This Green Goddess Avocado Dressing is a heart-healthy, creamy dressing that transforms any salad, sandwich or bowl into something special.
This post is all about how to make my Green Goddess Avocado Dressing.
I must admit, as an Irish gal, I’d never even heard of a Green Goddess dressing for the first 30 years of my life! But this American classic has been popping up all over social media this year, and I can completely see why—it’s delicious. The moment I tried it, I knew I had to create my own healthier version to share with you.
In my recipe, I’ve swapped out the traditional mayonnaise for heart-friendly avocado and Greek yogurt. I now make this dressing pretty frequently and use it most often as a dressing to jazz up salads, or a spread for sandwiches.
It's extremely versatile and goes great on almost everything from Guinness brown bread to summer salads. I hope you love and enjoy it as much as I do 💚
Jump to:
- Why This Dietitian Loves This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Step by Step Instructions
- Substitutions & Variations
- Equipment
- How to Serve
- Additional Tips for Making This Recipe Successfully
- Storage
- Dietitian Tip
- FAQS
- More Recipes You'll Love
- Want to Learn About Nutrition?
- 📖 The Recipe
- Green Goddess Dressing with Avocado
- 💬 Comments
Why This Dietitian Loves This Recipe
It’s packed with healthy fats from the avocado and olive oil, - so important for our hormonal health.
The fresh herbs and lemon add tons of flavour. Fun fact: smell is a massive part of how we taste food, and herbs are fantastic for enhancing this experience. It’s like giving your taste buds a little party with every bite!
If you have unused herbs lying around the kitchen this is the perfect recipe to use them - I'm all about reducing food waste!
Key Ingredients
Below are some ingredient notes. For the exact ingredient measurements and the full recipe, be sure to check the printable recipe card at the bottom.
Avocados: Pick ripe avocados—give them a gentle squeeze to check for ripeness. You want them to be soft but not mushy.
Greek Yogurt or Skyr (Icelandic Yogurt) are both perfect for adding some extra creaminess, protein and probiotics to help support gut health. You can use regular yogurt if the texture of Greek Yogurt bothers you. For a dairy-free version, swap the Greek yogurt for a plant-based yogurt or use more avocado for creaminess.
Olive Oil: Go for extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor and health benefits. It’s best stored in a dark or opaque bottle, as this helps protect the oil from light, which can degrade its flavor and nutrients over time.
Lemon: Fresh lemon juice adds a tangy, bright flavour that brings everything together!
Herbs: Fresh herbs like basil, parsley, cilantro, dill, mint and chives will bring the freshest flavours to the dressing. If you can’t find fresh herbs, dried herbs work too, but use less since dried herbs are more concentrated. Play around with different herbs each time you make this to find what you like the most.
Baby spinach: I'm always trying to sneak in some extra greens.
Shallot: For a sweet flavour, use shallots instead of onions.
Garlic: Freshly pressed garlic is always best for the most flavour. However, pre-minced garlic or garlic powder will work if you are in a hurry.
Pistachios: Optional but they provide even more creaminess and texture. I got the idea to add pistachios to this dressing from my feta and pistachio dip which is one of the most popular recipes on my blog.
Salt and Pepper: to tie all the flavours together.
Water: a little water is optional to thin it out to your desired consistency.
Step by Step Instructions
Below are the instructions for making this Green Goddess Avocado Dressing with some visuals that I hope are helpful! Don't forget to check out the recipe card at the bottom for the full recipe.
Step 1: Blend the base: In a blender or food processor, combine the avocado, Greek yogurt (or dairy-free yogurt), olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, shallot, pistachios (if using), and salt. Blend until smooth.
Step 3: Adjust consistency: If you want to use it as a salad dressing, make it a little thinner by adding a tablespoon or two of cold water. If you will use it as a thicker dip or sandwich spread, there is no need to thin it out!
Step 2: Add the herbs and greens: Add the fresh herbs (basil, parsley, dill, mint, cilantro, or chives) and baby spinach. Blend again until everything is fully combined.
Step 4: Season: Taste the dressing and season with salt and pepper. If you’d like more tang, adjust the lemon juice as needed.
Substitutions & Variations
The best thing about homemade salad dressings is how customizable they can be! You can easily adjust the flavours to suit what your craving. Here are a few ideas to make it your own:
Spicy: Add a kick with crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or a dash of hot sauce. It’ll bring some heat and extra flavor to your dressing!
Savoury: For an elevated flavour profile, try adding green onions, red onion, or a small spoonful of anchovy paste (if you're not vegan).
Vegan Green Goddess: To make this dressing vegan, simply swap the Greek yogurt with plain vegan yogurt, or add more avocado or cashews for a creamy, dairy-free alternative.
To make it gluten-free: This recipe is naturally gluten-free, so no adjustments are needed if that's important for you.
To make nut-free: Omit the pistachios.
Equipment
To make this Green Goddess Avocado Dressing, you can use a food processor or a high-speed blender. I have a Ninja Foodi, and I love it.
To make life easier for yourself, you can also use a food chopper, but this is optional.
How to Serve
On salads: It goes great with crunchy romaine lettuce, other chopped salads, or kale salads.
As a spread on a hearty sandwich for lunch, this is my favourite way to enjoy this recipe with the addition of some fresh mozzarella and sliced cucumber.
