The Sharp Addition To Amp Up Green Goddess Salad Dressing

Ranch salad dressing is probably the most beloved and popular salad dressing on the planet. What's not to love about a sauce that can be used on a salad or for dipping hot wings in? However, as great as ranch dressing may be, homemade green goddess salad dressing can't be beat. It's tangy flavor is one that can make salad greens and raw vegetables even more delicious. First concocted in the Palace's Garden Court Restaurant in San Francisco, California in the 1920s, this velvety smooth and savory dressing traditionally uses ice, pasteurized eggs, whole grain mustard, shallots, capers, chives, spinach, fresh tarragon, chopped parsley, tarragon vinaigrette, salt and pepper, some olive oil, and lemon juice to create its signature taste.

While the classic version of Green Goddess salad dressing is difficult to improve upon, it can be made vegan by replacing the eggs with tahini or spicy by adding some jalapeño. But those aren't the only ways to build upon the base flavors of this all-purpose salad dressing. You can riff on your green goddess salad dressing's classic taste by borrowing some inspiration from Panera Bread's Green Goddess Cobb Salad.

The quick service eatery is famous for its sourdough bread bowls and salads, but its green goddess dressing isn't far behind. The chain's dressing has even inspired copy cat recipes. But the key to this salad dressing centers around one ingredient: Panera Bread uses basil pesto and agave syrup to create its addictive sauce, but it's the addition of Dijon mustard to its herby green goddess dressing that creates a pungent taste. 

What does Dijon mustard do in a salad dressing? This condiment is the great emulsifier for oil and vinegar when you are making a vinaigrette, and it also works in those mayo and yogurt based. But it is its creamy texture that makes this mustard, which is made with white wine along with brown and/or black mustard seeds, the perfect sharp flavor for your dressing.

If you don't have Dijon in your fridge and are thinking of squeezing a little of that French's mustard into your dressing, don't. Yellow mustard is a far cry from Dijon and the flavor will not be quite the same.