This Panera Copycat Green Goddess Dressing is perfectly named! A delicious topping to any salad, it’s quick + easy to make. GF, DF, and NF!
When you go out with your friends, do you have a “usual”? Usual spot to meet, usual thing to eat, usual friends you see? For years, the Panera Green Goddess Salad was my “usual” whenever I met up with my cousin, who lives across town. Until one day my body decided that pine nuts were on the naughty list and I could no long eat this delicious salad.
The pine nut is not generally classified as a tree nut, in fact the pine nut is a seed! However, there is a lot of cross-reactivity between tree nuts and pine nuts, of which my body seems to want to participate in. If you think you could have a tree nut allergy, make sure you check out my article, Tree Nuts: What to Eat What to Avoid. This breaks down everything you need to know about tree nuts!
But back to salad dressing.
This Green Goddess Dressing is even better than the Panera Bread version. It’s rich and creamy from the yogurt and avocado, it’s vibrant green from the basil, and has the perfect amount of tang thanks to white wine vinegar. It also has that secret ingredient to leave you wondering what it is: Tarragon.
Plus, no tree nuts in sight so I can get back to having my “usual” again!
You are going to love this dressing on everything from salads to chicken!
Green Goddess Dressing Allergy Variations
Since this blog is all about recipe flexibility, this dressing is also versatile. Plain Greek yogurt is our base, and if you are avoiding dairy, simply swap out for your favorite dairy free yogurt alternative. If you can’t find one that works with your diet, try silken tofu, sour cream, or just the other half of the avocado.
If you’re avoiding mustard, you can use a small amount of sauerkraut or horseradish in its place. I’m not sure of the amount for them; you’ll have to experiment to find the right amount for your taste!
Finally, if you don’t want to add honey, simply swap out for 1 tablespoon of sugar, agave syrup, maple syrup, or leave out altogether.
Salad Serving Suggestions
I love to copy the Panera Bread Green Goddess Salad as I think it has a great combo of warm chicken, crispy bacon, and cool creamy dressing. But you can totally use this dressing on other salads! Here are some suggestions I think would make kick-butt meals.
- Base: Arugula, Romaine, Mixed Baby Greens
- Protein: Chicken, Baked Tofu, Feta cheese, Lentils, Cooked and cooled Chickpeas, Cannellini beans
- Crunch: Almonds, Pepitas, Sunflower seeds, Bacon
- Veggies: Cucumbers, Radishes, Carrots, Beets, Pickled Red Onion
- Fruit: Dried cranberries, dried cherries, fresh apple slices
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how this turned out for you! Pop over to the Facebook Page to share your success or tag me over on Instagram with the hashtag #livingbeyondallergies I love to see your creations!
Green Goddess Dressing – Panera Copy Cat
Ingredients
- ½ cup plain greek yogurt or yogurt alternative of your choice
- 1 oz basil, measure this by weight
- ½ shallot, rough chopped
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 ripe avocado
- 2 tbsp honey or honey alternative of your choice
- splash of milk to thin
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. You might need to add a little milk to thin to the desired consistency. I prefer a thicker green goddess dressing.
- Serve immediately! Will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days depending on your storage container. I do not recommend freezing.
