On Green Dip

Because we've already talked about many other colors.

Welcome to the Friday post for paid subscribers. Today, we’re diving into a dip recipe that is so good, you may want to make a batch big enough to dive into. (Bad, I know. I’m tired!) On Tuesday, all subscribers will receive another photo essayyyyyy! As always, learn more about my everyday work as a food photographer here.

As we all know by now, I love dips. Cannot get enough, 11/10, would eat instead of dinner every night. I also love sharing the recipes for said dips. More dips in the world makes a better world, no? (I mean, marginally. The world is tough these days.)

But. I always bristle when asked for this recipe. It’s one of those recipes, the ones that I like to think of myself as being infamous for. The kind that is so easy and loosey-goosey that I almost don’t even really consider it a recipe. It’s more…guidelines? Suggestions? A framework? I refer you to the explanation of my recipe writing philosophy found in the headnote here.

This dip, cheekily referred to as the green goddess dip, started as many of my recipes do: a desperate attempt to use up the herbs rotting in my crisper drawer. It’s inspired by green goddess dressing, which hails from the 1970s salad dressing market, where it enjoyed a rebirth from its 1920 origins at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. The edgy difference? I make mine a bit thicker so it can be used as a dip instead. Why dress when you can dip, I ask?

I love using up the last bit of a yogurt carton or a forgotten block of feta sitting in its own brine to make this tangy dip. BUT. About half of the time that I make this recipe, I make it vegan. I do that by using a block of tofu instead of cheese or yogurt. In my experience, the best type of tofu to use is silken tofu, but if you only have extra firm on hand, you can make it work by adding a little bit of water. Without the tang of the dairy, you'll need to supplement with more lemon juice and salt. Make sure to taste the dip as you go and season accordingly!

Green Goddess Dip