things up and cuts through the creaminess of the mayo and sour cream.
- Fresh Parsley, Basil, Chives & Tarragon – This fresh herb mix gives the dressing its classic green color and vibrant, herby flavor.
- Anchovy Paste (or Mashed Anchovies) – Adds a savory, umami punch without making the dressing taste fishy—promise.
- Garlic – Brings a little sharpness and savory depth to the dressing. Stick with a small garlic clove for the most balanced flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Load up the food processor. Add the mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, herbs, anchovy paste, salt, pepper, and roughly chopped garlic to a food processor or blender.
Pro Tip: The fresh herbs keep the flavor bright and balanced (and give the dressing its signature green color)—just be sure to remove any tough stems before blending.
Step 2: Blend it smooth. Blend until the dressing is smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides if you need to.
Step 3: Taste and adjust. Taste and tweak the seasoning if needed. Serve right away for a pourable dressing, or chill for a few hours for a thicker dip. If it gets too thick, just let it sit at room temperature for about an hour, then give it a good stir before using.
More Ways to Use Green Goddess Dressing
Green goddess is great on salads, with crunchy veggies, or spooned over seafood and grilled chicken—but don’t stop there. Here are a few more tasty ways to put it to work:
- Drizzle it over roasted carrots, asparagus, or pretty much any roasted veggie.
- Spread it on sandwiches or wraps instead of mayo.
- Spoon it onto a baked potato or sweet potato for an herby upgrade.
- Use it as a dip for crispy potato wedges or fries—trust me on this one.
- Dollop it onto grain bowls or roasted veggie bowls.
- Toss it with cold pasta or cooked farro for an easy green goddess pasta salad.
- Serve it alongside steak for a fresh, bright contrast.
Other Dips and Sauces you May Like
Green Goddess Dressing
This fresh Green Goddess dressing recipe doubles as a flavorful dip or spread — keep a jar in the fridge to jazz up whatever you’re cooking.
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
My new favorite way of making salad greens and fresh veggies pop! I love that you just toss a handful of ingredients in the food processor, pulse a few times, and voila — deliciousness!