Green Goddess Dressing

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.

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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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.

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 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.

What to Serve with Green Goddess Dressing:

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

• Spinach Salad
• Crunchy Mixed Greens Salad
• Romaine Salad with Queso Fresco
• Tomato, Avocado and Cucumber Salad
• Chopped Salad with Chicken

Or drizzle the dressing over:

• Grilled Asparagus
• Grilled Onions
• Roasted Cauliflower
• Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
• Roasted Carrots

Other Great Salad Dressing Recipes:

• Homemade Italian Dressing
• Japanese Restaurant Salad Dressing
• Honey Mustard Dressing
• Roasted Asparagus with Creamy Lemon Dressing
• Pasta Salad with Chicken and Chipotle Dressing
• Couscous Salad with Shrimp, Roasted Tomatoes and Pesto Dressing

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Print Recipe Rate Recipe

Green Goddess Dressing

One of the best creamy, herby dressings ever (and also don't forget to use it as a dip!).

Yield: 12 People

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Diet: Gluten Free

Equipment

• Food Processor

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

Directions

• 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 Information

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

The nutrition values are provided as an estimate. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a qualified healthcare professional.

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