A creamy, flavorful salad made with flavors of the iconic dressing, Green Goddess Buttermilk Potato Salad boasts fresh tarragon, parsley, and chives.
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Have you ever noticed that at cookouts grilled foods—like hot dogs and burgers—tend to get all the glory? I do love a good burger or a dog, don’t get me wrong. However, just as Thanksgiving is not just about the turkey, cookouts are not just about the meats.
Because... we love the sides.
Glorious sides like baked beans, corn on the cob, salty chips, and cold salads. My favorite type of cookout, barbecue, and potluck salad is potato salad.
This potato salad is a welcome step up from the bland, white, grocery store stuff. It has the flavors of vibrant Green Goddess dressing.
What is Green Goddess dressing?
Green Goddess is a thick and creamy dressing with a bright green hue, thanks to fresh ingredients that may include spinach, parsley, tarragon, and chives. Other ingredients commonly added are garlic and capers. The creaminess comes from things like yogurt or mayonnaise, or the creamy base created from scratch with eggs and olive oil.
The dressing was created in the 1930s at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco, California. It was named for a movie, The Green Goddess, whose lead actor George Arliss was staying at the hotel at the time.
Why you'll love this salad
Green Goddess dressing is a lavish and usually thick salad dressing. It's thinned in this dish with a splash of buttermilk.
Tossed with roasted red potatoes the dressing is bright with parsley and tarragon, and zesty with garlic and scallions. Yum!
It's perfect to serve at spring and summer gatherings when fresh herbs and greens are in abundance.
🔪 How to make Green Goddess Potato Salad
Ingredients:
- Red Potatoes: This variety adds color to the salad and keeps its shape once cooked
- Herbs: Gather fresh, green parsley, tarragon, and chives for the dressing
- Mayonnaise: Choose a quality mayonnaise like Hellmann's or Duke's
- Buttermilk: It helps create the creamy dressing and also adds a tangy flavor
- Spices: Salt and black pepper
- Anchovies: Use boneless anchovy filets here, the same type used in Caesar dressing
- Garlic: Just one clove is enough for lots of flavor
- Scallions: Sliced green onions add even more green to this green salad
Step 1: Roast the potatoes
Slice the potatoes into small pieces, then toss together with some oil, salt, and pepper. Roast the potatoes in a baking dish.
Step 2: Make the dressing
Blend the fresh herbs, anchovies, and garlic, then whisk in mayonnaise and buttermilk.
Step 3: Finish the salad
Add the cooled potatoes to the dressing and gently stir to coat them completely. The salad can be served at room temperature or chilled.
Tips:
- Look for fresh parsley and tarragon in the produce section with other fresh herbs. Or, get them the garden or local growers.
- Not everyone is a fan of anchovies, but don't worry: they don't make this salad taste fishy. They just add a little salty, umami flavor that nicely boosts the fresh herbs and tangy buttermilk in the dressing.
The recipe for this elegant Green Goddess Potato Salad is below. Need more salad ideas? I think you should consider these:
💬 How do you like this recipe? Leave a comment for me below.
📖 Recipe
Green Goddess Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 3 pounds red potatoes
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- ¼ cup fresh tarragon
- 2 to 4 anchovy filets
- 1 small clove of garlic
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon scallion greens, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon chives, snipped
Instructions
Prepare the potatoes:
- Preheat the oven to 450° F.
- Wash the red potatoes and slice into 1-inch pieces. Place the sliced potatoes in an 8 x 8-inch baking dish.
- Add the vegetable oil, a ½ teaspoon of the salt and a ½ teaspoon of the pepper. Toss to coat the potatoes.
- Place in the oven and roast the potatoes for 20-25 minutes, just until they're tender and beginning to brown on the edges. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the potatoes to cool to room temperature.
Make the dressing:
- While the potatoes roast, place the parsley, tarragon, anchovy fillets and garlic into the bowl of a food processor or mini chopper. Pulse until everything is finely minced. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl.
- Add the mayonnaise, buttermilk and chopped scallions to the bowl. Whisk until the mixture is smooth, and all ingredients are combined. Add the remaining ½ teaspoons of the salt and the pepper and whisk again.
Finish the salad:
- Add the cooled, roasted potatoes to the dressing and gently toss to coat them completely.
- Transfer the potato salad to a serving bowl and garnish with the snipped chives.
- The salad can be served immediately or it can be chilled first in the refrigerator. Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Makes about 7 cups.
Notes
- Look for fresh parsley and tarragon in the produce section with other fresh herbs. Or, get them from your garden if you grow them!
- Not everyone is a fan of anchovies, but don't worry: they don't make this salad taste fishy. They just add a little salty umami flavor that nicely boosts the fresh herbs and tangy buttermilk in the dressing.
Suze
My husband is a South Texas boy and potato salad is a venerable food!
D.G. Hudson
That looks yummy! I like the idea of buttermilk in the dressing and that you roast not boil the potatoes. Will try at the first opportunity. Thanks for sharing.