Lately I’ve realized that approximately 70% of my adult life seems to be spent at the grocery store. It’s crazy how quickly I run out of things, and how often I’m saying “But we just went to the store two days ago! How do we already need to go again?!”

One of the most annoying reasons why I spend so much time shopping is because no single store carries every item I need. For example, my local Safeway carries the most variety of organic produce, but Bartell Drug Store has all my hair and skincare products. Costco is where I go to buy the bulk items I use frequently in recipes (like coconut milk, almond butter, and cans of tomato sauce). And lastly, my absolute favorite salad dressing of all time is only found at Trader Joe’s.

Have you tried the Green Goddess dressing at Trader Joe’s? If not, you definitely should. It’s life changing. Not only are the ingredients super clean (no preservatives, sugars, gluten, or dairy!) but it’s also incredibly delicious. I’ve never been able to find another dressing that tastes so flavorful while also containing only whole ingredients. However, it was exhausting to go to an entirely different store for the sole purpose of buying salad dressing. So I decided to try and make my own and take one store off the weekly rotation.

I’ll admit, this is one of those recipes that tastes different every time I make it. That’s because the flavor varies so much based on how much of each ingredient I choose to use. Some days I’m craving lots of garlic. Other days I’m feeling more of a zesty lemon vibe. I recommend using this recipe as a starting point and adding (or subtracting) amounts of each ingredient based on which flavors fit your fancy in the moment.

Depending on how thick you make it (determined by how much water you add), this can be a dip for veggies instead of a salad dressing. I made it extra thick once and used it as a spread on my gluten free sandwiches and bagels, so it’s a wonderfully versatile recipe that’s always good to have around.

Ingredients

• 2 avocados (pits and skin removed)
• 2 large handfuls of fresh basil leaves
• 1 large handful of fresh chives
• 4 green onions (ends removed)
• 1/4 of a red onion
• 2 tablespoons of minced garlic
• 1 cup of fresh chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/4 cup of water (plus more until desired consistency)

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on low until it is the desired consistency. Add more water if it’s too thick, and keep in mind that it will thicken more when it’s stored in the refrigerator.
2. Taste test and add more of whatever flavor you feel is underrepresented. I usually like to add more basil, garlic, and/or lemon juice.
3. When it tastes how you want it to, store it in a mason jar in the fridge for up to ten days. The lemon juice and vinegar keep it from browning, but it will start to taste less fresh (and separate a bit) after that.