Green goddess dressing is a delicious way to use up any fresh herbs you have on hand. It makes a flavorful salad topping, and is also the perfect dip for veggies, fries, and more!
What is green goddess dressing? The original recipe was reportedly created in the 1920’s by chef Phillip Roemer at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. It features plenty of fresh herbs, like parsley, chives, and tarragon, and some variations contain anchovies or mayonnaise, too.
This recipe uses simple pantry ingredients that you probably already have on hand, and it tastes like it came from a restaurant. It will quickly become one of your favorite sauces!
Why You’ll Love It
It’s quick to prepare. Just toss everything into the blender and blend until it’s creamy. It’s ready to serve in just minutes!
It’s flexible. You can use practically any fresh herbs that you have on hand in this recipe. I’m partial to using a mix of parsley, cilantro, chives, and dill, but fresh basil, tarragon, green onion, or a touch of mint will work, too.
It’s allergy friendly. Some recipes will use greek yogurt or sour cream for creaminess, but this version is made with tahini, instead. It adds creaminess and extra fiber, while keeping this salad dressing dairy-free and vegan friendly.
It tastes amazing. The combination of fresh herbs adds so much flavor! Drizzle it over baked chicken breasts, roasted potatoes, and quinoa bowls, or serve it as a dip with sliced veggies.
Ingredients You’ll Need
What’s in green goddess salad dressing?
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh cilantro
- Chives
- Dill
- Fresh lemon juice
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Tahini
- Salt
As I mentioned above, this recipe is quite flexible. If you don’t have a full 2 cups of fresh herbs, it will still turn out delicious. Just use what you have on hand, and taste as you go.
Depending on how tart you like your salad dressing to be, you can use 3 to 4 tablespoons of lemon juice, so start with less, and add more if you prefer a more tangy flavor.
How to Make Green Goddess Dressing
1. Add everything to the blender.
Start by adding water, lemon juice, and olive oil to your blender, then add in the fresh herbs, tahini, garlic, and salt. You can add a pinch of black pepper, if you’d like a little extra spice, too.
I usually toss in whole cloves of garlic, but if you don’t have a high-speed blender, you may want to mince them first, so they will break down quickly. You can also use a food processor instead of a blender, if that’s what you have on hand.
2. Blend.
Blend until the dressing is smooth, then taste and make any adjustments as needed. You can add an extra tablespoon of water to thin out the dressing more, as needed.
Transfer the blended dressing to a mason jar with a lid, and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
3. Enjoy!
You can serve this vegan green goddess dressing right away, or keep it stored in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. It’s delicious over salads (even potato salad!), pasta, and more.
Note: This dressing will thicken even more when chilled. This is great if you plan on serving it as a dip, but you can thin it out again by running the sealed jar under warm tap water, or add a tablespoon of water and stir well, to make the creamy texture more runny again.
Substitutions and Common Questions
Do I have to use tahini? If you need to avoid sesame seeds, you can use almond butter or cashew butter with similar creamy results. You could also add avocado for creaminess, if you prefer.
Can I make it oil-free? Yes, you can leave out the oil, and add more water to help thin out the dressing, as needed. The tahini still adds plenty of creaminess. (Make sure you buy a tahini with no added oil, too; the only ingredient on the package label should be sesame seeds.)
More Creamy Dressings
Looking for more salad dressing recipes to try? You’ll love these, too!
Green Goddess Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup tahini (see notes)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- 1 cup fresh cilantro (or fresh basil)
- 3 tablespoons chopped chives
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped dill
- 1 garlic clove
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Add the water, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, cilantro, chives, dill, garlic, and salt to a high-speed blender. Blend until very smooth.
- Taste the dressing, and make any adjustments as needed. You can add an extra tablespoon of water, if you prefer a thinner consistency.
- Pour the dressing into an airtight container with a lid, and store it in the fridge for up to 1 week. This dressing will thicken up when chilled, so you can thin it out again by running the sealed jar under warm tap water, or you can add an extra tablespoon of water, and stir until it reaches a pourable consistency again.
