Avocado Green Goddess Dressing (Vegan & Oil-Free)

This fresh and tangy avocado green goddess dressing is such a treat! It is easy and quick to prepare and simply made by combining plant-based yogurt, avocado, plenty of fresh herbs, garlic, lemon juice and green onion. It makes for an incredibly flavorful dairy-free creamy sauce you will want to add over anything and everything! 100% vegan and naturally gluten-free.

Welcome to your new favorite sauce! This avocado green goddess dressing is - OMG - so very delicious. 

We love cool and creamy sauces to garnish our meals, especially this vegan ranch dressing and this vegan tzatziki sauce. We often make them ahead of time to use in so many ways during a busy week, but I'm always looking for more fresh sauces that are loaded with flavor. And this avocado yogurt dressing is a perfect treat for when you need something wholesome but satisfying!

It's tangy, cool, creamy, thick and filled with fresh herby flavors. Also super easy-to-make and comes together within 10 minutes.  You can use it as a dip, salad vinaigrette, to top green buddha bowls, as a dressing for roasted vegetables, to use in sandwiches, to garnish grilled tofu and so much more! It's simply the best refreshing creamy sauce to boost so many meals with tons of amazing flavor. You will want to drizzle it on just about everything!

Plus, look at that vibrant green look, don't you want to just dig in?

And the best part is not only does it have that extra rich texture that will make you go for more, but it is made using only good-for-you ingredients! No mayo, no sour cream, no oil, no dairy. It is made instead using rich in healthy fats avocado and creamy tangy vegan yogurt. Makes for a lighter sauce you can feel good about.

It also includes lemon juice for an extra zesty flavor and also some fresh garlic and green onions to boost the flavor of the tangy yogurt. It is generously packed with tons of fresh herbs, so delicious. It is such a well-flavored and super-balanced sauce that's wholesome that will instantly brighten up your plate.

If you give it a try, let me know! ❤️

Highlights of this recipe

• Quick and easy recipe
• Filled with fresh flavors from all the herbs and lemon juice
• So versatile and there are so many ways to serve this creamy dressing
• Packed with healthy avocado and made using simple plant-based ingredients
• Great for meal-prep
• Perfect recipe to use your extra fresh herbs from the garden
• 100% vegan, dairy-free and naturally gluten-free

Origin of the Green Goddess dressing

The classic green goddess dressing was first created in the 1920' by a chef at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, California. It was made to honor the actor George Arliss after his role in the play "Green Goddess". 

Well, it seems like not only the movie was a hit, but the dressing too as it became quite famous. It was not until the 80's though that it gained most of its popularity, and became considered a health food, I assume due to its bright green color. 

Nowadays, you will find green-goddess-everything like smoothies, bowls, salads and pasta!

Making a vegan version of an avocado green goddess salad dressing 

A classic green goddess dressing is usually made using mayonnaise (or sour cream), anchovies, herbs, lemon juice and black pepper. You will find many variations to the traditional recipe with the addition of Greek yogurt or even some eggs or buttermilk. Not that vegan-friendly!

To make a vegan green goddess dressing, then we have to skip the dairy creamy base. In this case, I used a combination of vegan yogurt + avocado, which I found gave me the best final texture. The yogurt adds some tartness and a "white" creamy texture that's appetizing while the avocado keeps a rich and "fatty" consistency, even without the mayo or sour cream.

Ingredients you'll need

(See below in the recipe card for the measurements)

This recipe is highly customizable and such an amazing way to use fresh herbs that are left behind before they go bad. 

• Vegan yogurt: I used the Greek-style almond yogurt from Kite Hill, but use any vegan yogurt you like. Make sure it is unsweetened and unflavored!
• Avocado: look for fully ripe fresh avocados that are not dark or mushy once you open them up.
• Fresh parsley: I think the most important herb for this sauce, I would make sure to include and not swap this one. Use curly or flat parsley.
• Fresh cilantro (or fresh basil, dill, mint): I adore cilantro and I think it makes this sauce super fresh and flavorful. But, if you are not into cilantro, you can also use other fresh herbs (especially the leafy herbs)!
• Lemon: brings all that amazing bright flavor! 
• Fresh clove of garlic: I used one clove, which gave me the right amount of garlicky flavor for my taste, but feel free to add more. Keep it mind though that the flavor will intensify over time.
• Green onion: or chives, for a mild oniony taste.
• Nutritional yeast: optional. Although a green goddess sauce doesn't have a cheesy flavor, I found that the nutritional added a deeper flavor with hints of a dairy taste. You can omit it if you don't have it though.
• Salt: add to taste.

How to make a homemade avocado green goddess dressing

(See below in the recipe card for the full recipe)

This sauce will be ready within 10 minutes with minimal chopping as everything goes in the food processor. So, it is more of a matter of gathering the ingredients together, then a quick blend and done, super easy!

Step 1- Purée

Add the yogurt, avocado, lemon juice, garlic, salt and nutritional yeast to the food processor. Process until super smooth. 

