Green Goddess Dressing

This classic salad dressing is packed with fresh green herbs like parsley, tarragon, and chives. Sour cream lends a tangy finish.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated September 30, 2022
Elise Bauer
Homemade Green Goddess Dressing Spooned into a Bowl of Salad

Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

Do you remember green goddess dressing?

It used to be pretty popular in the 70s and 80s when I first encountered it. If I'm not mistaken it was one of the usual dressings for a typical California salad with mixed greens, alfalfa sprouts and sunflower seeds, that one could order at the aptly named Good Earth restaurant in Palo Alto.

Green Goddess Dressing Dripping from a Spoon into a Jar with More Dressing. Jar is on a Wooden Plate with Herbs and Halved Lemons

Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

Green Goddess sounds like a dressing right out of Marin County central casting, but apparently it was invented in the 20s, by the chef at the Palace Hotel (beautiful hotel, still there) in San Francisco, to commemorate the actor George Arliss and his play, The Green Goddess.

Pre-Internet, not knowing the provenance of this dressing, all I cared about was that it tasted good, good enough to mask the taste of alfalfa sprouts which thankfully people don't eat much of any more, and it was called "green" and "goddess" which appealed to this Birkenstock-wearing hippie wanna-be.

Fast forward to now, and you know what? This dressing is a gardener's dream. I just picked some herbs from the garden, puréed them with some anchovy paste (essential), lemon juice, garlic, sour cream and mayo.

Green Goddess Dressing Recipe in a Bowl Surrounded by Herbs and Halved Lemons

Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

Instant awesome!

By the way, this recipe makes the kind of dressing that sort of glops on, so you want to toss it in with the lettuce greens, to just lightly coat the salad before serving. Or you can serve it as a dip. It's great spread on crackers or with crudités.

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Watch This Green Goddess Dressing Recipe

Green Goddess Dressing

Prep Time 15 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Servings 32 servings
Yield 2 cups

Vary the proportions of the herbs to suit your taste. If you want, add some ripe avocado to the mix.

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons anchovy paste or 2 to 4 canned anchovies

  • 1 small garlic clove, minced

  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise

  • 3/4 cup sour cream

  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley

  • 1/4 cup chopped tarragon

  • 3 tablespoons chopped chives

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

  1. Blend the ingredients together:

    Put all of the ingredients in the bowl of a blender or food processor and blend or pulse until you get an evenly smooth dressing, about 30-45 seconds.

    Homemade Green Goddess Dressing Ingredients (Herbs, Mayonnaise, Sour Cream, Garlic, etc) in a Food Processor

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
    Green Goddess Salad Dressing in a Food Processor

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
  2. Serve:

    Serve as a dip, or toss with salad greens for a dressing.

    The dressing should last about a week in the fridge.

    Did you love the recipe? Leave us stars below! 

    How to Make Green Goddess Dressing?

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
47 Calories
5g Fat
1g Carbs
0g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 32
Amount per serving
Calories 47
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 6%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 5mg 2%
Sodium 64mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 1g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 2mg 11%
Calcium 9mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 18mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.