Notes
- I tested this recipe with Soom brand tahini, which is very runny in consistency and has a mild nutty flavor. I also love Whole Foods 365 brand and Artisana brand, but keep in mind that a “raw tahini” will be thicker in texture and may need a little extra water to help thin-out the dressing.
- If you don’t have all of these herbs on hand, the dressing will still turn out well! You can use fresh basil instead of cilantro, or green onions or a small shallot instead of chives.
Nutrition
Update Note: This recipe was updated in September 2022. If you prefer the original version, you can find it below.
1/2 cup raw tahini
1/2 cup water
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tablespoons green onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 cloves garlic (or 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder)
1 teaspoon tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Mix everything together in a blender or food processor, and then it’s ready to serve.
If you try this green goddess dressing recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.
This looks delicious! Ever since you posted your salad for the last WIAW, I have been waiting for you to post the dressing recipe. I also have to tell you that I tried your ‘cheesecake’ recipe and, while I was skeptical of the zucchini addition, it turned out delicious!
Just had to come back and say how delicious this is! I used regular tahini, upped the parsley a bit, and added black pepper. It needs no sweetener, which surprised and delighted me! Thank you so much! I will make this often!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Can I ask why raw tahini? I know everything is raw these days, but I sometimes wonder if we’re doing ourselves a disservice by getting away from traditional food preparations.
For example, I just read that spinach and kale, almonds, etc. should not be eaten raw because of oxalic acid. (This article brought it to my attention. http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/think-raw-veggies-are-best-think-again/)
I’m just tired of all of the conflicting information… it’s confusing and frustrating! What do you think?
Yes, it’s all confusing and frustrating! I agree with the article you posted, and usually cook most of my cruciferous veggies– I think it is better for our thyroid to avoid eating them raw, for the most part. (I do still add kale to my juices sometimes, but not as much as I used to.)
When it comes to nuts and seeds, I’ve always heard that cooking or roasting nuts may cause their natural oils to go rancid, and may even create trans-fatty acids. Raw nuts are also more resistant to oxidation, meaning they won’t go rancid as quickly as cooked nuts when stored. Rancid fats can be carcinogenic in the body, so we want to avoid them as much as possible. Of course, there’s still a debate about ALL of this, so who knows for sure. Frustrating, indeed!
However, since I enjoy my fair share of baked almond-flour goodies, I figure sticking to raw nut and seed butters the rest of the time is a good balance. Hope that helps!
Kim,
It depends, is the answer. Only people with genetic predispositions have problems with raw greens and mostly raw spinach is the only one with enough oxalic acid to cause problems and it only causes problems at high doses. If you eat a lot of spinach, mix it with something like kale or any other green.
Kale has very little. Spinach has a lot.
Dr. Greger has a video series on it. Watch them at Nutritionfacts.org. As far ask kidney stones go, only people with certain genes get bothered even when eating spinach, but people who eat 7 cups per day of spinach can get in trouble in their kidneys. Again, that is only spinach.
Awesome! I can’t wait to try it!
I bought a bottle of green goddess for the first time and hated it… I guess I’ve grown a little tired of tahini flavor, but yeah, I was kind of disappointed since all the bloggers seem to like it.
I actually don’t care for the bottled version at all, which is why I wanted to try making it myself. This one tastes much better, in my opinion. 😉
this looks great, but we have a severe sesame seed allergy in our family, so the tahini is not an option. any substitute you could think of? i would really like to give this a try!
I’ve heard that you can use peanut butter as a substitute for tahini, though it will definitely alter the flavor! The same would apply to almond or cashew butter, too– they will all work for replacing the texture, but the flavor will be different. However, I’m sure it will still be tasty, regardless!
I bet sunflower seed butter would be a good substitute!
I love Green Goddess dressing but never eat it because of the high fat and calorie count. I’ll be making this tomorrow!
Hi Megan, I am so happy i came across your website. I made this dressing last night and it was great. I eat salad almost every day and this dressing made it so much better. Can’t wait to try it with raw zucchini spirals. I just ordered the machine from amazon. Looking forward to enjoying more of your recipes!!!
