By Justine Sterling |
What is green goddess dressing? After tasting all of the bottled green goddess dressings I could find, I’m even less sure than I was before. Usually, green goddess salad dressing is made with mayo, sour cream, herbs (like tarragon and chives), anchovy, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. That sounds pretty good. Ideally, the best green goddess dressing would taste like all of those ingredients because that mix sounds great. But I can’t say any of the dressings I tried really tasted like that. That said, a few of them were pretty good and one of them is now in regular rotation in my home.
It seems like the dressing industry has decided that green goddess is what you make of it. You can’t just go buy whatever bottle of green goddess dressing and expect it to taste like all the rest. The green goddess dressings I tried ranged from sweet and tangy to ultra savory to seriously herby. So, what I’m saying is, if you’re in the market for the best store bought green goddess dressing, you need to read this list. It’s not for me. It’s not for the good of the site. It’s for you and your salads. Make sure you find the best green goddess dressing to buy for you.
- Gotham Greens Vegan Goddess
You read that superlative right—this is not Green Goddess dressing. It’s pesto. I don’t care what it says on the bottle. Sold refrigerated, it’s extremely green—like, forest green. And it’s very, very thick and chunky. Because it’s vegan, it doesn’t contain any mayo or sour cream or even yogurt. Instead, the ingredients list sunflower oil, basil, scallions, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, black pepper, and a few other binders. It’s pesto. But, here’s the thing, it’s really good pesto! Don’t put this on your lettuce salad. Do put this on your pasta salad or use it as a dip or a spread for a sandwich. It’s absolutely not the best green goddess dressing but it’s one of the best pestos.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Annie’s Green Goddess
Annie’s Green Goddess leans heavily into tarragon, blending it with creamy, tangy buttermilk. This is definitely not a dip. It’s a dressing. It’s much thinner than some of the other green goddess dressings, which makes it great for tossing with greens and other raw vegetables. While it’s not technically green (it’s more of a warm off white), it is the herbiest of the bunch making it the best green goddess dressing for you if “green” means “herb.” (The garden type, not the 420 type.)
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Bolthouse Farms Avocado Green Goddess
This yogurt-based green goddess dressing is, again, not very green, but it’s thoroughly flecked with herbs and pepper. It’s a bit sweet thanks to a fruit juice blend and white grape juice concentrate in the mix. While this wasn’t my personal pick, it has its place on this list because some people (including my colleagues) like their salad dressings to be on the sweeter side. It would be the best green goddess dressing for a take on a Waldorf salad with grapes and walnuts.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Trader Joe’s Goddess Dressing
I love this dressing. Made with a sesame-tahini base, it’s extremely savory. It reminds me of the healthy, hippie salads of my youth, complete with sprouts and shredded carrots. It is exactly the level of savory, umami, salty flavor that I want from a dressing. But it’s just not herby enough to be the number one best bottled green goddess dressing. It is, on the other hand, my current go-to dressing.
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- 365 Organic Green Goddess
It’s creamy. It’s slightly tangy. It’s heavy on the herbs (you can see them in every glug of the dressing). It’s even kinda green. It really tastes the way green goddess dressing should taste. Whole Foods makes the best green goddess dressing to buy (find it in the refrigerated aisle). Eat it on a simple salad with lettuce or throw in some tuna or even pour it onto a taco salad. Seriously, it’s made with avocado and it almost has a tomatillo-esque flavor.
Credit: Merc / Amazon
Best Pesto
Rating:
6.5/10
Sporks
Best Herbaceous
Rating:
7.5/10
Sporks
Best Sweet
Rating:
8/10
Sporks
Best Savory
Rating:
9/10
Sporks
Best of the Best
Rating:
9/10
Sporks
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About the Author
Justine Sterling
Justine Sterling is the editor-in-chief of Sporked. She has been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and is an avid at-home cook and snacker. Don’t worry, she’s not a food snob. Sure, she loves a fresh-shucked oyster. But she also will leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and loves a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients.
