For this week’s Summer Series recipe, Chef Ollie will use whatever herbs you’ve got in the kitchen! He’s made a to-die-for green goddess dip, which serves as a wonderfully flavorful condiment for raw veggies OR works as a dressing for your favorite summer salad! And the best part? It’s vegan!

Green Goddess Dip & Dressing

by Ollie Honderd

Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients

  • 4 oz canned chickpeas with liquid
  • 1 t dijon mustard
  • Juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 small cloves garlic
  • Salt + Black Pepper to taste
  • 3-4 cups mixed herbs (parsley, basil, dill, mint, cilantro, tarragon, or whatever fresh herbs you have on hand)  loosely packed
  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 cup ice water

Preparation

  1. Put chickpeas, dijon, lemon juice and zest, garlic and a large pinch of salt and a few cranks of black pepper in the pitcher of a blender and pulse til thoroughly chopped and mixed
  2. Turn the blender on and alternate adding the herbs by the handful and drizzling oil about ½ cup of herbs at a time until both herbs and oil are fully blended and incorporated into the mixture. If the puree becomes too thick, thin it with a splash of water until the blades can mix it again. You may also need to scrape down the sides periodically.
  3. Lastly, you’ll add the flesh of 1 avocado. This will thicken the mixture, so once again, you may need to thin it with ice water to achieve the desired consistency and/or ensure the blender spins the purée
  4. Once all the herbs, all the oil, and the avocado are incorporated/emulsified into the purée, you can keep it thick as a dip or thin it with water and more lemon juice for a dressing. Either way, taste and add more salt, pepper, lemon juice or dijon if you like.

***TIPS***

  • No blender? Try a food processor or a hand blender in a bowl
  • No food processor? Chop together the salt, garlic and herbs on a cutting board. Smash together the chickpeas and avocado in a bowl using a whisk, spoon, hands, potato masher, pestle, etc. Add herb garlic mixture to the bowl. Add lemon juice, zest, dijon and chickpea liquid. From here begin whisking and streaming in oil and splashing in water.
  • Non vegan recipe? Instead of chickpeas, use either 1/4 C mayo, 1/4 C sour cream, or 1/4 C thick yogurt. Add a few anchovies or 1 T fish sauce with the dijon mustard.