I had salads with green goddess dressing before, and it tasted sooo good. Expecting it to be healthy, I looked at the nutrition facts and immediately thought: this is not green (healthy) and not for goddesses (health conscious holistic babes). I looked at homemade recipes and all involved mayo and sour cream. I’m so glad to have found your oil free recipe! I don’t have tahini, though. Do you have a possible substitution? If not, I guess I can try and find it in the grocery store. Thanks a bunch!
I made this dressing this evening. YUM! I was licking my fingers. I am looking forward to using it as a dip for carrots in tomorrows lunch. I don’t know how it compares to regular Green Goddess dressing as I don’t remember the last time I had any. I stumbled across this website following a link from another recipe on pintrest. I am so glad I found it. Lots of yummy things here.
Hey – looks like a great recipe, but you should be clear about the fact that tahini… is OIL. This is not an “oil-free” dressing. Those looking to eliminate oil from their diets, following the Esselstyn or Engine 2 diet, would not be able to eat this.
I consider oil to be something that is extracted from a whole food– such as olive oil or sesame seed oil. Raw tahini is made of ONLY ground sesame seeds, with no added salt or oil. In my opinion, that makes tahini a whole food, not an oil. I’ve read the Engine 2 Diet, and I don’t recall nuts or seeds being off limits, so I believe this dressing would be perfectly fine for someone following that plan.
I came here to look for a good oil-free Green Goddess dressing and was very saddened to see this. This is NOT oil-free, nor is tahini approved on the McDougall or Engine 2 diets. Tahini is full of oil. An unstirred jar of tahini is 1/3 oil. Just because you are mixing the oil back in, doesn’t mean its not there! I believe the title of this recipe is misleading and you should re-name it.
I understand that many brands of tahini have added oil, which make them a no-go, but the brand I use in this recipe does not. It’s simply pureed whole sesame seeds– and sesame seeds ARE approved on the Engine 2 diet. There is no added oil in this case, but people do have to be careful to read labels to make sure no oil is added. Tahini is no different than using a high-quality almond butter in a recipe, as long as the only ingredient on the label is a single nut or seed.
Tahini is NOT an oil. Vegetable oil comes from vegetables, but vegetables are not considered an oil. Olive oil comes from olives, but olives are not themselves an oil. Peanut oil comes from peanuts, but peanuts (and even plain peanut butter) are not oil. Flaxseed oil comes from flaxseeds, but flaxseeds are not oil. Coconut oil comes from coconuts, but coconuts are not oil. Tahini then, which is simply ground sesame seeds, is not an oil.
This recipe is perfect! I’ve always loved Annie’s Green Goddess dressing and this is a healthier home-made alternative that tastes just like it! Amazing!
Regarding the comments directly above… I agree that raw tahini is not the same as extracted oils, but it all comes down to the purpose for following the Esselstyn or McDougall diet. If one is following the diet to reverse heart disease, then they’d want to avoid ALL overt fats – including tahini and nut butters – but for those of us not trying to reverse heart disease, who just want to eat a whole foods plant-based diet, this is a great alternative to the bottled Green Goddess dressing.
Thank you for the recipe, Megan!
Wow! Came across this website looking for a honey dijon dressing. Everything sounds and looks so good! I am trying to eat a little healthier and to make more homemade dressings and other dishes from scratch. If this works…I’ll be back again and again and …..LOL Gail
This is delicious. I don’t, however, consider it to really be an oil-free dressing with tahini in it, but I’m not complaining! To cut some of the calories, I used half of the tahini and half applesauce and it was still delicious. I shared it with many people who loved it and it worked just as well on salad as cooked vegetables, tofu and rice. Thank you very much.
I love this recipe, I’m eating it right now with veggies at work! My boyfriend can’t eat scallions so I threw in a handful of arugula instead and it turned out just as amazing! Thank you for this healthy adaptation 🙂
Can’t thank you enough for this. Annie’s Green Goddess dressing has always been my favorite, but I had to stop using it because it’s not gluten free…well, that and I also am determined to not eat/clean with/bathe with/etc anything I don’t make myself. All this GMO stuff has me freaked and you never really know what you’re getting these days, regardless what the label says. Anyway, thanks a million, I was REALLY missing my favorite dressing 🙂
Made this last night, great as a pasta sauce! Thanks for sharing!