Take a break or two to scrape the walls of your blender to ensure that the base of the creamy sauce is all combined before adding the herbs.

Step 2- Pulse

Then, add the fresh herbs and green onion and pulse until desired consistency.

You can make your dressing as smooth or as chunky as you want. I love mine where I can still see some pieces of herbs, so I usually pulse a few times, then stir with a spatula and pulse a few extra times. But, you could keep processing until smooth and all uniformly green too.

Step 3- Taste and adjust

Taste and adjust the lemon juice and salt depending on your personal preference, but also, add a few tablespoons of water for a thinner sauce.

For a dip, I usually don't add any water, but if I want to make a salad or want to drizzle a sauce over a bowl, then I'll add some. This is up to you and what you are looking for.

Step 4- And serve!

The sauce is ready to be served right away, although chilling the sauce first will intensify the flavor slightly.

Sprinkle with some chopped herbs if serving as a green goddess dip or transfer to a pourable jar so you can drizzle over bowls and noodles.

Helpful tips

• For an extra smooth sauce, then you can use your blender to make it or add the ingredients all at once in your food processor and process on high speed. Adding the herbs as a second phase allows you to pulse to hold on some texture, but that's optional.
• Be sure to use ripe avocado without any dark bitter spots for the best flavor. 
• The sauce is pretty thick as is, so don't forget to adjust the consistency by adding some water or plant milk.

What if I don't have a food processor?

You can easily use a blender to make it. A high-speed blender would work great but a regular blender is fine too. However be sure to add the herbs after all the other ingredients were blended to smooth first so you can only do a few gentle pulses.

Alternatively, you can make this even if you don't have a food processor or blender: 

• Start by mashing the avocado as smooth as you can with a fork, 
• Transfer to a bowl and add: yogurt, salt, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and crush the garlic right in the bowl. Whisk vigorously. 
• Then chop the herbs as small as you can and incorporate them into the smooth sauce, adding a few tablespoons of water to thin out the sauce as needed. 

Variations

You can play around with the herbs depending on what you already have on hand. Try to include parsley if you can, but then you can swap the cilantro for basil, mint or dill. This recipe is a fun way to use any leftover herbs! Also: 

• Tart flavor: Swap the lemon juice for apple cider vinegar to taste. It adds a fun tart flavor that pairs so well with the herbs. As a side note, you might need to adjust how much lemon juice you want to add depending on the vegan yogurt you are using. Some are naturally more tart than others, so tweak the amount as needed.
• Onion flavor: Instead of the green onion, you can use chives or even some raw white onion. Use a small amount to start with and add more as needed as it can be quite pungent.
• Spices: Also, feel free to add different spices to your sauce, like curry powder, red pepper flakes, paprika, cayenne or black pepper. 

Serving suggestions

There are so many ways you can use this sauce! Here are our favorite ways to serve it:

​

• Use it instead of mayo in sandwiches or burgers (amazing paired with this vegan chickpea burger!).
• Stir in pasta or potato salads.
• Drizzle over grain bowls, like this vegan green buddha bowl.
• Add generous dollops in tacos, like in these vegan fish tacos.
• Perfect as a dipping sauce for your favorite veggies, falafels, potato croquettes, pita bread or even crackers or tortilla chips.
• Add over pizza to freshen them up.
• Makes for an amazing salad dressing too, especially for kale salads or spring salads.

Storage tips

Avocado will turn brown after being in contact with ambient air. I did notice though that this sauce retained its beautiful green color and stayed fresh for a few days, thanks to the acidic lemon juice.

To help preserve this sauce, especially if you want to meal prep ahead, then transfer it to an airtight container, place a saran wrap over (make it touch the surface of the sauce) and keep it in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Whisk well before using.

I do not recommend freezing it as the yogurt in the sauce will change in texture after defrosting.

FAQ's

Is this sauce gluten-free? 

Yes! This sauce is naturally free from gluten.

What kind of vegan yogurt should I use? 

I tested with both coconut yogurt and almond yogurt and they both worked out well. They have a similar texture, although I find the almond yogurt slightly creamier (or less jelly-like). Also, depending on the brand, you might have to adjust how much lemon juice you want to add as they vary slightly in how tart they are. And, make sure to use plain yogurt so you don't end up with vanilla-flavored sauce!

How can I make this recipe nut-free?

Make sure to use coconut yogurt to make this sauce and it will be nut-free.

Do I have to use yogurt or can I only use avocado to make the creamy base? 

You can use 2 avocados and skip the yogurt if you want. In this case, you will definitively have to add some water to thin the sauce to your desired consistency. If you have to use too much water, then adjust the other flavoring ingredients accordingly.

Other herbed sauces you might like

• Vegan avocado ranch dressing
• Vegan mint and dill tzatziki
• Vegan creamy pesto sauce
• Herbed vegan tofu cream cheese
• Vegan Italian dressing
• Vegan walnut pesto
• Protein guacamole

I hope you enjoy this avocado green goddess dressing as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!

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