Although Green Goddess Dressing has been around for about a hundred years, I haven't been familiar with it until recently. And I wonder where it has been all my life! Oh that's right ... I'm a Classic-French-Vinaigrette-on-Green-Salad kind of gal. But there are some salads that benefit from the flavors of a Green Goddess, for sure. In fact, check the end of this post for other ideas of foods to eat this dressing with. It's supremely versatile!
Why is called Green Goddess?
First of all ... because it is literally green from all the herbs! But why the "Goddess" part? Keep reading.
The Green Goddess Salad Dressing was created at San Francisco’s historical Palace Hotel in the 1920s. The hotel’s executive chef, Philip Roemer, named the dressing for English actor George Arliss (1868-1846), who stayed at the hotel during the time he performed in the play called The Green Goddess. Et voila!
As a matter of trivia ... this play was considered the best play of the 1920-21 Broadway season and it later became one of the earliest talking movies in 1930.
How to make Classic Green Goddess Dressing
There are lots of recipes for Green Goddess Dressing. Some newer ones call for yogurt, but the more traditional have a mixture of mayonnaise and sour cream. There's also debate about using chives or green onions. Or tarragon vinegar instead of fresh tarragon. Some quirky recipes even call for avocado and spinach!
I tend to be a traditionalist so this recipe is close to what the original intended. And it's delicious!
It couldn't be more simple than putting all of the ingredients into a blender jar. There's mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, anchovies (use paste or jarred), garlic, and lots of herbs. Traditionally, the herbs are chives, tarragon, and parsley.
Ways to serve
Of course, Green Goddess Dressing is wonderful on salad, but it can also be served with crudites, grilled meats, fish, fried oysters, french fries ... just about anything you want to dip in a sauce or cover with a sauce can be complemented by the Green Goddess. And may I add ... "should be"?
Other salad dressings/salads you might enjoy:
- Blue Cheese Dressing
- Ranch Dressing (with a dairy-free option)
- Tomato Vinaigrette
- Insalata Nostrana - Radicchio Caesar Salad
- Crunchy Celery Salad
Recipe
Classic Green Goddess Dressing
Ingredients
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons anchovy paste or 3 tinned anchovy fillets
- 1 small garlic clove
- ½ cup fresh Italian parsley chopped
- ¼ cup fresh tarragon chopped
- 3 Tablespoons fresh chives chopped
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice from 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in the jar of a blender and process until smooth, 30-45 seconds.
- Serve as a dip, drizzle over grilled meats, stir into a potato salad, or toss with salad greens.
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