Napa Farmhouse 1885™: Avocado Green Goddess Dressing

When I was growing up my Mom always ordered Thousand Island dressing when we ate out in restaurants. My Dad usually had Italian and my sisters and I chose Ranch or Blue Cheese. Once in a while we would opt for the exotic sounding Green Goddess dressing.

I had a long talk with my Mom today...we always discuss what we are planning to cook during the week ahead. She mentioned she was making a large salad with her favorite Thousand Island dressing for dinner.
That got me thinking about the aforementioned Green Goddess dressing which is traditionally made with mayonnaise, sour cream, anchovy, tons of herbs (hence the "green" in the name) and lemon juice.
According to Wikipedia:

"The most accepted theory regarding its origins points to the Palace Hotel in San Francisco in 1923, when the hotel's executive chef Philip Roemer wanted something to pay tribute to actor George Arliss and his hit play, The Green Goddess. He then concocted this dressing, which, like the play, became a hit. This dressing is a variation of a dressing originated in France by a Chef to Louis XIII who made a Sauce Au Vert (Green Sauce) which was traditionally served with "Green Eel" "

I have a ton of herbs growing in pots in my yard and decided to experiment with a riff on the classic. I substituted avocados for the sour cream, used lime instead of lemon and, to keep it vegetarian, swapped dark soy sauce for the anchovy. The result...a creamy, herb infused, delicious dressing perfect for salad, steamed vegetables or used as a dip. I had equal numbers of vegetarians and carnivores for dinner so...for the meat lovers...I made a salad of crisp greens, super sweet cherry tomatoes and bacon tossed with the dressing. For the veggies in the group, red onion slices were used in place of the bacon. Yum! This will go in the permanent rotation for salad dressings.

Avocado Green Goddess Dressing
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 small avocados, pitted and cubed
1/2 cup mayonnaise (or veganaise to keep it vegan)
1/2 cup avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
3 green onions, white and green parts
1/2 cup italian parsley, rough chop
1/4 cup fresh dill, rough chop
1/2 cup fresh basil, rough chop
1/4 cup chives, rough chop
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp dark soy sauce
1/8 cup water
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor. Pulse to combine and liquefy. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Add additional water if dressing is too thick. It should be pourable.

Toss into salad, pour over steamed vegetables or use as a dip with tortilla chips, crackers and fresh vegetables.

Click Here for Printer Friendly Recipe

Other avocado recipes you may enjoy:
open face cucumber & avocado sandwiches
guacamole
roasted beet salad with meyer lemon marmalade vinaigrette