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What is Green Goddess Dressing?

Green Goddess Dressing was created at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, an opulent 19th century hotel noted for their celebrity chefs.  Celebrity chefs back in those days were not Food Network Stars, but usually white-toqued men either from, or trained in, Europe.  No one was yelling “Bam!” so much back then.

Green Goddess Dressing and Dip

History of Green Goddess Dressing

The dressing debuted in 1923 by Chef Philip Roemer to honor actor George Arliss, then a guest at the hotel while performing in William Archer’s hit play, “The Green Goddess.”  Many believe it was inspired by a dressing that hailed from the kitchens serving Louis XIII, served then not with salads, but with eel.  Pause on that.

Creamy and vibrant with herbs, piquant with a bit of acidity, and salty-savory from anchovies.

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Green Goddess Dressing and Dip

What is Green Goddess Dressing Made Of?

The original green goddess recipe is reported to contain mayo, sour cream, parsley, chives, anchovies lemon juice and vinegar, but it has been tinkered with countless times over the years by countless chef and home cooks, including yours truly.

A modernized version recently served at the hotel includes additional ingredients like spinach and chervil and capers, and a homemade mayo with raw egg yolks.  Green goddess dressing may have different versions, but it’s always creamy and vibrant with herbs, piquant with a bit of acidity, and salty-savory from anchovies.

Green Goddess Dressing and Dip

This is my most recent version, and I will surely continue to play with green goddess dressing forever.   I included anchovies (which can be left out or replaced with capers for a vegetarian version), garlic, parsely, basil, tarragon, scallions, lemon juice, vinegegar, mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard and salt and pepper.

Green Goddess Salad

You can use Green Goddess as a salad dressing on any kind of lettuce or vegetable salad, from a super simple shredded romaine salad to a salad filled with other items. Try a mix of chopped lettuce, sliced radishes, cucumbers, and slivered onions or shallots.

Green Goddess Dressing and Dip

Green Goddess Dip

This is also perfect as a tip for raw veggies (crudités) such as carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, celery, and so on.  Serve it with toasted pita chips, crackers, breadsticks. I also used it to drizzle over fried green tomatoes and I couldn’t remember being that happy eating something in a long time (and I eat lots of things). It would also be terrific with simply cooked salmon or shrimp.

Green Goddess Dressing and Dip

What to Serve with Green Goddess Dressing:

Try these salads and just swap out the dressing for Green Goddess!

Green Goddess Dressing and Dip

Or drizzle the dressing over:

Other Great Salad Dressing Recipes:

Green Goddess Dressing and Dip

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Green Goddess Dressing

5 from 3 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 0 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 12 People
One of the best creamy, herby dressings ever (and also don't forget to use it as a dip!).

Ingredients 

  • 2 canned or jarred anchovies rinsed and chopped (see Note)
  • 1 clove garlic chopped
  • 1 cup parsley leaves
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves
  • 4 scallions trimmed and cut into pieces
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • ¾ cup mayonnaise
  • ¾ cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • Place the anchovies, garlic, parsley, basil, tarragon, scallions, lemon juice, vinegar, mayonnaise, sour cream, and mustard into a food processor or blender. Process until fairly smooth.

Notes

Substitute 1 tablespoon rinsed and drained capers for the anchovies for a vegetarian version.

Nutrition

Calories: 132.18kcal, Carbohydrates: 1.94g, Protein: 1.15g, Fat: 13.54g, Saturated Fat: 3.34g, Cholesterol: 13.76mg, Sodium: 119.62mg, Potassium: 94.24mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 0.85g, Vitamin A: 635.11IU, Vitamin C: 8.77mg, Calcium: 41.87mg, Iron: 0.86mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Comments

  1. I would rate this a 10 if I could. It is refreshing, creamy, perfect for dipping salads and more. Pour it over anything. My family, and teens are so crazy about it, they kept coming over to my house just to find something to eat with it. Finished the whole thing.
    Wowo

  2. This was a perfect Green Goddess. Tangy, herbaceous, with just the right amount of acidity. Used it for a deconstructed salad platter so it had double duty as a dip.

    1. So happy to hear it! I know, I can never decide if it like it best as a dressing or a dip, and sounds like you found the best of both worlds!

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