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    Home » Recipes » Pasta Recipes

    Green Goddess Pasta Salad (Vegan)

    Published: May 17, 2021 · Modified: Mar 11, 2022 by Emily · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    This Green Goddess Pasta Salad is going to be your summer staple! It has so much flavor from the herb-filled Green Goddess dressing, with a rich creaminess from the fresh avocado. Serve this chilled and make extra dressing to use with other dishes!

    Photo of Green Goddess Pasta Salad (Vegan)

    Here's a little fun fact about myself: if the words "Green" and "Goddess" are in something, you can bet I will be eating it! In all seriousness, though, green goddess dressing is the best there is. Aside from its obvious beauty (there's a reason they call her a goddess), it is SO flavorful and creamy!

    Many recipes for a green goddess dressing utilize mayo or greek yogurt for its rich and creamy aspect. To keep this recipe plant-based, we used fresh avocado which only enhances the green color! Another swap involves using the capers. Traditional green goddess actually uses anchovies for a bright salty flavor. Capers maintain a briny saltiness that helps the other flavors shine through!

    Why You'll Love This Recipe

    • So Simple! The only "cooking" required is boiling the pasta and blending the ingredients! So easy!
    • Packed Full of Flavors! With herbs like dill, chives, basil, and parsley, as well as fresh lemon and bright capers, you won't be at a loss for flavor.
    • Perfect for Summer! Since this dish is served cold, it is perfect to take with you for a summer picnic.

    What You Need For This Recipe

    Ingredients and Substitutions:

    Photo of ingredients in Pasta Salad
    • Short Pasta - Use any pasta shape you like for this! I used trumpet-shaped pasta, which is similar to campanelle. I recommend a short pasta shape, but anything will work!
    • Fresh Herbs - Parsley, dill, chives, and basil. I don't recommend skipping any of these, but feel free to add others!
    • Avocado - The avocado makes this dressing creamy without using any dairy! If you're not a fan of avocado, I still recommend using it as there isn't a strong avocado flavor or mushy texture. If you must replace it, try looking for a plant-based yogurt or even add a scoop of vegan mayo!
    • Capers - Since traditional green goddess has anchovies (canned fish), capers are the best substitute since they are briny and salty.
    • Lemon Juice & Zest - To add brightness!
    • Shallot - If you can't find shallot, I recommend adding an extra garlic clove.
    • Garlic
    • Olive Oil
    • Salt

    Tools:

    • Food Processor or Blender
    • Large Pot
    • Mixing Bowl
    • Knife
    • Rubber Spatula

    How To Make This Recipe

    Step 1: Boil the Pasta

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook 12 ounces of your pasta of choice until cooked past al dente.

    Since this is a chilled pasta, we want to cook it a little bit past al dente so that it doesn't get crunchy when it cools.

    Follow the box instructions for specific directions.

    Once cooked, drain the pasta, rinse, and let it cool.

    Photo of cooked pasta

    For more flavor, cook the pasta in the Instant Pot!

    • Add 12 ounces of pasta to your Instant Pot with 3 cups of water or vegetable broth.
    • Close the lid and pressure cook on HIGH for 5 minutes, then naturally release the pressure for 5 minutes.
    • After the 5 minutes of natural release are up, set the valve to venting and quickly release remaining pressure.
    • Open the lid and either drain and rinse the pasta, or keep it extra starchy and add the dressing right to the pasta and stir to combine!

    This method will cook the pasta faster and, if you use broth, will infuse extra flavor.

    Step 2: Make the Green Goddess Dressing

    To a food processor or high powered blender, add all of the herbs, the avocado, the capers, lemon juice and zest, salt, garlic cloves, shallot pieces, and the olive oil.

    Photo of dressing ingredients before blending

    Blend on high until well combined. You may need to scrape down the sides and blend multiple times.

    If necessary, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to thin it out.

    photo of blended dressing

    Step 3: Make the Pasta Salad

    Use a rubber spatula and scoop all of the dressing out onto the cooked pasta.

    Mix very well until completely combined.

    Taste and feel free to add a bit more salt or capers for garnish!

    Photo of the dressing being added to the cooked pasta

    Expert Tips

    • If you want the dressing to feel more like an oil and vinegar-based pasta salad, increase the amounts of olive oil and lemon juice!
    • For an extra creamy dressing, add a few scoops of dairy-free yogurt or vegan mayonnaise to the food processor before blending!
    • While I don't recommend omitting any of the herbs listed, I encourage you to add other herbs as you wish! A few mint leaves, green onions, tarragon, etc. would be delicious!

    Recipe FAQs

    What is Green Goddess dressing made of?

    Traditionally, Green Goddess dressing consists of anchovy, mayonnaise, sour cream, and lots of herbs such as chives, parsley, and tarragon. This recipe is made vegan by using avocado instead of mayonnaise and sour cream, and capers instead of anchovy!

    Can I make pasta salad the night before?

