Easy Green Goddess Dressing
This homemade green goddess dressing recipe is so easy to make! It's creamy, fresh, completely deliciousโand a great way to use up your leafy herbs!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 2, 2024
This green goddess dressing is exactly what we need right now. Itโs creamy, tangy, and fully loaded with fresh, herbal flavor. Iโve savored it by the spoonful while imagining sunny days ahead.
The Green Goddess is going to carry us through to spring. Weโre going to make it. I can feel it.
I put some soup recipe development on hold when I finalized this dressing. Iโll figure it out soon enough (hint: itโs also green). Iโm too busy drizzling this versatile dressing over anything and everything.
The funny thing about this green goddess dressing recipe is that itโs so very simple. I tried adding lemon juice and olive oil, and they only distracted from the beautiful combination of good Greek yogurt and fresh herbs.
In fact, you can use any combination of fresh herbs for this recipe. That leftover parsley and cilantro in the fridge? Letโs use โem up.
Green Goddess Dressing Ingredients
This salad dressing differs from most other green goddess dressings, but the flavor and texture remains so similar. Typically, youโll find mayonnaise, lemon, and anchovies on the ingredients list. This recipe relies on Greek yogurt for tang and creaminess instead.
Greek Yogurt
High-quality whole-milk yogurt makes this dressing spectacular. I splurged on Straus Family Creamery and itโs just so good. I suspect regular plain yogurt would work well, too, though it will be more runny.
Fresh Herbs
Now weโre talking! This dressing calls for an overflowing cup of fresh, leafy herbs. Here are some notes on your options.
Tarragon: If youโre looking for classic green goddess flavor, be sure to use some tarragon. Its licorice-like flavor is strong, so limit the tarragon to about 2 tablespoons (or a small handful).
Chives or green onion: Chives are more classic, but green onion works almost nearly as well. To avoid overpowering your dressing with oniony flavor, limit these ingredients to about 1/4 cup.
Basil, parsley, cilantro, dill and/or mint: Use these to fill up the rest of your cup. Any one of these herbs (or any combination) will work beautifully. For dressing that would be suitable with Mexican meals, try using a lot of cilantro (and maybe add a fresh jalapeรฑoโsee recipe note). Dill lovers, try an all-dill dressing and drizzle it over potatoes.
Garlic
Just one small-to-medium cloveโno more! In sauces and dressings, garlic often grows in intensity as it rests.
Salt and Pepper
Plenty of eachโdressing should be bordering on salty when itโs your main seasoning for fresh produce. This dressing loves black pepper!
Watch How to Make Easy Green Goddess Dressing
Salad Serving Suggestions
This herbaceous dressing is so versatile. Build a salad with any of these ingredients:
- Almonds, pepitas or sunflower seeds
- Bell peppers
- Carrots, shaved or thinly sliced
- Cooked chickpeas or lentils
- Cucumber
- Feta or goat cheese
- Fresh, leafy greensโincluding butter lettuce, baby gem, romaine and spring greens
- Red onion
- Snow peas or snap peas
- Tomatoes
- Radishes
You can also use this dressing as a veggie dip for any of the above suggestions.
Please let me know how your dressing turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Looking for more homemade salad dressings? Here are a few more favorites:
- Carrot Ginger Dressingย or Ginger Salad Dressing
- Creamy Tahini Dressing
- Fresh Mint Dressing
- How to Make Vinaigrette (Plus 3 Essential Variations!)
- Sunshine Salad Dressing
Easy Green Goddess Dressing
This homemade green goddess dressing recipe is so easy to make! Itโs creamy, fresh, completely deliciousโand a great way to use up your leafy herbs. Recipe yields about 1 ยผ cups dressing; multiply if desired.
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, preferably full-fat (made with whole milk)
- 1 cup lightly packed fresh herbs (tender stems are fine): use cilantro, parsley, dill, basil and/or mint, with up to ยผ cup chives or green onion (sliced into ยฝโณ segments)
- Optional: Up to 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves
- 1 medium clove garlic, roughly chopped
- ยฝ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Lots of freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth and green, with tiny flecks of herbs.
- Taste, and add more salt or pepper if desired. Use as desired, or cover and refrigerate for later. This dressing will keep well in the fridge for 5 to 7 days.
Notes
Make it vegan: Make my tahini dressing in a food processor, adding the herbs suggested above (same quantity).
