This Green Goddess Salad Dressing recipe combines mayo, sour cream, fresh herbs, lemon, and garlic to create a creamy, tangy dressing that’s also a great dip!
There’s just something about a homemade salad dressing that makes even a plain ol’ pile of lettuce feel fancy. And this Green Goddess Dressing? It’s proof that fresh really is best. Loaded with herbs like parsley, tarragon, and chives, it’s creamy, tangy, and packed with bright, herby flavor. The best part? You can toss it all in the blender and have it ready in minutes. It’s easy enough for a Tuesday night but classy enough to impress your dinner guests.
I love it poured over crisp greens, but it’s just as good drizzled on roasted veggies, spooned over a grain bowl, or used as a dip for crunchy cucumbers and carrots.
What is Green Goddess Salad Dressing?
Green Goddess dressing is a creamy salad dressing that is typically made with mayonnaise, sour cream, fresh herbs, anchovies (although I opt for Worcestershire sauce), lemon juice, and vinegar. It has a flavor that is vaguely reminiscent of ranch dressing, but more herby. My recipe is a little different but equally delicious if I do say so myself.
How to Store Green Goddess Salad Dressing
Once made, the dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. I usually prefer to keep it in a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use dried herbs in Green Goddess Salad Dressing? The unique flavor of this dressing comes from the fresh herbs, so I wouldn’t recommend using dried herbs as a replacement for the fresh.
Why doesn’t your recipe include anchovies? Most traditional green goddess dressing recipes call for anchovies or anchovy paste. I happen to not be a big fan of anchovies and the fishy taste they give off. So, just like in my Creamy Caesar Dressing recipe, I swapped the anchovy for Worcestershire sauce. It gives that great umami depth of flavor without the fishy aftertaste.
Do I really need to include MSG? I know I’ll get some hate for this ingredient, but just like with my ranch dressing, I wouldn’t include it if I didn’t think it was important. MSG occurs naturally in tons of foods like tomatoes, cheese, and beets. In this dressing, it gives the flavor a huge pop! With that being said, if you feel you’ve got an MSG sensitivity, you can absolutely leave it out. I typically use the Accent brand of MSG.
Can I use jarred chopped garlic in place of fresh? One clove of fresh garlic amps up the flavor big time! Avoid the jarred chopped garlic if you can.
Are chives and green onions the same thing? Nope, chives and green onions aren’t the same thing. Look for the chives in the little clear clamshell packages.
What is tarragon? Tarragon is a delicious herb! While it isn’t an herb I use a lot, I think it’s pretty important to the flavor of this dressing. I just use the little 1/2 ounce clear clamshell packages found in the produce section, and it seems to be the perfect amount.
Does the type of parsley matter? Not really. I usually use Italian flat leaf, but curly parsley will work, too.
Can I use reduced-fat sour cream? While you can opt for lower-fat sour cream, it will affect the texture a bit. You could use Greek yogurt in its place if you wanted a healthier but still creamy option.
What brand of mayo do you recommend? This is the main creamy base for your dressing, so use the good stuff. Y’all know Duke’s is my mayo of choice. No Miracle Whip here, please.
POP QUIZ
What is Worcestershire sauce made from?
Distilled White Vinegar, Molasses, Sugar, Water, Salt, Onions, Anchovies, Garlic, Cloves, Tamarind Extract, Natural Flavorings, Chili Pepper Extract
Yep, anchovies. But somehow it doesn’t taste like anchovies… go figure.
Make it easy!
To make the process easier, I used the neat little clamshell packages of fresh herbs found in the produce section of the grocery store. I did this for both the tarragon and the chives. Each is about 1/2 to 3/4 of an ounce and is the perfect amount for this recipe. For the parsley, you’ll need a big bunch to get the 1/2 cup called for, but finding parsley is usually pretty easy.
Recipe Card
Green Goddess Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh tarragon (or one .5-ounce package)
- 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh chives (or one .5-ounce package)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon MSG (I use Accent)
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. This will probably take a little longer than you expect. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavors to develop, then mix well again before serving. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.
Notes
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Daniel
While I personally would include anchovy, worcestershire sauce seems a reasonable substitute. In any case I think your recipe far exceeds the so called light dressings which replace mayo and sour cream with yogurt; some even excluding dairy altogether. They may be green, but not in the Goddess catagory.
I appreciate your insight! Anchovies definitely add a depth of flavor. I totally agree that many light dressings miss the mark when it comes to that rich taste. Thanks for your thoughts!
David DeFalco
You CANNOT substitute for anchovy in this recipe!!! A small amount of finely chopped anchovy filled (or anchovy paste) is indecernable, and provides a umami profile that is NOTHING like you’ll get from Worchestershire sauce. Your recipe is lacking!
But did you try my version, David?
Katie
Have you ever tried making this with dried herbs?
I haven’t. I’ve only done this one with fresh.
Chris Weller
Ive always chuckled to myself when people tell me they are allergic to MSG but can eat tomatoes. The look on their faces when you tell them there’s 700 times MORE MSG in a tomato than a chinese meal.
😳
NoniB
Happily surprised to see that spoon in the photo with a pint jar of the dressing is the same one that was my parents’ pattern from the 30s. Can’t wait to make a batch of this; green goddess is one of my favorite dressings but I’ve stopped buying commercially made dressings for the most part.
Thanks, Noni! I have a pretty decent collection of vintage silverware and it’s always fun to get comments like this!