Green Goddess Dressing Recipe
There is nothing more refreshing than pouring the color of spring grass straight onto my salads, and this green goddess dressing is one of my favorites. I can have it ready in just 10 minutes by blending parsley, tarragon, and green onion into a creamy mayonnaise base with anchovy, garlic, and lemon for a bright and herb-forward dressing.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup packed fresh parsley leaves
- ¾ cup packed sliced green onions
- 1/3 cup packed fresh tarragon leaves
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 garlic cloves
- 5 anchovy fillets
- 1/4 cup light virgin olive oil
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- coarse salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the herbs, anchovies, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, and garlic clove to a blender or food processor.
- Blend or process on medium to high speed for 2 minutes or until the mixture is smooth.
- Next, add the mayonnaise, salt, and pepper.
- Blend or process on medium speed until combined and emulsified.
- Serve or chill.
Notes
Most home blenders heat up fast, and the dressing can flip from bright spring-grass green to a dull army green inside the same minute. I recommend blending the herbs and oil hard for 90 seconds, scrape the sides, and finish with another 30 seconds before the cold mayonnaise drops in for the shortest blend that pulls the bowl together. Cold base, short blend, no second pass.
Buy a small bunch and use it all: Tarragon fades fast in the crisper drawer. I pick up the smallest bunch I can find and build a batch the same day, so the dressing carries peak herb flavor through the week.
Pre-chill the mayonnaise: Cold mayonnaise holds color and locks in a thicker texture out of the blender. I pull it straight from the fridge to the blender, not from the counter.
Adjust for dressing or dip: The recipe above pours like a dressing. For a thicker dip on a vegetable platter, I double the mayonnaise and cut the oil in half so the bowl holds up on a cracker or a carrot stick.
Use Dijon as a rescue: If the dressing breaks, I blend in 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard and let the emulsifier in the mustard pull it back together.
Stick with fresh herbs: Dry parsley and dry tarragon will not work in this recipe. The dressing needs the moisture and the green color the fresh leaves carry into the blender.
Make-Ahead: I make this up to 3 days ahead and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. It tastes good the day it is made and sharper after a night of rest as the herbs settle and the garlic mellows.
How to Store: I keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. If a thin layer of darker oil rises to the top after a few days, I whisk it back together with a fork before serving.
How to Freeze: I skip the freezer for this dressing.
Nutrition
Calories: 286kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 2gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 14gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 187mgPotassium: 143mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.5gVitamin A: 676IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 46mgIron: 1mg