Green Goddess Dressing is ideal for this time of year when the garden is bursting with such an absurd amount of fresh herbs that maybe you’ve found yourself googling “what the heck can I do with a half a pound of chives??” (not speaking from experience or anything…)
A California Origin Story
Green Goddess Dressing is one of those recipes (similar to my Blue Cheese Wedge Salad) that is having a bit of a vintage revival. The dressing dates back to the early 1920s and originated in my home state of California! (Although, much, much north of where The Gourmet Gourmand is headquartered).
As with many classic recipes, there is some controversy regarding the origin, but a popular theory is that the light green dressing was developed by a famous San Fransisco hotel as a nod to a popular play of the era also titled. The Green Goddess, and was generally popularized through the hotel restaurant.
This recipe included here is a very true to what I understand to be the “original recipe.” However, there’s no reason you can’t adjust the flavors here to suit your particular preferences. I’ve seen recipes for Green Goddess dressing that include basil and dill, and you could likely substitute the sour cream and/or mayonnaise for greek yogurt if you want to save on some calories. The general concept here is a herb-forward creamy salad dressing – and who I am to judge what your favorite herb combos are??
What’s it taste like?
The flavor profile shares a slight overlap with the flavors of Caesar dressing (garlic and anchovy, I’m looking at you), but mellows slightly with the sweet anise flavor of tarragon with a backdrop of chive and parsley.
And just look at that pretty color!
With this flavor and this color, it’s just no wonder we’re having a revival of the Green Goddess Dressing.
If you’ve never tried it, I would highly recommend you remedy this as soon as possible. But if you’re a long-time fan, I hope you can appreciate the nostalgia, and maybe use this as a re-inspiration of a wonderful way to use up some of those fresh garden herbs.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
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Green Goddess Dressing
Course: Sides, AppetizersCuisine: American, CalifornianDifficulty: Easy6
servings15
minutes10
minutes25
minutesIngredients
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I recommend Best Foods, also known as Hellman’s on the East Coast)
1 small garlic clove
2 teaspoons anchovy paste (or 2-3 canned anchovy filets)
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh chives
3 tablespoons tarragon
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon milk (optional – omit if you prefer a thicker texture)
Salt and pepper, to taste (be judicious with the salt as there is anchovy in here which is quite salty)
Directions
- Add sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic clove, anchovy paste, parsley, chives, tarragon and lemon juice to the food processor. Blitz until herbs and garlic are well pureed and mixture is a light green color. Scrape down the sides as needed to ensure full incorporation.
- Add milk, optionally, if texture seems too thick. Pulse again to combine.
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as necessary.
- Serve over your favorite salad or as a dip for crudités.
Notes
- The food processor I’ve owned for years and recommend for dressings, sauces, and general preparatory needs is the Cuisinart Pro Classic.
This is very similar to a recipe I made recently. I like the mayonnaise component. I just happen to really appreciate mayo, even tho I know a lot of people don’t! I also think it’s silly to include avocado in a GG dressing. It’s just a waste to me. I’d much rather have it ON the salad, than IN the dressing.
I totally agree!! Sometimes mayonnaise is a worthy caloric investment, haha.