Homemade green goddess dressing is not just super easy to whip up — it’s also incredibly creamy and herbaceous. Mayonnaise, sour cream, and a combination of fresh herbs (like parsley and dill) combine to form a gorgeous green dressing that is rich, tangy, and simply packed with fresh herbal flavor. Plus, it’s so versatile! Serve it as a sauce over grain bowls or in wraps, drizzle it over salad greens, or use it as a dip for fresh vegetables.
During recipe testing, I set out to learn which method was best for making green goddess dressing from scratch: a food processor or a blender. And I have to say, both pieces of equipment have their merit for this recipe! A food processor, as you’ll see from the images in this post, yields a chunkier dressing with lots of small herb pieces throughout. A blender completely purees the herbs, so the sauce is smoother and a brighter green. Both versions are absolutely delicious, so it’s really up to your preference which option you choose!
Table of Contents
What Is Green Goddess Dressing?
Green goddess dressing is a creamy condiment made with a base of mayonnaise and sour cream and flavored with lots of fresh herbs, lemon juice, and garlic. While originally created as a herbaceous salad dressing at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco to honor a play, The Green Goddess, it’s now used in a variety of applications — as a dip, marinade, and more.
It’s easy to see why this delicious salad dressing is so popular! It’s one of my favorite salad dressings. The fresh herbs pair so well with creamy mayonnaise and tangy sour cream. Plus, the fresh lemon juice adds brightness and acidity for balance, and a single clove of garlic adds just a hint of spice and savory flavor.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
These are the main ingredients you need to make the best green goddess dressing, along with suggested substitutions you can use. Get the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below!
Mayonnaise and sour cream — these form the base of the dressing and are responsible for its creamy texture. You can swap whole milk Greek yogurt for the sour cream, or replace some of the mayonnaise with additional sour cream or yogurt, if you want a lighter option.
Fresh herbs — a tasty trio of parsley, dill, and chives are the main herbs I use, along with ¼ cup of other mixed herbs (such as tarragon, cilantro, basil, and mint). This is a wonderful opportunity to use up any fresh herbs in your fridge that you have leftover from another recipe. Feel free to mix and match to change the flavor of the dressing. If you can’t find chives, swap in the top, tender portion of green onions.
Lemon juice — a squeeze of fresh lemon balances the creamy ingredients and adds bright acidity to the salad dressing’s flavor. You can use limes in place of lemons if that’s what you have! Or replace it with white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
Can I Use Dried Herbs?
Fresh herbs are a signature of green goddess dressing. I only recommend swapping in dried herbs for dill— if you don’t have fresh dill, you can use 1 tablespoon of dried dill instead. Fresh parsley and chives, along with tarragon, cilantro, or basil, are essential for the dressing to have the best flavor, color, and texture. Using dried herbs will make the dressing lose its fresh flavor as well as its signature verdant green color, in addition to changing the texture.
Use A Blender Or A Food Processor
As I mentioned previously, I tested this recipe with both appliances to see which results were better or how they were different. For a smoother, brighter green dressing or dip, puree all of the ingredients together in a blender. The blender has a higher speed and is meant for pureeing, so you will end up incorporating the fresh herbs more thoroughly into the dressing. If you are having difficulty blending the dressing, add 1 teaspoon of water at a time to thin the mixture out, and stop and scrape down the sides of the blender frequently.
Green Goddess dressing made in a food processor will not end up as smooth, as it will finely chop up the herbs instead of pureeing them. The resulting dressing will be chunkier and less vibrant green. I found this method the easiest, so it’s how I wrote the main recipe. I personally like the chunkier herbs and definitely prefer this method when I’m making this dressing as a dip. Both options are a ten out of ten in terms of flavor, so make whichever one you prefer!
Can I Make This Vegan Or Dairy-Free?
Yes! My recipe is easy to swap the mayonnaise for vegan mayonnaise. You can then replace the sour cream with silken tofu or a ripe avocado, both of which replicate its thick, creamy consistency. I’d recommend adding a little extra lemon juice or a few grates of lemon zest to make up for the acidity lost from omitting the sour cream.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
If you only have a large food processor bowl (10 to 12 cups), I recommend doubling this recipe so that it purees more smoothly.
Taste and adjust the seasoning after the dressing has chilled. The flavors need some time to meld, so you want to taste it after it’s chilled for a bit. This way, you’ll accurately know if you need a little extra salt or lemon juice. Adding it beforehand can cause you to accidentally add too much, since the flavors haven’t been properly incorporated yet.
For added depth, mix in 1 to 2 teaspoons of anchovy paste or 1 to 2 chopped anchovy fillets. The original recipe actually contained anchovies! I chose to leave them out of my main recipe so that there was more flexibility for diet and taste preference. But they certainly add a delicious umami flavor to the dressing, and I recommend it!
