This Green Goddess Vegan Pasta Salad is made with simple and nourishing ingredients that come together in minutes. Vegan and allergy-friendly, it’s the perfect recipe for easy appetizers or light lunches. Make it ahead of time for picnics, barbecues, and more!
Vegan Pasta Salad is like Summer in a Bowl!
Summertime is officially here, and I don’t know about you, but I hear backyard barbecues, picnics, and days spent at the beach calling my name! That means standing over a hot stove in the kitchen is not exactly how I want to be spending my days. Instead, when the weather gets warm, I find myself reaching for quick and refreshing options like my Frozen Fruit Smoothies, Chipotle Peach Salsa, and No Bake Lemon Coconut Paleo Energy Bars. They’re the best recipes to stay fueled while putting a fresh pep in your step!
While I’ve clearly got breakfast and snacks covered, I sometimes find myself stumped when it comes to putting together filling lunches and dinners. Luckily, I recently found myself with an abundance of my favorite Green Goddess Dressing. If you haven’t checked out that blog post yet, I highly recommend you do so. I’m not joking when I say I’m obsessed and put that dressing on everything. Heck, I would probably drink it if I could! Of course, it’s excellent on salads like my Nourish Bowl and this Strawberry Spinach Salad, but I wanted something a little more meal prep friendly that can be taken on the go.
So, I came up with this healthy pasta salad recipe! It’s made with simple ingredients and contains all the traditional flavors of the easy pasta salad dishes you love. However, instead of loading up the pasta and veggies with mayonnaise, can you guess what I used? My Green Goddess dressing, of course! The results were even better than I had expected. Made with fresh veggies, this vegetarian pasta salad recipe is also vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, and incredibly quick to create. It has quickly become a staple in my home and is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser.
Keep reading to find out just how quick it is to make.
Easy Ingredients & Allergy-Friendly Substitutions
Pasta – For extra plant protein and fiber, we used chickpea pasta (grain-free), but gluten-free pasta works just as well. Just be sure to cook whichever you choose according to the package instructions!
Vegan Goddess Dressing – This nutritious dressing is the secret to the success of this vegan pasta salad recipe, but if you’re short on time, you can typically find a similar version in your local grocery store.
Snap Peas – Snap peas add an appetizing crunch as well as vitamins and nutrients. If you can’t find snap peas, snow peas or even chopped zucchini work as well.
Broccoli – This nutrient-rich veggie is perfect for reducing inflammation as well as providing a vibrant crunch in the salad. For easy eating, choose broccoli florets or chop a broccoli crown into tiny pieces using a good knife.
Spinach – For a sweeter flavor, we recommend using baby spinach in your pasta salad. Opt for a handful of arugula to add a bit more bite.
Toasted Pine Nuts – While optional, pine nuts add an incredible earthy flavor and healthy fats to keep you full. However, if you can’t eat pine nuts, hemp seeds will do the trick!
Oil – For this recipe, you’ll want to avoid overpowering the ingredient flavors by choosing an oil with a fairly neutral flavor such as olive oil or avocado oil.
Lemons – If you choose to use real lemons, be sure to save a few slices for garnish! Otherwise, the pre-juiced kind from the bottle works, too.
Tips for Making Green Goddess Vegan Pasta Salad
This Green Goddess Pasta Salad is one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever made. No seriously, it is! And bonus, this recipe is an easy way to get your kids eating veggies! The creamy dressing tastes so good, they won’t even realize it’s healthy. So, go ahead and add in as much or as little as you like.
However, to ensure that it turns out perfectly every time, we’re providing you with a few simple tips and tricks listed below!
Meal Prep Tips: You can easily make this recipe a day in advance. You’ll have the best success storing leftover pasta if you keep the dressing and pasta separate.
Cooking Tips – To prevent your pasta salad from drying out, be sure to toss with it olive oil right after you drain the pasta. Then let it completely cool before storing it in an airtight container. See tips below!
