Green Goddess Dressing

Looking for a way to use up the herbs in your fridge? Make this green goddess dressing recipe! It's creamy, bright, and brimming with fresh flavor.

Green goddess dressing in a bowl with vegetables

At this time of year, I make this green goddess dressing recipe almost every week. Jack and I have just planted our little garden on our back deck, and we have loads of fresh herbs. Straight off the plant, they’re fragrant and tender, ready to add a punch of fresh flavor to almost any dish. I often grab a handful of parsley for a weeknight pasta, a sprig of mint to finish a salad, or a bunch of basil to sprinkle over pizza. Chances are, I end up picking extra, so little by little, the fridge fills up with leafy herbs. That’s where this green goddess dressing comes in.

Cool, creamy, and so darn easy to make, it’s the perfect way to use up an abundance of herbs. You can make it with almost any ones you like – I start with parsley and chives and top it off with whatever else I have on hand. Cilantro, mint, and dill are all fantastic, but I especially recommend using tarragon. Its mild licorice flavor makes this green goddess dressing really complex and unique. Trust me, you’re going to love it!

Green goddess dressing recipe ingredients

Green Goddess Dressing Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this green goddess salad dressing:

  • Greek yogurt – Classic green goddess dressing is made with mayo and sometimes sour cream, but I skip them both in favor of Greek yogurt. It makes this recipe a tad healthier, and it adds a delicious tangy flavor.
  • Fresh herbs – I always make this recipe with parsley and chives. Then, I toss in whatever other leafy herbs I have in my kitchen! Try using dill, mint, and/or cilantro, and don’t skip the tarragon if you can help it.
  • Lemon juice and zest – Who doesn’t love lemon + herbs? The zest and juice add an amazing bright flavor to this creamy dip.
  • Extra-virgin olive oil – It adds extra richness and thins the creamy sauce.
  • Capers – Did you know that most green goddess salad dressing is made with anchovies? No joke! To keep this recipe vegetarian, I swap in capers to add savory, briny flavor.
  • Garlic, salt, and pepper – They add depth of flavor and tie everything together!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Herbs and yogurt in a food processor

Once you prep your ingredients, making this recipe couldn’t be easier. Just add them all to a food processor, and pulse to combine!

Oh, and by the way, this dressing is just as good when you swap cashew cream for the yogurt. When I make this vegan, dairy-free variation, I use a blender instead of a food processor to get the dressing really smooth. Find the instructions for how to make it in the recipe notes below!

Green goddess dressing in a food processor

Green Goddess Dressing Serving Suggestions

You might have guessed by now this this green goddess dressing is a great salad dressing (try it on my Spring Salad, Caesar Salad, Kale Salad, or Radish Salad!), but you can use it for so much more. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

How do you like to use green goddess dressing? Let me know in the comments!

green goddess dressing

More Favorite Dressings and Sauces

If you love this green goddess dressing recipe, try one of these flavorful sauces or dressings next:

green goddess dressing in jars

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Green Goddess Dressing

rate this recipe:
4.96 from 94 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Serves 4 to 6
This easy green goddess dressing is creamy, bright, and delicious! I most often make it with Greek yogurt, but it also works wonderfully with cashew cream. See the recipe notes below for this easy vegan variation.

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a food processor, combine the yogurt, parsley, mixed herbs, chives, lemon juice, zest, olive oil, capers, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pulse until well combined. Season to taste.
  • Serve as a dip or toss with salad greens. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

Makes just over 1 cup
*To make this vegan: Use 1 cup raw cashews + ½ cup water in place of the yogurt. Blend all ingredients, except the herbs, in a high-speed blender until creamy. Add the herbs and pulse to combine. If your dressing is too thick, mix in little water or more olive oil. This version will not work in a food processor because the cashews won’t get as creamy as they do in a blender.

106 comments

4.96 from 94 votes (60 ratings without comment)

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Kelly
    07.25.2023

    5 stars
    I have made this a gazillion times as written and loved it. Tonight, I tried making it vegan and ran into some challenges. The ratio of 1 c cashew to 1/2 c water wasn’t enough water. Start with making the cashew cream and be prepared to keep adding water until it the consistency you like. I came close to 3/4 c total. Because the cashew cream doesn’t have the tang of the Greek yogurt, I ended up doubling the lemon zest, juice, and capers. As a dip, I would consider adding vinegar but since I’m making this to add to a pasta salad with pickled zucchini, I didn’t. Also, give your herbs a healthy, healthy chopping session. My blender is a beast and couldn’t handle the herbs. They choked the blades which was the 1st time I’ve seen that happen to my vitamix. I transfered this to the food processor to finish because it just couldn’t take all the herbs. With those in mind, it became vegan easily and is delicious

  2. Hn
    07.19.2023

    3 stars
    Mine turned out watery too. I tripled the herbs , it had a good flavor but I wish I could get it thicker – maybe blend an avocado in? I used full fat Greek yogurt

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.20.2023

      Hi Neal, tripling the herbs may have added excess water. I’m also assuming that your herbs were fully dry, not wet from washing them? Lastly, different brands of yogurt have different consistencies – you could try a thicker brand like Fage or Chobani.

