Vegan Green Goddess Pasta Salad

Name: Green Goddess Pasta Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 16 ounces pasta; Kosher salt and ground pepper (to taste); 1/2 small head of green cabbage (diced); 1 mall head of broccoli (small chopped); 15 ounces jar artichokes (one jar, drained well); 1 bunch fresh basil; 1/3 cup tahini; 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 1 garlic clove; 1 lemon (juiced)

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This vegan Green Goddess Pasta Salad is so good, easy to make, tasty, and the perfect side dish to take to any event. Filling and ready in under 30 minutes.

You may also like my Crab pasta salad recipe.

top view green pasta salad with green veggies

This Green Goddess pasta salad is a fresh and flavorful dish that’s perfect for summer. It’s made with a variety of fresh herbs, like basil, pesto, garlic, and some green veggies, which gives it its vibrant green color and delicious taste. The Green Goddess dressing is typically made with a homemade pesto sauce, and broccoli and artichoke are added to it to give it a crunchy and fiber. It is a great side dish for barbecues, picnics, or potlucks, and it’s easy to make in large batches to feed a crowd.

Recipe summary

Versatile: Vegan pasta salad can be customized to your taste preferences. You can add your favorite vegetables, like cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, or cucumbers, for a fresh and colorful dish.
Tasty, convenient, and perfect for potlucks: This pasta salad is packed with flavor, tasty, and great to take with you to events as a side dish.

top view green pasta salad with broccoli, artichoke and cabbage

Ingredients needed

Below is a list of ingredients you will need to make this salad. Full measurements are listed further down below in the recipe card.

ingredients to make green goddess salad with pasta.

Pasta: use any pasta of your choice
Green Cabbage: do use green cabbage and not red/purple
Kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste
Head of broccoli: use fresh and not wilted broccoli with yellow spots
Artichoke: in jars or cans
For the homemade pesto sauce, you will need fresh basil, tahini, apple cider vinegar, garlic clove, and one lemon.

How to make Green Goddess Pasta Salad

Start by cooking the pasta in salted water according to the package directions.
Once the pasta is done to al dente, drain and run under cold water, then set aside in a large bowl.

While the pasta cooks, make the pesto sauce. Place all the ingredients in a
food processor and pulse until creamy. Set aside in a jar.

cooked pasta. chopped cabbage, and chopped broccoli, in a round white bowl

To the bowl with the pasta, add the cabbage, broccoli, and artichokes.
Add the pesto sauce and toss to combine.

pesto added over a bowl of pasta, broccoli, shredded cabbage

Tips from my kitchen

Use any pasta of your choice. I do recommend you use short-shaped pasta and not linguine.
Only use green cabbage not red
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Use homemade pesto or store bought. I have a non-vegan homemade pesto sauce recipe you can try.
For non-vegans, you may add some shredded chicken or grilled chicken.
You may freeze pasta salads. The veggies will not be fresh and crunchy once thawed

Frequently asked questions

How long does veggie pasta salad last in the fridge?

It depends on the ingredients being used to make the pasta salad. Cooked veggie pasta can last in the refrigerator for up to 5 days if it’s stored in an airtight container.

Why is pasta salad better the next day?

One of the reasons why pasta salad is better the next day is that the flavors have had time to meld: As the pasta salad sits in the refrigerator, the flavors of the ingredients have time to blend together. This can enhance the overall taste and make the dish more flavorful.
Also, when pasta salad sits in the fridge till the next day, the pasta absorbs the dressing: When pasta salad is first made, the dressing may not fully coat the pasta. However, as it sits in the refrigerator, the pasta absorbs some of the dressing, which can make it more flavorful and moist.

Can you freeze pasta salad?

Freeze pasta salads for up to 3 months and thawed later to be enjoyed when needed. Some pasta salads are ok to freeze but I do not recommend freezing this pasta salad because once thawed, the veggies won’t be as fresh and crunchy but rather crunchy.