You can also add Dijon mustard or a spoonful of drained capers with the other ingredients in the food processor to add zippier flavor. Similar to the anchovies, the mustard and capers will add a funky bite to the dressing and can make the flavor more complex. Again, this is optional, but a good way to vary it to suit your taste.
Change the consistency based on how you want to use the dressing. For a thinner dressing that’s easy to pour over salads, thin it out with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water. If you want a thicker green goddess recipe that is perfect for dipping cut veggies, you can leave it as-is after processing. Also, keep in mind that it often thickens a bit as it sits in the fridge. You can always add more water later on!
How To Make Green Goddess Dressing
Below you will find a series of helpful process images showing how green goddess dressing is made. You can find the full set of instructions in the recipe card below!
1. Add all the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor. (You can give the herbs a rough chop first if they have a lot of long stems)
2. Process until the herbs are finely chopped, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to properly chop all of the herbs. Thin the dressing if desired. Place the dressing in a jar or a bowl, then refrigerate for at least an hour.
3. Taste the green goddess salad dressing and season it with more salt, if you wish.
4. Also, you can add more black pepper and lemon juice if desired. I recommend checking the consistency again, as it can thicken a bit after chilling, and thinning it more if desired.
Green Goddess Dressing Recipe
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise (120g)
- ½ cup sour cream (120g)
- 1 cup parsley leaves packed (20g)
- ¼ cup dill
- ¼ cup chopped chives
- ¼ cup mixed herbs such as tarragon, cilantro, and basil
- 1 garlic clove chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In the small bowl of a food processor (or in a blender canister), combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, parsley, dill, chives, other mixed herbs, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Process for 1 to 1½ minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the herbs are finely chopped. To serve as a dip, leave it as-is. To use as a salad dressing, thin with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.
- Transfer the dressing to a bowl or jar, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour (up to 24 hours) to let the flavors blend. Taste the dressing and season again with more salt, pepper, and lemon juice, if desired. Check the consistency again, and add more water if you want a thinner dressing.
Notes
- It’s important to give the dressing time to sit in the fridge. The herbs and seasonings need time to permeate the creamy elements of the dressing. This hour will make a big difference in flavor, so don’t skip it!
- This recipe makes about 1 ¼ cups of green goddess dressing (3 to 4 tablespoons per serving).
Nutrition
How To Use
Classically, green goddess dressing is used as a creamy dressing for all kinds of salads. Add a sprinkle of croutons and you’re all set. (It’s an excellent dressing alternative for strawberry salad!) But, there are many different uses for this flavorful condiment:
- Dip: Try it as the dip for a colorful crudités platter, along with other dips like ranch dressing, hummus, or tzatziki. It’s also great for dipping with homemade potato chips and air fryer sweet potato fries.
- Sandwich Spread: Spread it liberally on a wrap before adding lettuce, cilantro lime chicken, and shredded cheese to make a cilantro grilled chicken wrap. You can also use it in a pita with air fryer falafel. It’s an explosion of bright, peppery herbal flavor that pairs perfectly with falafel’s fresh herbs.
- Marinade: This cooling condiment makes a tasty marinade for chicken breasts, chicken kebabs, or tofu cubes that you can roast or grill. Marinate them for at least 2 hours for the best flavor.
- Grain Bowl Sauce: Assemble a satisfying grain bowl with rice pilaf, Instant Pot black beans, roasted sweet potatoes, and optional chopped Instant Pot chicken breasts. Spoon or drizzle creamy green goddess dressing generously over the top.
- Dressing alternative: Use it as the dressing for potato salad or coleslaw for a herbal twist.
How To Store
Make-ahead: You can make this dressing several days in advance, and I actually recommend giving it 24 hours in the fridge before serving. The flavors will blend beautifully during that time!
Storing: Refrigerate green goddess dressing in an airtight container or Mason jar for 5 to 7 days.
Freezing: I do not recommend freezing it, as the ingredients will separate when thawed.
More Condiment Recipes To Try
If you love this green goddess dressing, try more homemade salad dressings or sauces next!
You can’t go wrong with a classic Caesar dressing, and my fool-proof recipe simply whisks together in just a few minutes.
The icon of all salad dressings, a homemade ranch dressing can’t be beat! My version uses fresh herbs, garlic, and can be made thick as a dip or thinner to toss with salad greens.
Try my homemade barbecue sauce for your next cookout, and slather it on grilled chicken or ribs. You can also use it as a dipping sauce!
Homemade basil pesto can easily elevate a pasta night or a homemade pizza. Blend fresh basil with olive oil, garlic, and parmesan cheese for this very easy homemade sauce.
If you’ve tried this green goddess dressing recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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