Description
This 20 Minute Green Goddess Pasta Salad is a vibrant and refreshing dish that combines summer greens, fresh herbs, and creamy avocado with your favorite pasta. The salad features a nutritious blend of chickpeas, cabbage, cucumbers, and a zesty green goddess dressing made with basil, spinach, dill, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice. It’s an easy, flavorful, and healthy weeknight dinner that’s ready in just 20 minutes.
Ingredients
Salad Base
- 1 lb fusilli pasta (or any preferred type, including gluten-free options)
- Extra virgin olive oil, optional, for tossing
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups cabbage, diced or shredded
- 3 Persian cucumbers, sliced
- 1 jalapeno, diced (optional)
Goddess Dressing
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
- 2 tbsp fresh dill or 1 tsp dried dill
- 3 green onions, white parts roughly chopped and green parts thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 large avocado
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp water
- Juice and zest of 1 large lemon
- Kosher salt, to taste (about 1/4 tsp in dressing plus more for pasta water)
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and generously salt the water. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta and immediately add it back to the pot with a handful of ice cubes and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Stir gently to combine and cool the pasta.
- Prepare Dressing: In a blender or food processor, combine fresh basil, spinach, dill, the white parts of the green onions, nutritional yeast, crushed garlic, avocado, white wine vinegar, lemon juice and zest, 2 tablespoons water, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Blend until smooth and creamy, then set aside.
- Assemble Salad: To the cooled pasta, add the rinsed chickpeas, diced or shredded cabbage, sliced cucumbers, and the thinly sliced green parts of the green onions. Pour the green goddess dressing over the salad and toss everything together until evenly coated.
- Season and Serve: Taste the salad and add more kosher salt if necessary to balance flavors. Serve immediately for the freshest taste and best texture.
Notes
- Salt your pasta water generously to enhance the flavor of the pasta and the overall salad.
- Use an avocado that is ripe with a slight give but not overripe to maintain a vibrant green color in the salad longer.
- Feel free to experiment with fresh, seasonal herbs in the dressing to customize flavors to your liking.
- For added protein, consider using protein-rich pastas such as lentil or bean-based varieties.
