Classic Green Goddess Dressing

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"?

Recipe