Is Trader Joe's Green Goddess Dressing Vegan-Friendly?

Green Goddess dressing is awesome for lending a basic salad a fragrant herby punch but it also makes a bold marinade for protein, and a strikingly verdant dipping sauce. With so many versatile uses, you might feel left out of the club if you're vegan. Luckily, you can safely join the fold by using Trader Joe's version of this herby sauce, which is 100% vegan-friendly.

A classic Green Goddess dressing typically includes a dairy ingredient, such as buttermilk, mayo, or sour cream, as its base. These creamy animal-derived additions lend the dressing a thick, luscious consistency when combined with the inviting aroma of fresh green herbs, occasionally the umami saltiness of anchovies, and always the lip-smacking twang of lemon juice. It's this full-bodied texture that makes Green Goddess perfect for coating salads, brightening up a platter of seafood, or elevating a simple chicken sandwich. However, a sharp rise in plant-based eating has resulted in numerous vegan-friendly versions of this herbaceous dressing that omit the dairy but are equally as creamy. Enter Trader Joe's! 

According to the grocery store's website, their recipe for Green Goddess dressing contains only avocado, apple cider vinegar, green onions, lemon juice, olive oil, herbs, and seasonings, making it completely free from animal products. The creaminess that the dairy normally brings to the table comes from avocado and the eye-catching vibrancy from chives, parsley and green onion.

Refrigerated dressings are normally heat pasteurized to eliminate bacteria. However, this technique can mute the fresh flavor of dressings, particularly those that are made from delicate herbs. Trader Joe's Green Goddess dressing, on the other hand, uses cold water at a high pressure — known as High Pressure Processing (HPP) — to mimic the food-safety benefits of heat pasteurization.  In fact, HPP partially inactivates the enzyme that's responsible for causing avocado-based products to brown (polyphenol oxidase), which stabilizes the appetizing hue of the green dressing. The final benefit of HPP is that the dressing can be kept free from additives and chemical preservatives, making it as close to a homespun vinaigrette as possible.

If you want to make a vegan version of Green Goddess dressing at home that won't discolor in the fridge, you can omit the avocado and use soaked cashew nuts as a substitute. Then all you need to do is blitz them up in your processor with your herbs of choice, a couple of cloves of garlic, and a spritz of tangy lemon (consider incorporating some vegan-friendly coconut aminos for a salty, umami hit). Alternatively, you can simply use an avocado and dress your salad immediately before the dressing has time to brown. Pop any leftover avocado in a food saver pod and refrigerate for later.