Treat yourself to this scrumptious Green Goddess Dip! This crowd-pleasing appetizer is easy to make, loaded with fresh herbs, and so delicious ... the perfect snack with chips or veggies!
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Ginnie's Take
I love cooking with fresh herbs ... they add so much flavor to any dish. I always seem to have leftovers though, and this mouthwatering Green Goddess Dip is one of my favorite way to use them up! This delightful dip is perfect for spring and summer, or anytime you're craving bright, fresh, herby flavors, and it pairs perfectly with your fave chips and veggies for dipping.
Why You'll Love the Recipe
- Fresh Flavor - This tasty dip has a wonderful light, herbaceous flavor and creamy texture. It's impossible to resist!
- Easy to Make - The recipe takes minutes to make in your food processor (or blender). You can even make it in advance.
- Perfect for Using Up Leftover Herbs - Love cooking with fresh herbs, but always seem to have leftovers? This recipe is the ideal way to use them up, and you can easily switch up the ingredients depending on what's in your fridge!
- Versatile - This fresh tasting recipe makes an amazing chip dip or veggie dip, but don't stop there. Your can also toss it with salad greens, drizzle it over a grain bowl, using it as a dipping sauce for fries, or serve it as a sauce on everything from pizza to roasted veggies.
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Ingredients
This flavor-packed recipe was inspired by the classic dressing! It uses fresh ingredients you can find in any store:
- Creamy Base - Green Goddess traditionally starts with mayonnaise. For this recipe, you'll pair tangy mayo with sour cream to create a flavorful base with the perfect dipping texture.
- Herbs - An abundance of fresh herbs gives this recipe its distinctive green color. You'll need about two cups total, and parsley, chives, and tarragon are traditional. I recommend using one cup flat leaf / Italian parsley, plus another mixed cup of your choice (any combo of tender herbs). I used parsley, basil, dill, chives, and tarragon this time, but dill, mint, and cilantro also work well.
- Capers - While the classic recipe calls for anchovies, this vegetarian friendly version is made with non-pareil capers instead. The capers give the dip an underlying note of briny, umami flavor that's so delicious. Green olives would be a good substitute if you can't find capers.
- Garlic - A clove of fresh garlic adds tons of zesty flavor.
- Lemon - Fresh lemon juice and zest help to brighten the taste of this rich, creamy dip.
- Salt + Pepper - A little salt and pepper makes all the other flavors pop.
This recipe is naturally vegetarian, nut free, and gluten free (always double check labels if you have an allergy). You can easily make it vegan / dairy free by using plant based mayo and sour cream / yogurt.
You'll Also Need
You'll need a food processor (or high speed blender) to mix the ingredients together. A microplane zester (one of my fave kitchen tools!) and juicer (I have this classic glass version) will also come in handy for prepping the lemon.
How to Make Green Goddess Dip
This yummy dip couldn't be easier to make! You'll find a detailed recipe card below, but here's a quick overview of the steps:
- Mince garlic. Pulse the garlic in your food processor until it is finely minced.
- Blend in herbs + capers. Add the fresh herbs and capers, then pulse until roughly chopped.
- Mix in remaining ingredients. Next, you'll blend in the mayo, sour cream, lemon zest and juice, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth, then season to taste. Tip: The longer you blend, the more uniform the color and texture will become.
- Chill. For best results, refrigerate the dip for at least an hour before serving. This allows the flavors to blend and the dip to thicken. Tip: Feel free to make the recipe a day ahead if you're planning a party!
All right, time to enjoy your homemade Green Goddess Dip! Wasn't that simple to make? And just wait until you taste it ... yum!
Variations
This easy appetizer is fun to easy to customize! Here are a few ideas to try:
- Yogurt - Swap out the sour cream and / or the mayo for Greek yogurt.
- Cream Cheese - For a thicker, richer dip, replace the sour cream with cream cheese.
- Herbs - You can easily change up this recipe's flavor profile by experimenting with different herb combinations. Tender herbs, such as parsley, basil, dill, mint, cilantro, chives, and tarragon, will work best. Avoid overpowering or tough herbs, like oregano, thyme, and rosemary.
