Vegan Creamy Green Goddess (Print version)

Vibrant pasta with creamy green goddess dressing, peas, basil, and fresh vegetables for light meals.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10 oz short pasta (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:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions 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 clove, salt, and black 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 thinly sliced scallions.
04 - Pour prepared dressing over the pasta mixture and toss gently until all components are evenly coated.
05 - Taste the salad and adjust seasoning with additional salt, lemon juice, or fresh herbs as needed.
06 - Transfer salad to a serving platter or bowl. Garnish with sliced basil and toasted sunflower seeds. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 1-2 hours for enhanced flavor development.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • The dressing tastes restaurant-quality creamy without any cream, just blended herbs and vegan mayo magic.
  • It comes together in under 30 minutes, which means you can make it the morning of a picnic without stress.
  • Tastes even better the next day when the flavors get to know each other, making it perfect for meal prep.
02 -
  • Rinse your pasta after cooking—I learned this the hard way when a batch turned into a starchy clump that wouldn't absorb dressing evenly.
  • Don't add the dressing until you're ready to serve or eat within a few hours, or the pasta will get soggy; the herbs in the dressing are delicate and turn dark if left sitting too long.
  • Taste the dressing before it goes on the salad because this is where you adjust everything—once it's mixed in, it's harder to fix.
03 -
  • Toast your sunflower seeds in a dry pan for just two minutes before adding them—that little bit of warmth brings out their nuttiness and makes them taste fresher.
  • Keep a lemon nearby while you're tossing the salad because acid is your best friend when something tastes flat or one-dimensional.
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