Recipes
Green Goddess Dressing Recipe & Video

Usher in these golden days of July with homemade Green Goddess Dressing. Chocked full of four different herbs, this creamy salad dressing is simple to make, and will have you begging to eat your veggies everyday. At the café we feature this vibrant dressing on our butter lettuce salad as well as drizzled on our roast turkey sandwich. At home, serve however your heart desires: as a dip for cut vegetables, or spooned on grilled fish.
Fun (Foodie) Fact: Green Goddess Dressing was created in the 1920s at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco for the actor, George Arliss, who had starred in the popular play of the time, The Green Goddess. This vintage dressing, like the play, was a hit in the early part of the 20th century. This recipe does not use avocado like some of the more current versions.
The Ingredient List:
This makes one quart of dressing.
2 bunches basil
2 bunches chives
1 bunch tarragon
1 large bunch parsley
3 1/2 cups mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream
1 lemon
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
1 pinch cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
Step One: Prepare the herbs
Rinse the herbs and then dry them with a paper towel or salad spinner. Removing the water is necessary so that this creamy dressing will not be diluted and less flavorful.
Step Two: Chop the herbs
The blender or food processor will do most of the work, but the fibrous stems need to be removed to avoid stringy fibers in the dressing. For the tarragon, remove the leaves off the stalks by starting at the top and pulling down with your fingers. Chop the chives into smaller pieces. Remove the basil leaves from the stem – no need to cut the leaves. Lastly, chop coarsely the parsley starting at the top of the bunch, and finishing right before the stems start. Set all herbs aside in a bowl.
Step Three: Blend all ingredients
Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor: Start with the mayonnaise & sour cream; then add the garlic cloves and herbs; follow with the lemon juice and champagne vinegar; and lastly add the S&P with a pinch of cayenne. Start the blender on low for a minute and then turn to high. If necessary, stop the blender to stir the ingredients. Blend until you have a bright green purée.
Step Four: Enjoy!
Serve immediately on a salad, or store in a container with a lid for up to one week.