Best Green Goddess Dressing
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This green goddess dressing is creamy, vibrant, and completely dairy-free. It's loaded with fresh herb flavor and makes the perfect healthy dip or dressing for salads and bowls. It's easy to make and ready in just 5 minutes!
If you love green goddess dressing, try our green goddess chicken, green goddess pasta bowls, or green goddess pizza!
We're just going to come right out and say that this healthy dairy-free version of green goddess dressing rivals the original.
It's equally creamy and cool with all the feel-good pantry ingredients you can imagine blended into a delicious and nutritious dressing. Use it as a dip for fresh or roasted veggies, or drizzled on salads, bowls, and more.
It's easy to make, extra-colorful, and super versatile so you can add any herbs that are fresh in your garden, or leftover in your fridge. We promise it will never leave you feeling anything less than satisfied!
What is green goddess dressing?
Green goddess dressing is said to have originated around San Franciso in the 1920s. The original is made with mayonnaise, sour cream, anchovies, and tarragon but there are now many variations of this classic Californian dressing, including our healthy dairy-free one.
It's known for its cool and creamy taste, and herbaceous flavor. It makes a great dip for vegetables and is wonderful on robust salads like romaine or kale.
Ingredients
This is the best green goddess dressing recipe and it's full of good-for-you ingredients. It's different than the original but with similar tastes and texture.
You like to have most of the ingredients on hand, which is a big bonus. Here's everything you'll need to make this healthy green goddess dressing:
- Parsley ā for its earthy taste and vibrant green color.
- Nutritional yeast ā adds a ācheesy' taste and is full of B vitamins!
- Water ā to thin things out.
- Olive oil ā helps to emulsify the dressing, and bring everything together.
- Tahini ā adds a nutty, creamy texture to the dressing.
- Apple cider + white vinegar ā add acidity to balance out the bitterness from the herbs.
- Miso paste ā adds a savory depth of flavor.
- Soy sauce ā adds a salty, umami taste.
- Lemon juice ā sunny lemon juice brightens everything up.
- Maple syrup ā for its naturally sweet taste and add balance.
- Garlic ā for its unique pungent taste.
You'll also need a high-speed blender or food processor.
Tip: if you have a high-powered blender you can use the stems of the parsley. If you're using a regular blender, twist the stems off and just use the leaves.
How to make green goddess dressing
There's nothing complicated about this green goddess dressing. Here's how to make it in a few simple steps:
- Simply add all the ingredients to your blender or food processor.
- Blend on high until smooth. That's it!
- Serve it right away or store it in an air-tight jar in the fridge.
Tip for serving: this dressing thickens a lot in the fridge. To make it pourable, put some in a small bowl and mix it with a little water before using it.Ā
Recipe FAQs
How long does this green goddess dressing last?
It will stay fresh in the fridge in a jar with a tight-fitting lid for up to 5 days.
What herbs can I use instead of parsley?
If you need to substitute the parsley, opt for a mild-tasting green like spinach or arugula. For a deliciously different flavor, try cilantro or basil. Or experiment with adding some chives, tarragon, dill, or mint to the mix!
Can I sub the maple syrup?
Honey makes a great substitute. Agave also works well, too.
How to serve green goddess dressing
This creamy herb-infused dressing is really versatile. Here are a few of our favorite ways to enjoy this healthy green goddess dressing:
- As a dip with fresh, grilled, or roasted vegetables like our best roasted broccoli and sheet pan sausage and veggies.
- As a dressing with our broccoli and kale salad, or baby kale salad with grapefruit, avocado, and almonds
- Drizzled over a build-your-own grain bowl with ingredients like:
- Cooked whole grains ā brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, farro, wheat berries, or millet
- Fresh leafy greens ā baby kale, arugula, romaine, red leafy lettuce, thinly sliced cabbage
- Almonds, cashews, or walnuts
- Pumpkin or sunflower seeds
- Cubed tofu, smoked tofu, or tempeh
- Roasted or baked fish or chicken
- Cooked chickpeas or lentils
- Chopped or shredded vegetables ā beets, carrots, tomatoes, radishes, and cucumbers
- Roasted vegetables
- Sliced avocado
The original family green goddess dressing recipe:
Best Green Goddess Salad Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh parsley (packed (see notes))
- Ā¼ cup nutritional yeast
- Ā¼ cup water
- Ā¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon miso paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in your blender.1 cup fresh parsley, Ā¼ cup nutritional yeast, Ā¼ cup water, Ā¼ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons tahini, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 1 tablespoon miso paste, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, 1 clove garlic
- Blend on high speed until smooth.
