Name: Kefir green goddess dressing
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 120–180 ml plain milk kefir (Unsweetened. Start with 120 ml; reserve up to 60 ml to thin the sauce.); 1 avocado (Small and ripe.); 2 tbsp lemon juice (Freshly squeezed.); 1 spring onion (White and pale green parts only.); 15 g fresh parsley leaves (About a large handful.); 15 g fresh coriander leaves (About a large handful.); 1 small garlic clove; 1 pinch salt

By Nik, founder of 東歐嚴選｜kefir.link and former chef · Updated 2 November 2026

Green goddess is a pale-green dressing of garlic and fresh herbs, first made in a San Francisco hotel kitchen in 1923. This version swaps the classic mayonnaise for ripe avocado and plain milk kefir. The avocado makes it creamy, the lemon brings acidity, and the kefir adds a mild, yogurt-like tang that feels lighter than mayonnaise.

Prep time10 min

Total time10 min

Makes4 servings

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A dressing named after a stage play

The hotel's head chef is said to have created the dressing in 1923 for an actor who was staying there while starring in a play called The Green Goddess. The original was heavy on mayonnaise and was served over a canned artichoke, which was a luxury at the time. Today the hotel's signature salad pairs crab with shaved zucchini and greens, with the dressing on the side.

Classic versions blend mayonnaise and sour cream with chives, tarragon, anchovy, lemon juice and pepper, and the dressing is often described as a variation on an older French green sauce. Later cooks added avocado or basil, and a bottled version reached shops in the early 1970s.

Dip or dressing: the kefir decides

With only a little kefir, the sauce stays thick enough to scoop up with raw vegetables or whole-grain crackers. More kefir loosens it into a pourable salad dressing. Keep the strong flavours in proportion: a small garlic clove keeps the balance, and too much of a single herb, such as dill, can drown out all the others. Pull off any tough stems before the herbs go into the blender, and toss salad leaves in the dressing just before eating, because dressed greens soften as they sit.

Potatoes, chicken and other partners

Spoon it over crisp lettuce, rocket, radishes, small cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. For a warm plate, pour it over roast or baked potatoes, serve it beside grilled chicken, or let its tang lift earthy roasted radishes. It also makes a good spread for sandwiches and wraps, and it can be tossed through cold pasta. For a different herb mix, try basil, chives and parsley, or blend in a few anchovy fillets for the savoury depth of the original.