When we did a bit of research into Green Goddess dressing, we found an original created in 1923 by the chef at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco in 1923. It’s since been popularized by many chefs and foodies – each with a twist.
That first recipe included the ‘secret ingredient’ anchovies mixed with scallions, mayonnaise, and herbs (parsley, tarragon, and chives). We looked through several Green Goddess recipes and settled on the delicious combination below including avocado and anchovy paste.* You can mix things up with the herbs you have on-hand but we found a winning combination that includes chives, watercress, parsley and basil. Watercress isn’t always available so baby spinach works and some of us (Wendy included) aren’t fond of the popular tarragon in so many recipes so we chose to use fresh basil instead. We also swapped out mayo for an avocado and think this is one of the best upgrades.
Top 5 Ways to use this Dressing
We are calling this recipe a dressing yet the result is nice and thick. If you desire a thinner dressing to dress crisp lettuce, you can add a bit of water to the blender.
- fill endive spears and top with toasted pine nuts for a colorful appetizer
- use as a dip for spring veggies like asparagus and radishes
- top your burger with a nice dollop to dress it up
- add to your piping hot baked sweet potato
- mix into a potato salad for a totally new dish
Nourish Green Goddess Dressing
- ½ avocado, pealed, pitted and smashed
- 1 cup parsley
- 1 cup watercress or baby spinach
- ⅓ cup scallions or chives, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons basil or tarragon, chopped
- 1 small garlic clove
- 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (more for a creamier and thinner texture)
- 1 Tablespoon anchovy paste*
- Himalayan salt to taste (the anchovy or capers are salty so taste first, then add)
- Cracked black pepper to taste
*Anchovy paste gives this dressing a massive punch of umami flavor. To make it vegan, use drained capers instead.
Blend in a high speed blender or food processor. The more you chop the greens, the smoother the dressing. In my picture, I didn’t chop them fine and I love the texture – but you might like it more smooth.
