This healthy homemade Green Goddess salad dressing made with yogurt, fresh herbs, and garlic is bright and full of flavor. You'll want to use it on salads, as a dip for crunchy veggies, and even as a marinade for chicken or pork.
We're back with more DIY salad dressings! And why not? So easy, so delicious, so versatile, there is nothing to not love about making your own dressings that are free of preservatives, tons of sodium, and extra fat.
I was inspired to make this Green Goddess Dressing because one of my very favorite delis here in town makes one that's so good, I started to notice that I wanted to go there just about every day mostly for the dressing. So yeah, I was ordering a salad just so I had something to put the dressing on. Because ordering straight dressing would be a little much, right?
But if I learned to make my own Green Goddess dressing, then I could feel free to indulge in it as often as I wanted, in the privacy of my own home, without judgment. Plus, in making my own dressing, I can lighten it up by using Greek yogurt instead of a heavier cream or mayo, and I eliminate using olive oil all together. Even though olive oil contains heart-healthy fat, it just isn't necessary in this recipe. And I say if you don't need it, why add it?
How do you make Green Goddess Dressing?
Making this dressing just couldn't be any easier!
Simply add the garlic, lemon juice, yogurt, herbs, chives, salt, and pepper and blend all together in a food processor blender. Add a little water if yours seems too thick (a tablespoon at a time will do). And that's it! Green Goddess dressing for days!
How do you store Green Goddess Salad Dressing?
You can store this dressing in the fridge for up to one week. I do not recommend freezing it.
Top 15 Healthy Salad Toppings
In no particular order, these are my top 15 healthiest, easy-to-find ingredients that I like to add to my salad greens, plus, they also go great with this dressing, of course!
- Nuts or seeds: Slivered almonds, chopped walnuts, pumpkin seeds, just a tablespoon or two will do!
- Tomatoes: Pile as much of those babies on as you like!
- Bell peppers: Any color peppers will add a lovely crunch and sweetness to any salad.
- Carrots: Dice them yourself or buy pre-shredded.
- Celery: I love the crunch of little dices of celery sprinkled throughout my salads.
- Onions: I prefer red on salad, but any onion will work, even shallots or green onions add a nice tang and bite to salads.
- Cucumbers: Cukes are an easy-to-find veggie that keeps well and is fun to cut in circles, sticks, or diced. Peel on or peel off, whichever you prefer.
- Snow peas: Snow peas make a great addition to any salad.
- Sugar snap peas: These little crunchy pods are a nutritional delight.
- Chickpeas or beans: Add some protein in the form of some drained, rinsed, canned chickpeas or other beans.
- Cabbage: Sliced thinly, cabbage adds a nice crunch and color to an otherwise boring salad.
- Fresh fruit: Matchstick slice some apples, toss in some berries ,or add clementine or orange sections to your next salad.
- Quinoa: Add a bit of a cooked whole grain like quinoa or barley for some savory flavor and fiber.
- Herbs: Use your scissors to add snips of fresh parsley, basil, dill, chives (you name it) right on top of your dressed salad for garnish, taste, and nutrition.
- Hard-boiled eggs: Looking for a quick dinner? Look no further than a filling salad topped with a chopped hard-boiled egg or two, plus this dressing of course!
Tips for Using Green Goddess
Of course, the most obvious use for Green Goddess Dressing is as a dressing for salads, but I also use it for several other things as well.
- Keep your dressing on the thick side and use it as a dip for cut-up veggies.
- Marinade shrimp in this dressing for a lovely garlicky, herby taste.
- As a condiment on veggie wraps or quesadillas.
- As a topping in soups. Add a spoonful to creamy soups like squash, potato, or even broccoli and swirl for a lovely, pesto-like taste.
- Speaking of toppings, I also like to add this dressing to baked potatoes and use it as a dip for roasted potatoes.
So what do you say? Will you be using Green Goddess Dressing on all the things like I do now?