Pro-Tip for Storing Cooked Pasta:
Don’t rinse the pasta after draining it. Instead, add the pasta into a bowl or container and drizzle with olive oil. Let the pasta cool before storing. If serving right away, let the oiled pasta cool, then add the dressing and veggies.
Tools You’ll Need
Not only is the vegan pasta salad simple to make, it also uses minimal kitchen utensils making cleaning up a breeze!
Storing and Serving Pasta Salad
How long Does Vegetarian Pasta Salad Last in the Fridge?
When stored in an airtight container, this recipe will stay fresh for 2-3 days in the fridge. Keeping the veggies raw helps to make your pasta salad last a bit longer in the fridge. Just toss everything together, and pull it out for a quick meal when you’re ready to eat. See the above tips for preventing dry pasta salad! 🙌
Can I Freeze Pasta Salad?
Yes, this pasta salad will last up to 3 months in your freezer because it is mayonnaise-free! To find out how it’s done, take a look at this article.
What to Serve with a Pasta Salad Recipe
The truth is, there’s not much you can’t serve with vegan pasta salad. In fact, thanks to the high protein content of chickpea pasta it’s a complete meal all on its own. However, it’s also great as a side served with items like sandwiches, burgers, wraps, and more. A few of my favorites include my Vegan Veggie Burgers, Vegan Sandwiches, or Asian BBQ Veggie Steak Burgers.
More lettuce-less salad recipes:
- Dill Pesto Potato Wedge Salad
- Cajun Smoked Salmon Zucchini Noodles Salad
- Peppery Broccoli Arugula Pesto Pasta
- Roasted Radish Lemony Chickpea Pasta
If you make this recipe, I’d love to know what you served it with or any modifications you made. Let me know in the comments below, and tag me on Instagram if you snap a picture!
Print
Green Goddess Pasta Salad Recipe (Gluten Free)
- Total Time: 1 hour 14 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Green Goddess Vegan Pasta Salad is made with simple and nourishing ingredients that come together in minutes. Vegan and gluten-free, it’s the perfect recipe for easy appetizers or light lunches. Make it ahead of time for picnics, barbecues, and more!
Ingredients
- 14 to 16 ounces chickpea pasta (or gluten free pasta of choice)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¾ cup vegan goddess dressing (see notes for ingredients)
- 1 chopped snap peas
- 2 cups chopped broccoli floret
- handful of baby spinach or arugula
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 3 Tablespoons toasted pine nuts or hemp seeds to garnish
- lemon slices to garnish
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Once cooked to al dente, strain from liquid and add to a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice over the warm pasta and toss to evenly coat.Â
- Prepare the goddess dressing (see notes) if not using store-bought. Add the chopped snap peas, broccoli, spinach, and toss to coat evenly. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnishing with pine nuts, hemp seeds, and/or lemon. Chill until ready to serve.Â
- Make Ahead & Storage Tips – Cook the pasta and then drain water. Toss the pasta in olive oil then let them completely cool before storing in an airtight container. It’s best to store leftover pasta and dressing separate.Then toss pasta with the dressing and raw vegetables right before serving.Â
Notes
For the Vegan Green Goddess Dressing you will need the following : Medium ripe avocado (peeled), scallions/green onions, coconut milk, parsley, chopped fresh mixed herbs and chive, tamari sauce, lemon juice, minced garlic, sea salt and black pepper (to taste), olive oil as needed.
- Prep Time: 5
- Chill Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 9
- Category: main dish
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 311
- Sugar: 4.2 g
- Sodium: 305.3 mg
- Fat: 13.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Fiber: 6.8 g
- Protein: 14.6 g
Keywords: main dish, side dish, pasta, pasta salad, green goddess, salad dressing, creamy pasta salad
Alright my friends, let me know if you give this a whirl! Feedback always welcome.
Cheers,
LC
We adored this pasta salad! I made it for a light lunch, but it would be a fabulous side dish also.
★★★★★
I make this on Sunday to have lunch for the week! Delicious!
★★★★★
AWesome! So glad and thanks for feedback Ann!