  3. Mark Rothschild
    06.16.2023

    5 stars
    …You ARE…the, “GREEN GODESS” !!!…many Thanks !!!

  4. Sam from youtube.com
    05.15.2023

    5 stars
    This is awesome! Going to try a version on my channel (youtube.com/@watchthecook), I usually like a mix of capers and anchovies or anchovies and caper juice

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      05.19.2023

      Awesome, thanks for sharing it! So glad you love the dressing.

  5. Beth
    04.12.2023

    How much anchovy paste could I use in place of the capers?

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      04.14.2023

      Hi Beth, we haven’t tried using anchovy paste here, so I’m not sure. You could start with 1/2 teaspoon and add more to taste.

  6. Hibber
    02.28.2023

    I made this with homemade kefir, sour cream, micro-basil, micro-arugula and some parsley, and preserved lemon. Definitely going to keep making this.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.03.2023

      That sounds fantastic! So glad you liked the recipe.

    • Kelly
      07.25.2023

      Oh! I bet arugula would be amazing in this!

  7. Steph
    02.26.2023

    This with spaghettis squash and ground Italian chicken sausage is amazing!! Thank you for sharing!

  8. Cherylann
    02.17.2023

    I just want to know where you got your jar and little wooden paddle/scoop.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      02.17.2023

      a little boutique shop in Austin that’s not there anymore. I find similar items at BE Home.

  9. Meredith
    02.03.2023

    Can this be made with something besides cashews for a vegan option?

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      02.03.2023

      Hi Meredith, blanched slivered almonds or sunflower seeds would work. You might need to use more water with these options because they pack more tightly into a measuring cup than cashews do.

    • Lauren
      03.08.2023

      Use unsweetened vegan yogurt (I find Kite Hill’s almond yogurt to be a good one!) The next day, the dressing will thicken a bit because of the lemon juice. Kite Hill also makes a vegan Greek yogurt, I’ve just never seen or tried it. You could also add a little apple cider vinegar- maybe 1 Tablespoon- in addition, for extra tang. 🙂

  10. Kate
    02.01.2023

    Looks great! What is the shelf life for this dressing?

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      02.02.2023

      Hi Kate, It keeps for about 5 days in the fridge.

  11. Lindsey
    12.08.2022

    5 stars
    I’ve made it twice, plant based with unsoaked cashews. I have 3 picky eaters and this recipe is a HIT. I make a double batch; one as a dip and I pour the second cup over finely chopped cabbage & cucumber & mix. Great with tortilla chips.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      12.09.2022

      Hi Lindsey, So glad you love the dressing!

  12. Kendall Green
    12.05.2022

    I initially made this with great success but the last two times my Greek yoghurt (or the dressing) has turned really liquidy in the blender – to the consistency of milk. The first two times I made it this didn’t happen. I have trialled different Greek yoghurts and they are full fat. Does anyone know what I am doing wrong? I love the dressing but don’t like it when it’s liquid!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      12.06.2022

      Hi Kendall, so odd – I find Fage and Chobani full fat greek yogurts are the thickest. I’d also make sure your herbs are fully dry from washing them.

  13. Jac
    11.02.2022

    5 stars
    My new favourite dressing. Everyone who tries it wants the recipe!

    • Phoebe Moore
      11.04.2022

      I’m so glad it’s a hit!

  14. Ravyn Johnson
    08.20.2022

    5 stars
    Hello!! Love this! How long does it keep?

  15. Angela
    08.02.2022

    Could I use this as a cold pasta salad sauce you think?

  16. Andy
    07.18.2022

    If making this vegan, do you soak the raw cashews before blending with the water? If so, how long do you soak them for? Thank you!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.19.2022

      Hi Andy, if you have a powerful blender (a Vitamix or similar), soaking isn’t necessary. I don’t soak mine. If your blender doesn’t get them super creamy, you can soak for a few hours or overnight.

  17. CL
    07.02.2022

    How about nutrition facts? How many calories, fiber, carbohydrates, sugar, protein, vitamins etc. thanks.

  18. Brenda
    03.22.2022

    5 stars
    This is one of my favorite recipes in the world! I always keep some in the fridge.

    I am blessed to be able to use all my own fresh herbs and my basil is the biggest of them all so I usually use a lot of basil.

    I had it today with farro, carrots, cucumbers, kale and micro greens. Oh, sunflower seeds too. Yum! Thank you!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.24.2022

      I’m so glad you’ve been loving it!

  19. Marian Schuchman
    02.11.2022

    Could I use a vita mix instead of a food processor?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      02.13.2022

      Yep, you can.

  20. Lisa
    12.11.2021

    5 stars
    I used non-fat greek yogurt .. the flavor was delicious but it was runny Any suggestions on how to get a thicker consistency with non fat greek yogurt?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      12.12.2021

      Hi Lisa, I think full fat yogurt is really the way to go. You could try to reduce the other liquids (lemon and oil), but that’ll affect the flavor.

    • Kim
      04.12.2022

      You could add a little olive or avocado oil for it to emulsify.

    • Victoria
      06.09.2022

      You can strain yogurt and discard the liquid. You can decide how much to strain. Then use the cream-cheese like yogurt cheese to thicken tour dressing.

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.