An Avocado Dressing Recipe Perfect for Pasta, Fish, Veggies, and More

Green Goddess dressing, which has a long and storied history, is traditionally green because of spinach and herbs, and made creamy with egg yolks and vegetable oil. Though the original is delicious, we decided to give it a modern makeover, and transform it into an extra-healthy treat by including that super-trendy fruit of the moment: avocado.

Use this tangy mixture as a dip for vegetables, drizzle it on grilled or poached fish, fold it into pasta salad, or thin it with a spoonful or two of water and toss salad greens in it. No matter what you do with it, everyone will say you're the goddess.

Avo-Goddess Dressing

Yield: About 2½ cups

1 Tbsp. plus ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbsp.)

1 tinned anchovy, chopped

1 large ripe avocado (about 10 oz.), halved, pitted, flesh scooped out

½ English cucumber (about 7 oz.), chopped

½ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves (about .4 oz.)

¼ cup fresh tarragon leaves (about .25 oz.)

2 Tbsp. snipped fresh chives

¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Place 1 Tbsp. oil, garlic, and anchovy in a cold skillet and turn on medium-low heat. When the mixture begins to sizzle, stir and let cook 30 seconds longer. Scrape mixture into a high-speed blender.
2. Add remaining oil, avocado, cucumber, herbs, and lemon juice to blender. Blend until smooth. Taste and season with plenty of salt and pepper. Thin with a little water, if desired. Use right away, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Beth Lipton