- Serve right away or store in a jar in your fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our salad dressing recipes!
Oh my…..!!! This is the second time I’ve made this and it’s definitely going to be an all time favorite. The first time, I didn’t have parsley, so I substituted cilantro and used it on veggie tacos. Delicious! This time, I made the traditional recipe, but skipped the nutritional yeast (due to allergy). I poured it liberally over a yummy salad and…, I’ve never done this before, but when I was finished, I looked right, then left and quickly licked my plate! Brimming with goodness and hits all of the taste senses. Awesome!!!
On veggie tacos? That’s amazing! I’m so doing that. Super happy to hear you like the recipe. It is my fav salad dressing recipe!
I have a dairy allergy and I love nutritional yeast, tahini, and parsley. Sounds like a great combo. I am going to make this tonight!
I hope you like it as much as I do. It is my absolute fav!!
Wow….just made this yesterday….it is remarkable! Being vegan, it can be hard to find a dressing that doesn’t have dairy in it and a bunch of weird ingredients….I cannot wait to put this on tofu. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
I’m so happy you like it! It really is my fav salad dressing recipe. I slather everything in it lol. š
if you’re not a parsley fan would it drastically change the flavor to sub spinach or do you have another recommendation for a substitute? thanks!
Spinach would be a great sub!
I see that your typed out list is a bit different than the picture of the paper. Do you prefer maple syrup over the agave.
Also I didn’t see the soy sauce in the picture. Is the soy an addition?
Which do you like best. The hand written recipe or typed out recipe?
Thanks for your advice
Good eyes on changes in the recipe!
Tarmari and soy sauce are almost exactly the same thing. Tamari being a slightly less salty, Japanese-style soy sauce. I usually have regular soy sauce on hand so that’s what I use.
As far as agave goes, I’ve read too much about what a marketing farce it is as far as it being healthy for you which is why I prefer to use maple syrup. As far as the flavor of the dressing goes, you could use any sweetener. Honey is a good substitute as well. š
HA ! I will be using Alaskan Beech Syrup as a substitute, sent down to me from my son in Fairbanks, for our next weekend neighborhood card game / dinner night I have a kale with pickled onion slices, Fuji apple slices, roasted carrot pieces salad recipe which calls for green goddess.
Standby for the report.
I’d love to hear how it goes! That beech syrup sounds incredible!
I have really been wanting to try this since I saw it. I bought nutritional yeast and aminos on my last trip back to civilization. I doubt I will ever find miso here, but I can do the paleo version, which is probably better in. my case.
Nutritional yeast is the best! I just posted another recipe for a vegan cauliflower alfredo … if you’re looking for ways to use it. š
It’s awesome on popcorn, too.
I heard it was good on popcorn, will have to try that.
I still have quite a bit of fresh parsley in my garden (who knew it was tough and could handle so much cold?!) and this was the perfect thing to do with it! Delicious!
That’s amazing that it was still in your garden. I had no idea it was such a hearty veggie!
I just made this and it tasted incredible. Thank you!
So happy to hear you liked it!!!
I tried a similar version but without the yeast. Now that you have specified not to skip that ingredient, I am intrigued to see how it turns out with the addition.
Definitely try it with nutritional yeast. It’s so good!
Thanks, Nicole! It’s amazing how colourful parsley is. I sometimes put a handful in my pesto too to help brighten it up. š
Oooh, i just love the vibrancy of the colour. I have never seen a salad dressing like this before- amazing š
I just made a green goddess inspired quinoa salad and I have all the ingredients for this dressing at home! Totally want to pour it all over my leftover salad š
I love quinoa! This would totally be delicious poured over top. š
I made it this morning, it’s very good indeed!!
I’m so happy to hear you like it!!
Now I’m really curious how this green stuff tastes like š
You’ll love it! It’s seriously my favourite salad dressing ever. š
This does sound insanely delicious! Tahini and nutritional yeast always go fabulously together in dressings – and I bet the parsley adds such a nice fresh flavour to it. Looking forward to trying this!
It is so so good! I hope you love it as much as I do. š
No dairy? Really? And it’s the best?? Hmm, you have me very curious!
I swear it’s the best one I’ve ever tried! I’ve shared it with lots of friends and family before and each time I get asked for the recipe. I thought it was finally time I shared it on the blog for everyone. š