I’m living in Guatenala and have been craving some goddess dressing, this did the trick.
Made this two days ago – still enjoying it! It is so good. Definitely didn’t come out as creamy as the picture. Perhaps I needed to add more tahini, or blend longer. Regardless, the flavor is definitely – definitely there! My hubby wanted to bring a salad to work today because he thought it was so good! Thank you!
I am going to get the ingredients to make this tomorrow… sounds delish, and I am in need of getting more salad into my diet in these cold-weather months!
This is delicious and so easy to make! Excellent on assertive greens. I’ve been putting it on a kale and arugula mix. Thank you!
I love Green goddess dressing! I am so glad I found this site. I have attempted so many times to make raw recipes and most of the time the consistency never is right. I made the pizza and love it. Going to make the Caesar today. I was wondering if you know and vegan butter recipes? There is a vegan butter spread at whole foods I buy called zen Buddha from raw foodz. It’ looks easy to make but knowing me it won’t turn out. And it’s also $8.00…..
Dr. Fuhrman’s response to eating certain cruciferous veggies. I always fall back on the premise that if it comes from the Earth, our bodies are meant to eat it. If it’s delicious raw, then it’s meant to be eaten raw. Leave the ridiculous studies to scientists fighting for grants.
http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/cruciferous_vegetables_and_thyroid.aspx
Yumm! This is exactly what I was looking for! I will make this real soon! I am linking to your recipe on my blog too! Thanks a bunch! 🙂
WOW! This tastes like the bottled one, only better! Luckily I had all the ingredients on hand and was able to follow the recipe to a T, and now I am bookmarking it so I can be sure to make it many times more…..THANKS!!!
This is the best sauce I have ever tried. Everyone should try it! I put it on everything, and use it for dipping too! Thanks so much for this post!
This turned out DELISH! I made a 1/2 batch to try it first, and was impressed at the creamy texture without oil. I added a few Kalamata olives for additional flavour. Thanks for sharing!
I haven’t tried making this recipe yet. I was wondering if you ever tried using liquid aminos or coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce? Thanks!
I just opened a bottle of Annie’s to try and love. It, so thanks for this recipe! I haven’t had any other Green Goddess dressing before so I can’t say which I prefer, but the tahini-based one is pretty tasty.
Made this today and topped a huge salad with it…WOW!!! It is scrumptious!! This dressing is addictive!! My new favorite for sure!
Made this dressing today
Very tasty
Thank you for sharing recipe
I will be making again
Can you freeze / thaw this salad dressing?
What is the flavor profile? My kids LOVE Panera’s green goddess dressing and I was wondering if this was similar or kid friendly. How would you describe the flavor and how can I make a bit more friendly?
This tastes very fresh and herby, with a slightly tart lemon flavor. I haven’t tried Panera’s so I can’t compare, but I really love this one! You can start with just 3 tablespoons of lemon juice if you want to start with a less-tangy dressing, and you can also cut the parsley and cilantro in half (use a 1/2 cup each) if you want it to be a little less green. It’s very flexible!
This is really good. I didn’t have enough fresh parsley and cilantro so I add some dried then finished off with a handful of fresh basil. The garlic is too strong so will cut back to one clove next time. So unhappy with store bought dressings, this recipe makes me happy. Thanks
Megan this is simply delicious and perfect in every way! I have made many GG dressings over the years (decades!) and this one is just so easy and tasty! Will make this one again and again. Thanks for another great share. Xx
Hi Megan,
I use to make your oil free version all the time but can’t seem to find the recipe any longer … I believe it had 2 Tbsp Lemon 2 Tbsp ACV 1 Tsp Tamari and 1/2 cup Tahini ? would love to locate it if you can forward my way by email ? many thanks