In a Nourish Bowl: Add brown rice, roasted sweet potato or quinoa, leafy greens, pickled red onion or shallot, cucumber, green goddess dressing, and your favorite protein to a big bowl and tuck in! .
With tacos or wraps: Use it as a sauce for tacos or wraps for a creamy addition.
With grilled meats: This dressing is a great complement to grilled chicken, shrimp, or fish.
Pasta Salad- use Green Goddess Avocado dressing in a pasta salad.
Additional Tips for Making This Recipe Successfully
- Taste as you go! If you like a tangier dressing, add more lemon juice or a splash of apple cider vinegar.
- If you want a little kick, throw in a pinch of cayenne pepper or a dash of hot sauce.
- Use fresh garlic for the best flavor—garlic powder can work in a pinch, but fresh garlic adds that extra punch!
Storage
This dressing stores well in the fridge for up to 4–5 days, but I suggest storing it in an airtight container to keep it fresh. If the dressing thickens up too much after sitting in the fridge, just give it a quick stir or add a little more water to loosen it up.
Dietitian Tip
You can ripen an avocado more quickly if you store it in a paper bag with bananas!
Did you know that avocados are a great source of fiber? Along with healthy fats, they help keep you satisfied and support digestive health. Avocados are also packed with potassium, which helps keep your heart and muscles functioning well. So this dressing isn’t just tasty—it’s full of nutrients that support your overall health!
FAQS
Absolutely, and I highly recommend experimenting! Play around with different herbs until you find a combination you love. Basil, parsley, dill, cilantro, chives, or mint all work wonderfully. Feel free to mix and match based on your taste preferences or use up what’s on hand—or what’s about to go off in your kitchen—to avoid food waste.
Traditional Green Goddess dressing is typically made with mayonnaise, which is high in saturated fat. In this version, we use avocado and yogurt for creaminess, providing more heart-healthy fats. This dressing is also packed with fiber, and vitamins from the avocado, yogurt, spinach, and fresh herbs. Plus, it’s free from added sugars and highly processed ingredients.
You can still make this dressing! Use a fork to mash the avocado and finely chop the other ingredients. It will be a bit chunkier but still delicious.
Not really. The texture of avocado doesn’t hold up well in the freezer and can become grainy when thawed. It’s best to enjoy this dressing fresh.
More Recipes You'll Love
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Want to Learn About Nutrition?
Here are some nutrition education articles from a dietitian! And if you have any questions, feel free to reach out - I'm here to help.
📖 The Recipe
Green Goddess Dressing with Avocado
Equipment
- 1 food processor or blender
- 1 vegetable chopper optional
Ingredients
- 1 medium ripe avocado
- 200 g Greek yogurt or dairy-free yogurt for a dairy-free version
- 30 mls extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp
- 45 mls lemon juice the juice of 1 lemon
- 1 banana shallot diced
- 2 small cloves of garlic minced
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 2 cups fresh herbs roughly chopped *see note below
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt plus more to taste (& some black pepper to taste too!)
- ¼ cup chopped pistachios 45g optional
- Water to thin, if needed
Instructions
- Blend the base: In a blender or food processor, combine the avocado, Greek yogurt (or dairy-free yogurt), olive oil, lemon juice, shallot, garlic, pistachios (if using), and salt. Blend until smooth.
- Add the herbs and greens: Add the fresh herbs (basil, parsley, dill, mint, cilantro, or chives) and baby spinach. Blend again until everything is fully combined.
- Adjust consistency: If you want to use it as a salad dressing, make it a little thinner by adding a tablespoon or two of cold water. If you will use it as a thicker dip or sandwich spread, there is no need to thin it out!
- Season: Taste the dressing and season with salt and pepper. If you’d like more tang, adjust the lemon juice as needed.
- Serve: Drizzle over salads, pasta, or even use it as a spread for sandwiches and wraps. Enjoy!
Notes
Storage: This dressing keeps well in an airtight container, like a mason jar in the fridge for 4–5 days. If it thickens up too much while chilling, give it a quick stir or mix in a little water or olive oil to bring it back to your desired consistency. Since this dressing contains avocado, it may brown slightly when exposed to air. The lemon juice in the recipe should help keep it fresh, but if you'd like to take extra steps to prevent browning, try one of these tips:
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- Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the dressing before sealing the container to minimize air exposure.
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- Add an extra squeeze of lemon juice over the top of the dressing once it’s in the container for an additional barrier against browning.
Nutrition:
- For a dairy-free or vegan version, swap the Greek yogurt for a plant-based yogurt or use more avocado or cashews for creaminess.
- For a nut-free version, omit the pistachios.
- From a nutritional perspective, this is a highly nutrient-dense dressing. While "healthy" can mean different things to different people, this recipe stands out for its heart-health benefits thanks to the combination of healthy fats and fiber—and it contains no added sugar.
- I’ve included an estimated nutrition breakdown for this recipe below. Remember, though, that a recipe is much more than its nutritional content, and these numbers shouldn't solely dictate your food choices.
- For the purpose of the nutrition analysis I omitted the pistachios as these are optional.
Sean says
I had this is a sandwich with mozzarela and it was really delicious, much better than mayonnaise, both taste wise and for my cholesterol. Thank you.