Green Goddess Salad Dressing
Green Goddess Salad Dressing is one of my favorite dressing recipes, and I make this every spring when French Tarragon becomes available! And for me this delicious green dressing has a flavor that’s a flash from the past!
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Have you ever tasted Green Goddess Salad Dressing? It was a hugely popular salad dressing when I was a kid, and for me it’s one of those blast-from-the-past things that I’ve loved for so long I don’t remember when I first tried it. There are definite similarities to Ranch Dressing, but Green Goddess is creamier and more herbal, with generous amounts of chives, tarragon, and parsley.
And lately I’ve been talking with my sister Sandee about re-creating our favorite salad dressing memory, and I finally made this delicious dressing to share with you! And as you can see, the dressing is definitely green!
What makes Green Goddess Salad Dressing distinctive is the use of fresh chives, tarragon, and parsley, plus a touch of anchovy paste in the dressing. You can vary the fresh herbs a bit depending on what you have on hand, but I recommend you don’t skip the anchovy paste which gives this a distinctive flavor.
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- fresh chives or green onions
- fresh tarragon (tarragon is optional but if you like tarragon it’s really good in this dressing
- fresh parsley, I used flat-leaf Italian parsley
- fresh-squeezed lemon juice, I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice
- white wine vinegar
- anchovy paste (affiliate link)
- mayo
- sour cream
- salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Where does the name Green Goddess come from?
I read about Green Goddess dressing on Hedonia (a site that’s no longer online) and discovered that the dressing originated in San Francisco, created by a chef at the Palace Restaurant in 1923 for an actor who was starring in a play called “The Green Goddess.” You can read more here about Green Goddess Dressing. I used the Green Goddess recipe from Hedonia, which Sean adapted from the original recipe from The Palace Restaurant, and I can’t find either of those online any more so I’m glad I recorded it here.
Is Green Goddess Salad Dressing Low in Carbs?
This amazing green dressing that’s loaded with herby flavors only has 3 net carbs per serving.
How to make Green Goddess Salad Dressing:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- I used a food processor to finely chop the chives or scallions, parsley, and tarragon.
- Pack the herbs into the measuring cup when you’re measuring them to go into the food processor (affiliate link). Of course, you can also chop by hand if you don’t have a food processor.
- Then add the lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and anchovy paste to the processor and pulse a few times. (Or simply stir in if you don’t have a food processor.)
- You can use chopped anchovies, but I thought the anchovy paste was easier, and it adds so much flavor.
- Add the mayo, sour cream, and a bit of salt and fresh ground black pepper and run the food processor for about 20-30 seconds, until all ingredients are well combined. (Or just stir together in a bowl.)
- Let the dressing chill in the fridge for at least a few hours before serving. This will stay good in the fridge for at least a week.
How do I eat the Green Goddess Dressing?
Most of the time I simply devour the Green Goddess Dressing on a simple tossed salad, as a side dish for dinner. But one salad I love to make with this when I have Green Zebra Tomatoes is a Caprese Salad variation shown above where I stack up a slice of Green Zebra Tomato (or any tomato you prefer) a slice of fresh Mozzarella, and another slice of tomato, then drizzle some Green Goddess Dressing over the top! I promise you will love that if you like fresh Mozzarella! You could also use Green Goddess Dressing on Grilled Zucchini Caprese Salad if you like that salad and want another variation.
More about fresh tarragon:
Of course, I love the flavor of fresh tarragon so I absolutely loved this dressing, which I’m thinking is a pretty good reason to be sure I try to have some tarragon in the freezer so I can make it in the winter! You can use Cooking with Fresh Tarragon to see more recipes I’ve enjoyed with this distinctive flavor.