- Scallions - To add a little bite, add some green onions.
- Feta - Give your homemade dip extra flavor by blending in a chunk of tangy feta cheese.
- Olives - Don't have capers? Try using green olives instead.
- Avocado - Make your dip extra fresh and green by blending in an avocado in place of the sour cream or mayo. Tip: This would also make a great vegan substitute!
- Vegan + Dairy Free - For a vegan / dairy free version, simply use your favorite plant based mayonnaise (this vegan mayo is my fave) and sour cream (or yogurt).
Serving Suggestions
Serve this Green Goddess Dressing Dip with your favorite veggies (like grape tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, radishes, and carrots), plus some crunchy potato chips, homemade pita chips, or crostini, and you have a party!
But don't stop there ... this recipe is super versatile! Try one of these easy ideas, too:
- Salad Dressing - Toss with tender greens for a salad no one at your table will be able to resist. Try it paired with my simple Green Salad or Garden Salad. Tip: If it's too thick, simply thin it with a little extra lemon juice or water. Then re-season with salt and pepper, if needed.
- Dipping Sauce - Serve alongside roasted potatoes, fries, tots, and more. It would make a delish dipper for these Old Bay Potato Wedges or these Roasted Sweet Potato Fries!
- Potato Salad - Toss with cooked potatoes for mouthwatering herby green potato salad.
- Sauce - Drizzle this flavorful sauce over grain bowls (like this Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl), homemade pizza (such as this Hummus Pizza or this White Ricotta Pizza), steamed or Roasted Vegetables, and more.
- Pasta Salad - Mix with veggies and pasta for an irresistible green pasta salad. It would be super tasty in this easy 4 Ingredient Pasta Salad.
Storage
Store any leftover dip in an airtight container in your refrigerator, where it will stay fresh for three to four days.
Related Recipes
Looking for more unique dip ideas? Try one of these recipes next:
- This Pink Pineapple Salsa has a vibrant rosy color and a lovely sweet-spicy flavor you'll love!
- Have lots of leftover cheese? Use it to make Fromage Fort, a homemade cheese spread.
- Beau Monde Dip is an old school classic that will quickly become a favorite!
- This yummy Whipped Goat Cheese recipe is another tasty dip that's ready in minutes.
- Looking for more herb-packed recipes? You'll love this Herb Cream Cheese Dip, too.
- Make this Lemon Artichoke Spread for your next party, then watch it disappear!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Green Goddess Dressing was invented in 1923 by Phillip Roemer, the executive chef at San Francisco's Palace Hotel. He created the dressing as a tribute to actor George Arliss who stayed at the hotel while starring in the hit play, The Green Goddess. Over the years, the popularity of this 100-year old dressing has waxed and waned, but it seems to be everywhere recently. You can find the Palace Hotel's updated recipe and read more about the dressing's history here.
Green Goddess Dressing is traditionally made with mayonnaise, anchovies, parsley, chives, tarragon, and vinegar, although countless versions of the recipe can be found, and each one is a bit different. This version replaces the anchovies with capers to make the recipe vegetarian-friendly.
Because fresh herbs are the dressing's signature ingredient, I don't recommend replacing them dried herbs. The dip won't have the right texture, and you'll lose all the fresh flavor.
Green Goddess Dip
Ingredients
- 1 large clove garlic
- 1 cup flat leaf parsley (leaves only)
- 1 cup mixed fresh herbs (such as chives, tarragon, basil, dill, mint, or cilantro)
- ½ tablespoon capers (1 ½ teaspoons)
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Equipment
- Food Processor (or High Speed Blender)
Instructions
- Pulse garlic in good processor until minced.
- Add parsley, other herbs, and capers to garlic. Pulse until roughly chopped.
- Add mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Blend until well combined and smooth, scraping down sides of food processor as needed. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
- Chill dip for at least one hour before serving.
- Serve with your favorite veggies and chips for dipping. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