    The best thing about pasta salad is that you can make it far in advance since it is served cold! Since this recipe does use fresh avocado, I wouldn't recommend making it more in advance than the night before to avoid browning.

    How do you make pasta salad not dry?

    Add more olive oil and lemon juice to prevent pasta salad from being dry and sticky! Also, rinse the pasta after it is cooked to remove extra starches that encourage sticking.

    If You Enjoyed This Recipe, You May Also Like:

    Vegan Spring Green Pasta With Mint and Dill

    Better Than Olive Garden 5-Ingredient Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo

    Creamy Green Asparagus Parsley Soup (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

    Vegan Green Goddess Pasta Salad

    Green Goddess Pasta Salad (Vegan)

    This Green Goddess Pasta Salad is going to be your summer staple! It has so much flavor from the herb-filled Green Goddess dressing, with a rich creaminess from the fresh avocado. Serve this chilled and make extra dressing to use with other dishes!
    4.86 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American, Vegan
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 6 Servings
    Calories: 266kcal
    Author: Emily

    Equipment

    • Food Processor or Blender
    • Large Pot
    • Knife
    • Rubber Spatula

    Ingredients

    • 12 ounces Short Pasta
    • ½ Avocado (80 grams or 3 ounces)
    • ½ cup Chopped Curly Parsley
    • 5-7 Basil Leaves
    • 1½ tablespoon Chopped Chives
    • ½ tablespoon Fresh Dill
    • 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
    • 6 tablespoon Lemon Juice
    • ½ tablespoon Capers
    • 1 clove Raw Garlic
    • ¼ Large Shallot roughly chopped
    • 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
    • 1 teaspoon Salt
    • 1 tablespoon Water (as needed)

    Instructions

    • Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil
    • Cook your pasta of choice according to the box instructions. Cook until pasta is past al dente.
    • Drain and rinse pasta
    • To a food processor or high-powered blender, add all of the herbs, the avocado, the capers, lemon juice and zest, salt, garlic cloves, shallot pieces, and the olive oil. 
    • Blend on high until well combined. You may need to scrape down the sides and blend multiple times. 
    • If necessary, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to thin it out. 
    • Use a rubber spatula and scoop all of the dressing out onto the cooked pasta. 
    • Mix very well until completely combined. 
    • Taste and feel free to add a bit more salt or capers for garnish! 

    Notes

    Recipe copyright Legally Healthy Blonde. For educational or personal use only. 
    • If you want the dressing to feel more like an oil and vinegar-based pasta salad, increase the amounts of olive oil and lemon juice!
    • For an extra creamy dressing, add a few scoops of dairy-free yogurt or vegan mayonnaise to the food processor before blending!
    • While I don't recommend omitting any of the herbs listed, I encourage you to add other herbs as you wish! A few mint leaves, green onions, tarragon, etc. would be delicious!
    • Nutrition Information is for 1 serving which is ⅙th of the entire pasta salad. One serving is 2 ounces of dry pasta. 
      • Calories: 266 kcal
      • Total Fat: 7 grams
      • Total Carb: 44.3 grams
      • Total Protein: 7.5 grams

      Nutrition

      Calories: 266kcal
      Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @LegallyHealthyBlonde or tag #LegallyHealthyBlonde!

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      Reader Interactions

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        Recipe Rating




      1. Marcy

        May 20, 2021 at 1:34 pm

        4 stars
        I was very excited to try this recipe. I followed the recipe exactly, and for me, it turned out overly lemony. The lemon overpowered the other flavors. I added the other half of the avocado and a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt, it helped a tad. I would make this again! But would add less lemon juice for my taste. Thank you!!

        Reply
        • Emily

          May 20, 2021 at 3:07 pm

          Thanks so much for trying this recipe, Marcy! I will definitely keep this feedback in mind for future recipes. I tend to like a lot of lemon flavor, but know that everyone doesn’t! I’m glad you were able to tweak it to your liking 🙂

          Reply
      2. Laura

        June 01, 2021 at 2:08 pm

        5 stars
        We made this for our Memorial Day cookout. It was so good and a big hit! I will be making this again!

        Reply
      3. Tammy

        September 20, 2021 at 6:04 pm

        5 stars
        This recipe was so good. I loved the bright fresh color and flavor. I made it for a family gathering over the summer, and it disappeared. I added a little bit of extra salt!

        Reply
      4. Cece

        October 11, 2022 at 1:32 am

        5 stars
        I made this last night and it was really good. I could taste the lemon which is great because I love lemon. I used a whole avocado because I didn't want to waste the other half. I also spinkled the dish with lemon pepper since I felt it needed a touch of seasoning. This receipe is a keeper! Thanks for sharing!

        Reply

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      Hi, I'm Emily! I am the classically trained chef-recipe creator behind Legally Healthy Blonde. I love fancy pasta, a good martini, and cooking impressive meals for myself and friends! I created LHB to share my passion of cooking and entertaining with everyone! If you love feel-good food that looks & tastes impressive, you're in the right spot!

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