Green Goddess Ideas from Around the Web:
- Green Goddess Veggie Cups ~ The View from Great Island
- Green Goddess Veggie Burgers ~ Simply Recipes
- Green Goddess Feta Dip ~ Gimme Some Oven
- Green Goddess Quinoa Summer Salad ~ Pinch of Yum
- Green Goddess Avocado Hummus ~ Just a Taste
Green Goddess Salad Dressing
Green Goddess Salad Dressing is one of my long-time favorite dressings, and I make this every spring when French Tarragon starts to show up in the stores.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup fresh chives or green onions (packed into measuring cup)
- 1/4 cup fresh tarragon (packed into measuring cup, see notes)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley (packed into measuring cup, I used flat-leaf Italian parsley)
- 1 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 T white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. anchovy paste (or more, depending on how much you like anchovies)
- 1 C mayo
- 1/2 C sour cream
- salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Measure 1/4 cup each of chives (or green onions), tarragon, and parsley, and add to food processor. Pulse processor until the fresh herbs are finely chopped.
- Then add lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and anchovy paste (or canned anchovies) and pulse a few times more.
- Add mayonnaise, sour cream, salt, and freshly-ground black pepper and run the food processor about 20-30 seconds, or until ingredients are well combined.
- Chill at least a few hours before serving.
- This will keep in the fridge for at least a week, although it probably won’t stay around for that long!
Notes
Fresh Tarragon is optional but if you like tarragon it’s really good in this dressing. I would use a bit more parsley if you're not using the tarragon.
(I used a Food Processor (affiliate link) to make this, but if you don’t have one you can finely chop the herbs with a chef’s knife and then stir the ingredients together in a bowl.)
Nutritional information is based on 2 T serving size, but if you love this like I do you might want more dressing than that!
Recipe adapted slightly from Green Goddess Dressing from Hedonia, who adapted it from the original recipe from The Palace Restaurant in San Francisco.
Nutrition Information
Yield
16Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 127Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 10mgSodium 147mgCarbohydrates 3gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 1g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Green Goddess Salad Dressing would be approved for low-carb diet plans and for all phases of the original South Beach Diet. If you’re strictly following South Beach, you should use low-fat mayonnaise and low-fat sour cream to make this dressing; other low-carb eating plans would prefer full-fat ingredients.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Salad Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for Green Goddess Dressing was first posted in 2010. It was updated with better photos in 2014 and was last updated with more information in 2024.
41 Comments on “Green Goddess Salad Dressing”
YUMMMM….i loved the story too about the dressing. I threw everything in a blender and bam! done. I used a herby tarragon vinegar inhere for that tarragon flavor! delicious
So glad you enjoyed it. Great idea to use Tarragon vinegar. I think I will try that.
This recipe is amazing! I used 1/2 tbsp chopped capers instead of anchovy paste (just my preference) & it turned out awesome!! Thank you so much!!
Glad you enjoyed it! I love the idea of capers (huge capers fan!)
This reminded me to put anchovy paste on the shopping list. Just a smidge makes all the difference in a lot of recipes.
Tarragon makes all the difference too, but not in a good way for those of us who can't abide anything with the faintest hint of licorice taste. Basil sounds like a good idea.
Hope you enjoy!
So glad people are discovering this; I am craving it myself now!
This has to be my new favourite dressing Kayla.
This recipe is great! I only 'discovered' Green Goddess dressing last year, and used the 'original' recipe from the Palace Hotel.
I don't use anchovies often, and a tin of them was less expensive than the paste….so I bought a tin, used what I needed, then froze the rest. (it's easy enough to cut off a chunk and thaw if you need it for something else).
And I did use low fat mayo, and low fat sour cream. It turned out fantastic! Thanks, Kalyn!
I love the idea of this dressing so much but parsley irritates my mouth badly—a mild allergy? Is there any herb you would suggest trying to sub in?Â
I think tarragon is what gives it that essential Green Goddess flavor, so I’d just use more chives or green onions to replace the parsley. Can’t think of anything else that wouldn’t compete with the tarragon flavor.
I most definitely need to make this dressing, Kalyn! Having anchovy past on hand would also allow me to make my own Caesar dressing, which is another favorite of mine. 😉
Thanks,
Shirley
Valerie, I think the "from-scratch" variety is always so tasty!
Green Goddess truly is a blast from the past! I wonder why you just don't see it around anymore? I think it's time for a comeback 🙂
Lydia, what a great spring ritual.
