Green Goddess Dressing

What comes to mind when you say...Green Goddess Dressing? I envision a beautiful fairy with green hair that is queen of the forest; she takes care of all her fairy folk and forest friends. They feast on vegetables and greens from the forest and nearby pastures, and put a special kind of concoction on their salad that is delicious. Because they all admire the queen of the forest, they have named the dressing...drum roll please...

Green Goddess Dressing! So, what's the real story behind the name? The most popular theory is Chef Philip Roemer who worked for the Palace Hotel in San Francisco in 1923 wanted to honor his favorite actor George Arliss and his hit play The Green Goddess. Roemer created this dressing and it became a favorite among the hotel's guests. Apparently, it is a variation of a french sauce called Sauce Au Vert (Green Sauce) that originally was served to Louis XIII by his chef. 

  

Traditionally it is made with mayonnaise, sour cream, chives, anchovy, tarragon, lemon juice, and pepper. My variation is a little healthier. I've replaces the sour cream with low-fat plain yogurt and use low-fat mayonnaise. Also, there is a sprinkle of dill instead of tarragon, mostly because tarragon is not something we have in our pantry and I prefer the taste of dill. 

Feel free to use this dressing lot's of different ways. I used it on a brown rice salad that has chopped up raw kale, spinach, cucumber, and snap peas. I will have to disagree with Kermit the Frog...I think it's easy being green! :)

It would also pair nicely with these Homemade Chicken Nuggets, or dunk your favorite veggies as a dip. Get creative! 

Enjoy! 

**This recipe has been adapted from Ina Garten. See the original recipe HERE.

 

Dressing Recipe
 Makes:6-8 (2 TB) servings Prep: 10 minutes  Cooking Time: 0 minutes


(Printable Recipe)

1/4 cup low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise

1/4 cup green-onion, chopped, only use green part
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 TB lemon juice (half a lemon)
1/2-1 tsp anchovy paste1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4-1/2 tsp dried dill

1. Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Use immediately, or refrigerate up to two weeks. 

2. Serve over your favorite salad or use as a vegetable dip.

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Who likes to change it up?

~Use low-fat sour cream instead of yogurt.

~Add a couple drops of green food coloring and use as a St. Patrick's day dip.
~Chop up spinach instead of basil.
~Instead of dill, try other green herbs like dried basil, oregano, thyme, tarragon, or sage. 

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