Green Goddess Bibb Salad – creamy herbal Green Goddess dressing, made from scratch, perfectly complements soft buttery Bibb lettuce.
Green Goddess Bibb Salad
By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime
Once again it is time for Sunday Supper and this week the bloggers, including myself, are posting recipes for Healthy Green St. Patrick’s Day recipes. One of the things that makes me think of early Spring Irish recipes is the availability of herbs, and lettuces are one of the first veggies to grow. So having a Bibb salad with homemade Green Goddess dressing, even though it is not authentically Irish (or even remotely) still seems just perfect to me.
You might think that Green Goddess dressing is some hair-brained idea that hippies in the 1960’s dreamed up while living in some California commune, growing their own vegetables and herbs, since this type of dressing had a peak of popularity then. But in fact, the dressing was created by the chef of The Palace Hotel (in San Francisco) during the early part of the 20th century as an homage to actor George Arliss and his play, the Green Goddess, which was also later made into a movie in 1930.
The dressing itself is actually quite easy to make in a food processor, and the extra dressing, stored in a small canning jar, keeps for about a week, refrigerated. It makes a great side to any dinner, and if you add something like grilled chicken or grilled salmon, it would also make a wonderful healthy dinner salad.
I like making dressings from scratch rather than buying bottled dressings full of preservatives or other things I don’t use myself. I did pick up the herbs fresh from the market, but later in Spring, when my plant stands are covered with garden herbs, making something like this is always such fun, especially when I have grown the herbs myself. Do you grow any herbs at home? How do you use your herb bounty in summertime? Let me know in the comments.
Green Goddess Bibb Salad

Yield: 1-1/2 cups dressing
Ingredients:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped scallions
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
- 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Bibb Salad:
- Bibb or Boston lettuce, torn by hand
- Toppings: avocado, hard-cooked egg, sliced tomato, croutons, black pepper
Method:
- Puree dressing ingredients in food processor until smooth.
- Store in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to one week.
- Toss dressing lightly with salad- do not over apply.
- Serve salad with toppings of choice: I like sliced avocado, hard-cooked egg, tomatoes and croutons.
From the kitchen of palatablepastime.com

Sunday Supper
Healthy Green Recipes for St. Patrick’s Day
Best Breakfasts
- Get Your Greens Smoothie by Hardly A Goddess
- Green Breakfast Omelet Bites by Momma’s Meals
- Green Eggs and Ham by Feeding Big
- Green Scrambled Eggs with Ham by Cricket’s Confections
- Kuku Sabzi – Persian Herb Frittata by Caroline’s Cooking
- Southwest Breakfast Spinach Wrap by The Freshman Cook
- Super Green Smoothie by Simple and Savory
Must Make Main Dishes
- Gambian Spinach with Peanut Sauce by Tara’s Multicultural Table
- Pan Roasted Cod on Spinach Basil Risotto with Lemon Butter Sauce by Positively Stacey
- Poached Cod with Pesto Wine Sauce by Life Tastes Good
- Potato Leek Skillet Pizza by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Skinny Reuben Wraps with Homemade 1000 Island Dressing by For the Love of Food
- Tequila Chicken Salad by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
Scrumptious Salads
- Brussels Sprout and Kale Salad by Pies and Plots
- Green Goddess Bibb Salad by Palatable Pastime
- Pixie Dust Salad with Avocados, Pixie Tangerines and Radishes by Shockingly Delicious
- Quinoa Tabbouleh by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Sesame Wedge Salad with Key Lime Vinaigrette & Pickled Green Tomatoes by Gourmet Everyday
- Shades of Green Salad by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Zucchini Carpaccio Salad by The Bitter Side of Sweet
Stunning Sides
- Colcannon by Wholistic Woman
- Green Goddess Dip by From the Bookshelf
- Grilled Cabbage with Spicy Lime Dressing by Sew You Think You Can Cook
- Irish Cabbage by Turnips 2 Tangerines
- Miso Roasted Broccoli by Life Currents
- Pistachio Parmesan Oven Fries by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts by Books n’ Cooks
- Soy Glazed Sugar Snap Peas by Food Lust People Love
- Spinach Tots by A Mind “Full” Mom
- Warm Brussels Sprout Slaw by Jersey Girl Cooks
Dreamy Desserts
- Matcha Mint Coconut Candy by My Life Cookbook
- Super Lime Bars by What Smells So Good?
I love using fresh herbs but I don’t grow my own. It’s one of those things that is easier to just buy at the store 🙂
I never knew the history of that dressing. It sounds delicious. I can’t wait to try this recipe. I’m always looking for a good dressing recipe.
Gorgeous looking salad!
I am so jonesin’ for this! I wish I had some fresh herbs….I will this summer but not now. This is definitely on my to make list. I love fresh herbs especially the tarragon.You don’t see that in many recipes. Delicious!
Great salad. Love the dressing. I will have to make some when my herbs are in full force!
I love making my own dressings. Tarragon adds such a fresh flavors!
I can’t wait to start up my herb garden again this year. I grow chives, parsley, basil and lemon thyme.
I’ve never had Green Goddess dressing, but it’s such a beautiful green! And I like your choice of Bibb lettuce.