I love picking herbs out of the spring garden for Green Goddess dressing. It's kind of a ritual around here!
This is one of my all-time favorite dressings!
So much great flavors in this salad dressing. Adding to my list!
Jen, I love that variation! Thanks for sharing.
Just posted on your chicken nuggets page that we uses this as a dip. Didn't have fresh tarragon so I substituted fresh oregano and a bit of cilantro. Also threw in half a chipotle pepper Bc the mayo I had was kind of sweet. Made a really nice smoky and herby dressing. Will make over and over again. Thanks for your creations. You are inspiring.
Ms. b, thanks for reporting back! That will make this recipe much more useful for winter.
I did make this with dried tarragon, only made 1 cup adding 1/2 T tarragon. It was delicious and had a very subtle tarragon taste. I think next time I will try adding a little more.
Katie, I think Greek Yogurt might even be better than sour cream in this! (Yeah, a blast from the past for me too.)
I remember that dressing! I still have lots of tarragon and chives. Have to use Greek yogurt rather than the sour cream tho…. Just as good, I bet!
A blast from the Past!
I think if the dressing sits in the fridge long enough for the dried tarragon to release some flavor it might be okay, although I might just make it without tarragon if you have the other ingredients. Let us know how it works with dried tarragon if you try it.
I love tarragon but don't have any fresh, do you think a small amount of dried would work?
No, sorry I was not clear. The avocado was blended up in the dressing, which had basil instead of tarragon and most of the ingredients were the same as this recipe. (Think it might have been Ina Garten recipe, but not sure.) May have to find it and try that version!
that sounds like a winner too!..so the basil would go into the dressing instead of the taragon…and the salad would consist of tomatoes and avocado?
Kate, so glad you liked it! I'm a tarragon fan as well, but I do think it's a strong flavor that not everyone likes, and for people who don't like it or don't have fresh tarragon, I think the dressing would still be good without it.
I saw a variation of this that uses avocado and basil that also sounded good to me!
I made the Green Goddess Salad Dressing last night and I can't stop thinking about how good it was. I had most of the ingredients on hand – used tiny red onions in place of the shallots, didn't have any sour cream so I did without. Didn't have any anchovy paste, so I threw in 2 anchovies – could have used one more. Had fresh taragon in the garden…mixed it all up in the blender and served it over stacked Jersey Tomatoes and freshly made mozzarella…Wow! it was the best!! thank you ps I can't imagine that it could nearly as good without the taragon
Thanks Louise, it was scorching here too the day I ate that salad!
Hi Kalyn, I found you on tastespotting… I used to eat this as a kid too- sounds fabulous. I like your picture as well… it's so hot here in LA that the moment I saw your pic I thought of eating a cool crisp salad. Thanks for sharing ~ Chef Louise
Thanks! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
This looks great! I can't wait to give it a try. Your photos are beautiful.
Andrea, I do think it will be okay without the tarragon, and you've convinced me I should add "optional" without it in the recipe list!
Sasha, thanks!
Mmmm, that salad looks amazing!
Oh I do love green goddess dressing. We always had some at home when I was growing up. Haven't had any in years, so it's time to remedy that situation! I don't have any tarragon in the garden because it never took, but it'll be fine without it, I think.
Susan, I think the dressing would still be great without the tarragon (Duh, I should probably list it as optional in the ingredients, huh?) I am really loving the Green Zebra tomatoes. I think having them by the deck where it's sunny all day long has made a lot of difference.
LOL I've been meaning to make this dressing since I saw it on Hedonia. The tarragon plants I mail ordered last year died, but I wasn't all that crazy about the flavor anyway. I'm betting it would still be delicious without it – traditional or not!
P.S. Your green tomatoes are gorgeous. Congratulations on such a beautiful crop! 🙂
CJ, thanks! I love it too. No idea why it has taken me this long to try making it.
I love Green Goddess dressing. Love it.
Just came in from a scorching afternoon and when I saw that photo of the cool, crisp salad with my favorite dressing…. I could eat that picture.