Make it spicy: Add jalapeรฑo! Remove and discard the seeds and ribs from a medium jalapeรฑo. Roughly chop the pepper flesh, and blend half of it with the other ingredients. Blend, taste, and add even more if youโd like.
Recommended equipment: A small to medium-sized food processor is perfect for making this dressing, such as this 11-cup Cuisinart (affiliate link). Or make it in a blenderโyouโll likely need to double the recipe to gain enough traction. As a last resort, you could finely chop all of the ingredients by hand.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Only had plain fat free yoghurt on hand and wow this is super tasty. For a super healthy dressing this is the bomb. 5 โญ๏ธ
This is the first time I have ever tasted Green Goddess Dressing! It is absolutely delicious even though I didnโt have Tarragon nor Parsley to add. All I can say isโฆโmove back to Farm, Ranch DressingโโฆIโm a Green Goddess now!
Thatโs great to hear, Delores! I appreciate your review.
10โฆ10 !! MY 1ST TIME MAKING HOMEMADE DRESSING.
Iโm glad you loved it!
You hit a home run Kate, love this and the calories are only 60 per 1/4 cup, love this on chicken breast done with panko bread crumbs
Thanks Kate and say hello to Cookie
I appreciate your well-tested recipes, Kate. Once again, you nailed it! I used fresh chives, Italian parsley, and dill. Added EVOO because I add it to most everything and it helped the mini blender cooperate. Followed the rest of your directions as written. Itโs incredibly delicious.
Many thanks for this and all your recipes, Kate.
Youโre welcome, Maria! Thank you for sharing how you made it and what you thought.
I think something is missing from this recipeโฆ?
I made it and itโs just yogurt and herbs.
Too thick for a salad.
Wondering if there should have been an oil or lemon juice or another type of vinegar needing to be added?
Sorry, not a fan at all
Iโm sorry to hear you didnโt love this recipe. I appreciate your feedback.
I made this with cocojune organic coconut yogurt and it came out delish! Put it on a salad with spinach, arugula, asparagus, yellow squash, zucchini, and roasted red potatoesโฆ amazing and perfect for late spring early summer lunch!
Thank you for sharing, Amy! That sounds like a delicious combination.
Hello โ I made the Easy Green Goddess Dressing. I used from my garden, fresh chives and flat leaf parsley. It is delicious!! Thanks for sharing.
Youโre welcome, E! Iโm glad you loved it.
I was looking for a minimalist green goddess dressingโsome of them are really over the topโand this was perfect. I did make some modifications for my purposes: because my yogurt was *very*sour, I cut it with 1/4 cup mayonnaise. I was serving with a smoked trout salad, so for the herbs/greenery, I used basil, minced capers, and finely chopped cucumber. It made a lovely summer meal.
Mine didnt turn out the best but it was definitely my own fault lol. I replaced the fresh herbs for dry ones because thatโs all i had, but where i really went wrong was that i didnโt realize my yogurt was vanilla flavored. Oops! It still tastes ok though, could definitely see the vision
Great to hear, Hailey! Thank you for your review.
Soooo good even my veggie-averse husband admitted he liked it. Iโm putting it over your tortellini salad that hit my inbox.
Hooray! Thatโs great to hear, Gaelen! I appreciate your review.
I decided I wanted a โbig saladโ with grilled salmon as my Motherโs Day meal. I had plenty of Cilantro, Parsley and Basil in my herb pots and added green onions. My husband and I both thought this dressing was absolutely PERFECT! SOOOO fresh-tasting!! Weโve never had one of your recipes we didnโt love! THANKS AGAIN!
Youโre welcome, Bobette!
I added an avocado and thinned with water. Also used garlic scapes because they were in season. Delicious!
Thatโs great to hear, Kathleen!
I made this green goddess dressing with fresh herbs from my garden, paying attention to not too much garlic. I used some mayonnaise, but mostly cashew yoghurt, and it was a big hit. Iโm going to make it a lot!
Thatโs great to hear, Penny!
Delicious dressing! Printed off the recipe so I will most definitley make this again!
Thank you!
Youโre welcome, Lynda! Thank you for your review.
Hello! I assume I can make this dressing one day in advance? I plan to use it with your tortellini salad.
Hi Lynn, good news โ this dressing will keep well in the fridge for 5 to 7 days. Enjoy!
Made this for my lunch salads this week. So yummy!
Just made this โ YUM. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Hi,
I donโt have fresh herbs, and donโt digest raw garlic well. Wonder if anyone has made this using dried herbs and garlic powder instead?