Vegan Creamy Green Goddess (Printable Version)

Creamy vegan pasta tossed with fresh peas, basil, and crisp veggies for a vibrant, refreshing dish.

# 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

# Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold water, and allow to cool completely.
02 - While pasta cooks, combine vegan mayonnaise, plant-based yogurt, basil, parsley, chives, tarragon, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta with peas, cucumber, spinach, radishes, and scallions.
04 - Pour the prepared dressing over the salad mixture and toss gently to coat everything evenly.
05 - Taste the salad and adjust seasoning with additional salt, lemon juice, or fresh herbs as needed.
06 - Transfer to a serving platter or bowl and garnish with sliced fresh basil and toasted sunflower seeds if desired.
07 - Serve immediately or refrigerate for one to two hours to enhance flavor development.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like summer in a bowl, with that bright herbaceous flavor that makes your taste buds wake up.
  • Prep is genuinely quick, and you can make it ahead without the pasta turning mushy or the dressing separating.
  • The green goddess dressing works on literally everything, so you're learning a technique you'll use forever.
02 -
  • Rinse the cooked pasta in cold water—skip this step and the residual heat wilts the vegetables and turns the whole salad warm and mushy by the time you serve it.
  • Blend the dressing completely smooth; chunky herbs won't distribute evenly and you'll get bitter bites followed by bland ones.
  • Don't dress the salad more than a few hours ahead if you're serving it right away, because the pasta slowly absorbs liquid and the vegetables release moisture, making it soggy by dinner time.
03 -
  • Toast your sunflower seeds in a dry pan for two minutes before serving—the heat unlocks their flavor and makes them taste almost buttery.
  • If the dressing tastes too rich or heavy, thin it slightly with plant-based milk or more lemon juice rather than adding more mayo.
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