This scrumptious dressing makes it easy to be green.  photo by Nancy Duran

An early summer salad gets a dose of fun with this Green Goddess Dressing tailor made for little ones. If you’re looking to entice the kids into the kitchen and get them bought into the idea of eating their greens, “no-cook” cooking like this is a great place to start. Little hands can get involved making this yummy, creamy dressing which just happens to be the perfect complement to all sorts of vegetables.

While traditional Green Goddess Dressing features anchovies, I’ve subbed in Worcestershire sauce so that kiddos won’t turn their noses up. The salty, briny flavor of the sauce will hit similar notes. (But, by all means, if you love anchovies like I do, skip the Worcestershire sauce and toss in two anchovy fillets instead.)

Toss a little bit of the dressing with whatever baby greens you find at the market this week. Be careful not to go too heavy on the dressing as a little bit goes a long way. It saves in the fridge for up to a week and makes a great dip for raw veggies as well. My guess is, this fun to make and fun to eat dressing will make the kiddos want to dig right in.

Makes 1 1/4 cups dressing

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves
1 small garlic clove, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves
2 teaspoons roughly chopped fresh chives
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

In the bowl of a food processor, combine all the ingredients except salt and pepper and add 1 tablespoon water. Blend until smooth and creamy. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Use this dressing on salads or as a dip for vegetables.

Nutritional analysis based on serving size of 2 tablespoons (does not include salt and pepper to taste):
Calories 106, Fat 11g, Sodium 89 mg, Carbohydrate 2g, Fiber 0g, Sugar 1g, Protein 1g