Green Goddess Dressing
Cool and creamy, but unmistakably alive with parsley, chives, tarragon and lemon.
- Prep
- 15 minutes
- Yield
- About 1⅓ cups / 320 ml
Every ingredient has a job
Create the fresh green body: grassy, oniony and abundant without overwhelming the bowl.
Gives the dressing its distinctive anise-like lift. A little has a long reach.
Bring cling, tang and a creamy base while allowing the herbs to remain the lead flavor.
Brightens the dairy and keeps the dressing from reading as a heavy dip.
Add savory depth beneath the herbs; neither should announce itself on the first taste.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (120 g)
- 1/2 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt (120 g)
- 1 packed cup flat-leaf parsley leaves (30 g)
- 1/2 packed cup chopped fresh chives (20 g)
- 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves (6 g)
- 2 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained
- 1 small garlic clove, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (30 ml)
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cold water (30 ml)
Blend it vivid green
Start with the green ingredients
Put the parsley, chives, tarragon, anchovies, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and cold water in a blender. Blend until the herbs are very finely chopped, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
Add the creamy base
Add the mayonnaise and Greek yogurt. Blend just until the dressing is evenly vivid green and smooth enough to pour; avoid running the blender longer than necessary.
Adjust the texture
For a spoonable dip, leave the dressing as it is. For dressing delicate leaves, blend in additional cold water 1 teaspoon at a time until it falls from a spoon in a thick ribbon.
Taste it on a leaf
Taste with the ingredient you intend to dress. Add lemon a few drops at a time for brightness, salt for clarity, or yogurt for a softer, creamier finish.
Keep the herbs in charge
Use dry herbs and a blender jar that is not too large for the batch. Processing the herbs with lemon and water first breaks them down before the creamy ingredients mute the blades. Once the dressing is smooth and green, stop: prolonged blending creates heat, which can dull its fresh flavor and color.
For a fine restaurant-style texture, blend thoroughly. For more visible flecks, pulse the herbs and fold the mixture into the mayonnaise and yogurt by hand.
Herb substitutions
Keep parsley and chives as the generous foundation. Replace tarragon with basil for a sweeter, rounder profile, or with dill for a cooler one. Cilantro can replace up to half the parsley when it suits the salad. Strong herbs such as mint, sage and rosemary should be accents rather than the bulk of the mix.
Anchovy—and a vegetarian adaptation
Anchovies dissolve into the dressing and extend its savory finish; the aim is depth, not an overt fish flavor. For a vegetarian version, omit the two anchovy fillets and blend in 2 teaspoons drained capers plus 1 teaspoon white miso. That adaptation is distinctly modern and will taste different, but it preserves salinity and savoriness.
Adjust with purpose
If the dressing is too thick, use cold water rather than more lemon so the acidity stays controlled. Add lemon when it tastes muted, salt when the herbs seem indistinct, and yogurt when garlic or anchovy feels too forceful. Always taste it on a leaf or vegetable, where its richness will be diluted.
Storage
Refrigerate promptly in a clean, tightly sealed container and use within 3 days. Stir before serving and loosen with a teaspoon of cold water if needed. Do not freeze it: the dairy base can separate and the fresh-herb character fades.
A San Francisco lineage
The Palace Hotel in San Francisco credits executive chef Philip Roemer with creating Green Goddess dressing in 1923 for actor George Arliss, who was appearing in the play The Green Goddess. Accounts and surviving recipes vary, and the historically associated mayonnaise-rich preparation is not identical to every modern version. This Salad Bible recipe deliberately uses yogurt and abundant fresh herbs for a lighter, vividly green adaptation.