10+ Glorious Green Recipes for St. Paddy's Day
Eating your greens is always important, but on St. Patrick’s Day, you're eating healthy AND trying not to get pinched. Discover some of our sweet and savory green recipes fit for a festive St. Patrick’s Day, from breakfast to dinner to dessert, and everything green in between!
Photo Courtesy of Co+op
Pineapple Green Smoothie
Simple smoothies are often the best, and this dreamy-greeny one is made of just 5 simple ingredients. As always, if you want a little boost of protein, toss in a scoop of Co-op Whey protein powder!
Ingredients
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
4 cups spinach leaves, washed
1 cup pineapple chunks, drained
1 medium frozen banana, sliced
Directions
Place ingredients in a blender in the following order: milk, yogurt, spinach, pineapple and banana, and secure the lid. Blend on high until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve immediately.
Recipe and photo adapted from Co+op
Spring Pea Pesto
Bright green and featuring fresh spring peas, this pesto pasta celebrates the start of spring and St. Paddy’s all in one dish. Add a dash of parm to the top for a hint of salt!
Ingredients
1 cup peas, fresh or thawed if frozen
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 scallion, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Place the peas, mint, zest and scallions in a food processor bowl. Process, scraping down as needed to make a smooth puree. Add the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil and process until well mixed.
Transfer to a storage tub or bowl or stir directly into hot pasta.
Photo Courtesy of Sally’s Baking Addiction
Vanilla Bean St. Patrick’s Day Cookies
A shamrock-shaped cookie is the luckiest way to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day with kids, especially if they help decorate with natural green frosting and sugary sprinkles!
Soft and chewy with a decadent buttercream frosting, the hint of vanilla bean gives them a little something extra to elevate an already-delicous sugar cookie.
P.S. To avoid food colorings, skip to the bottom of this article to see our recommendations for natural green dye alternatives.
Photo Courtesy of Once Upon a Chef
Green Goddess Dressing
Bright green and packed with fresh herbs, garlic, and lemon, Green Goddess dressing is a great way to dress up your early spring salad with a burst of bright, fresh flavor. It’s easy to whip up in a food processor, too!
Roughly chopped parsley, basil, chives, tarragon, and garlic are blitzed with mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper until smooth. That’s it!
Use it as a dip on a St. Paddy’s veggie and cheese charcuterie or drizzle it over your dinner salad!
Photo Courtesy of Love & Olive Oil
Matcha Amaretti Cookies
With its unbelievably bright hue, matcha is a great green dye alternative and has a rich, earthy taste that pairs well with sweets.
Amaretti cookies have a crinkly exterior and a tender, moist center reminiscent of a macaron. They’re chewy and offer a mild, versatile base that can be accentuated with a number of flavors, including bold matcha!
You’ll need just 8 simple baking ingredients, with the main ingredient being almond flour, making these cookies gluten-free, too!
Photo Courtesy of Feasting at Home
Thai Green Curry Noodle Soup
A rainy St. Paddy’s calls for a big bowl of green soup!
This Thai green curry noodle soup is a simple, easy dinner to enjoy on a weeknight and is packed full of good-for-you greens and Thai flavors like curry, coconut, and fish sauce.
Toss in some shredded Co-op chicken or tofu for a boost of protein.
More Green Recipes for St. Patrick’s Day
Grasshopper Pie from Girl vs. Dough
Green Mac and Cheese from Heather Christo
Easy Green Juice from Downshiftology
Easy St. Patrick’s Day Dessert Parfait from Sugar and Soul
Green Food Dye Alternatives
After perusing this list of green recipes, particularly the desserts, you may find yourself reluctant to make something that calls for artificial green food dye. Good news! There are a number of natural alternatives to achieve that deep green color you’re after.
Watkins Natural Food Coloring
Colored with spirulina and turmeric, the green dye in Watkins Natural Food Coloring kit is the closest substitute you can get for artificial green dye!
Spirulina
Spoiler alert: spirulina is what the Co-op Bakery uses for green coloring in our St. Paddy’s desserts! Add a scoop of spirulina to plain icing to give it a greenish-blue hue.
Spinach - Our favorite option
Eat your greens and use them as a natural food dye, too! Remove the stems from 2 cups of spinach and rinse them before pouring some boiling water over the spinach to wilt it. Once cooled, puree it in a blender with dash of water until smooth. Add it to your prepared icing in small amounts until you get the desired color.
For even more natural green dye ideas, Serious Eats did an extensive green dye experiment with some helpful tips for getting the greenest green without the artificial colors.