Green Goddess Avocado Sandwich Recipe

Many people might not think that an all-vegetable sandwich can be filling or satisfying, but they likely haven't had the right kind. "Avocado and sprout sandwiches are everywhere in my hometown of Los Angeles," says recipe developer Taylor Murray. "I like to make them all kinds of ways, but if I have a bunch of herbs, I'll add a tasty sauce or dressing to jazz it up."

To make a veggie sandwich even more exciting without adding meat or cheese, Murray opted to use green goddess dressing as a spread instead of mustard or mayonnaise. Green goddess dressing has been around for decades, with origins dating back to San Francisco in the '20s. While the base ingredients can vary some, the flavor of this dressing comes from a good amount of fresh, green herbs. The resulting dressing is springy and fresh with just a hint of kick — perfect for a crisp veggie sandwich.

For the sandwich itself, we will use two slices of crusty country bread, ripe avocado, lettuce leaves, slices of cucumber, and fresh sprouts, such as broccoli or alfalfa. Instead of mustard or mayo, we'll make a creamy green goddess dressing to spread on the bread. Green goddess dressing is made with a variety of fresh herbs — we use basil, chives, mint, and dill, plus lemon juice, shallot, Greek yogurt, and mayonnaise.

In the bowl of a blender, combine the herbs, shallot, lemon juice, yogurt, mayonnaise, and 1 pinch salt.

Blend until smooth. Set aside.

Lightly toast the bread.

On one slice, spread 2 tablespoons of the green herb mixture.

Top with cucumber, lettuce, and sprouts.

On the other slice, layer the avocado.

Sandwich both sides together.

Slice in half to serve.

The batch of green goddess dressing in this recipe will yield much more than you need for the actual sandwich, so how can you use it all up? Aside from making more sandwiches with the dressing, there are a lot of ways to use this verdant sauce. If sandwiches are what you have in mind, try slathering the dressing on a turkey burger or substituting it for the mayo in a tuna salad sandwich.

Branching out from there, green goddess dressing can be used to dress a salad, the contents of which are up to your taste. A salad packed with veggies and chickpeas or cheese is a good place to start. You can also use green goddess dressing as a dip for a fresh vegetable crudités platter or even chips as an alternative alongside more traditional options like onion dip.

If you have a bumper crop of fresh herbs in your garden or maybe just went a little crazy at the farmer's market, you might be feeling the urge to get these delicate greens used up. After all, fresh herbs are not known for their longevity. First, let's make a distinction between types of herbs. Soft herbs include things like dill, cilantro, mint, parsley, basil, chervil, and chives. Think herbs that have softer stems that are mostly edible. The "hard" herbs are those with woodier stems, like rosemary, thyme, and marjoram. 

All of the soft herbs are fair game for a green goddess dressing, and you can mix and match as you please. If you seek a more balanced flavor, start with ½ cup parsley, which has a mild taste that won't overwhelm the sauce. Add other herbs in ¼ cup (or less) increments up to a total amount of 1 ¼ cup. Taste to see how you like it, and adjust accordingly.