Vegan Creamy Green Goddess (Printable)

Vegan pasta salad featuring creamy green goddess dressing, peas, basil, and fresh vegetables for a refreshing meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10 oz short pasta such as fusilli, rotini, or shells
02 - Salt for pasta water

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
04 - 1 small cucumber, diced
05 - 1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped
06 - 1/2 cup radishes, thinly sliced
07 - 1/3 cup scallions, thinly sliced

→ Creamy Green Goddess Dressing

08 - 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
09 - 1/4 cup unsweetened plant-based yogurt
10 - 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves
12 - 2 tablespoons fresh chives
13 - 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon or extra parsley
14 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
15 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
16 - 1 small garlic clove
17 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
18 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Garnish

19 - 2 tablespoons fresh basil, sliced
20 - 1 tablespoon toasted sunflower seeds, optional

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain through a colander and rinse under cold running water until completely cooled.
02 - While pasta cooks, combine vegan mayonnaise, plant-based yogurt, basil, parsley, chives, tarragon, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic clove, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled pasta, thawed peas, diced cucumber, chopped spinach, sliced radishes, and sliced scallions.
04 - Pour the green goddess dressing over the pasta mixture and toss gently until all ingredients are evenly coated.
05 - Taste the salad and adjust seasoning as needed with additional salt, lemon juice, or fresh herbs.
06 - Transfer the salad to a serving platter or bowl. Top with sliced fresh basil and toasted sunflower seeds if desired.
07 - Serve immediately, or refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours to enhance flavors before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The creamy dressing tastes like something from a fancy restaurant, but it's completely plant-based and comes together in under five minutes.
  • It actually tastes better the next day when the flavors meld together, which means you can make it ahead and look effortlessly prepared.
  • You get bright, fresh herbs in every bite instead of that sad wilted feeling that kills most pasta salads.
02 -
  • Cold pasta clumps together, so rinsing it under cold water and letting it air dry for a few minutes prevents the salad from turning into a gloppy mess.
  • Adding the dressing right after everything is combined helps it get absorbed into the pasta, but if you're eating it later, the salad drinks up the dressing and might need a splash more lemon juice or a touch more mayo before serving.
03 -
  • Toast your sunflower seeds in a dry pan for three minutes right before serving—they transform from pleasant to completely craveable with just a little heat.
  • Don't be timid with the lemon juice because it's what prevents the dressing from tasting heavy and one-dimensional, and vegan mayo needs that brightness to really shine.
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