Hello? 1970’s calling, I’ve got your dressing here.
I’m loving this simple change-up to the classic Green Goddess Dressing, with the addition of tangy buttermilk!
The first time I tried Green Goddess dressing I was a teenager, waiting tables at a bar & grill style restaurant in the mall in my hometown. One of the cooks had brought it in to have on his salad during a break, and I fell in love with the creamy, herby flavor.
Green Goddess was popularized in the 1970’s due to, as wikipedia informs me, a promotional meal to celebrate the opening night of a play with the same name. The play was popular, but the dressing recipe was the bigger hit of the night, and Green Goddess became a ubiquitous salad dressing.
Typically made with mayonnaise, sour cream, anchovies, garlic and a ton of herbs, I edit my recipe a bit with by swapping the sour cream for tangy, smooth buttermilk. Creamy buttermilk really compliments the briny anchovies well, without being too rich in the process.
To make this dressing even easier, it’s made in the blender!
Just add in all the ingredients, process till smooth, and you’re on your way. So simple!
The flavor of Green Goddess Dressing is both distinct and fresh. Those anchovies give it an umami-ness that’s hard to put your finger on, other than a rounded, fresh flavor. If you’re not a fan of anchovy, have no fear! There’s only a small amount used here, there’s no fishy flavor to the dressing whatsoever. Think Caesar dressing; that’s also usually made with an anchovy, but the flavor of fish or brine is never really present in the dressing itself. Green Goddess is no different.
Green Goddess is fabulous on a salad, but it’s a crazy versatile dressing that works great in other applications, too!
My personal favorite way to have it is on chicken, and lately I’ve been throwing together little veggie, rice, and chicken bowls and then dousing the whole thing in Green Goddess dressing. It probably negates the health benefits of the rice bowls but you know what; I’ll have my thighs take one for the team here. The dressing is too delicious to pass up!
Green Goddess will also keep for a crazy long period of time in the fridge – about two weeks – so it’s a great recipe to double or triple for a crowd, then enjoy the heck out of the leftovers for a while after.
Trust me guys; one taste and you’ll want to drizzle this deliciously fresh dressing all over your life.
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 ounces tarragon leaves (about one small package, or 5-6 stems)
- 3/4 ounces chives (about one small package, or 15-20 chives)
- 1 ounce fresh parsley (one small bunch, bottom stems removed)
- 1 ounce basil leaves (about 1 cup packed)
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 2 anchovies
- juice of one lemon (about 1/2 cup)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.
- Store chilled in a tightly covered container. Will keep refrigerated for up to two weeks.
makes a little over 2 cups of dressing
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