Green Goddess Pesto Sauce
This all-purpose summer sauce is great for dipping, spreading, and marinating.
Makesabout 2 1/2 cups
Prep10 minutes
When I want big flavor without a ton of effort, I turn to this green goddess pesto sauce. Packed with garlic, lemon, avocado, and a medley of herbs, this all-purpose sauce adds a burst of fresh summer flavor to everything in touches. It’s got all the creaminess you expect from green goddess dressing while also featuring the best parts of pesto: fresh basil, garlic, and lots of good olive oil. Why settle for one when you can have both?
Use this sauce to liven up your breakfasts (it’s delicious on toast), complete a crudité platter (it’s fabulous for dipping), or as a flavor-packed sidekick to any summer dinner.
My 5 Favorite Ways to Use This Summer Sauce
Once you try your first taste of this versatile sauce, you’ll understand why I always double the recipe. Here’s how I use it.
- As a salad dressing: It’s great on Cobb salads, pasta salads, caprese salads, panzanella, or just a simple bed of greens.
- As a sandwich spread: Try it with cold cuts or even a grilled cheese.
- As a dip: Pair it with crunchy summer veggies — or a big bag of tortilla chips.
- As a marinade: Use it as a marinade for chicken, beef, seafood, or veggies. Marinate meat for as little as 30 minutes and up to 5 hours; seafood and veggies only need 15 to 20 minutes.
- As a finishing sauce: Brush a thin layer of the sauce onto any protein during the final minutes of cooking.
How to Freeze Green Goddess Pesto Sauce
This big-batch recipe is perfect for freezing. I like to spoon it into ice cube trays (for smaller portions) or small Mason jars (for larger ones) and then stick it in the freezer. To thaw, place the ice cubes or Mason jar in the fridge for six to eight hours, or overnight. Once defrosted, stir the sauce until smooth, and use it within one to two days.
Green Goddess Pesto Sauce
This all-purpose summer sauce is great for dipping, spreading, and marinating.
Prep time 10 minutes
Makesabout 2 1/2 cups
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1 bunch
fresh basil
- 1/2 bunch
fresh parsley
- 1 bunch
scallions
- 1
medium avocado
- 1
medium lemon
- 1 cup
extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup
plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup
cold water
- 2 cloves
garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt, plus more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Prepare the following, placing them in a high-powered blender or food processor fitted with the blade attachment as you complete them: Pick the leaves from 1 medium bunch fresh basil until you have 2 loosely packed cups. Pick the leaves from 1/2 bunch fresh parsley until you have 1 loosely packed cup. Cut 1 bunch scallions crosswise into 2-inch-wide pieces until you have 1 cup. Halve and pit 1 medium avocado, then scoop out the flesh. Juice 1 medium lemon until you have 2 tablespoons juice.
Add 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup cold water, 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and a few grinds black pepper. Blend or process until smooth, stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Taste and season with more kosher salt or black pepper as needed.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
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