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43 Festive Green Foods To Enjoy On St. Patrick’s Day

Consider these your "something green".

By and
beef and rice stuffed poblano peppers with cheese
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE; FOOD STYLING BARRETT WASHBURNE

Picture this: It's St. Patrick’s Day, and you've got that friend or coworker you KNOW is going to call out that you're not wearing the traditional green. We’ll argue that it’s childish, but we’re still not keen on getting pinched. If you want to avoid the whole rigmarole (especially if, like us, you’re not even sure if you own anything green), show off with one of these 45 green food recipes instead! A matcha-hazelnut mochi donut in hand is a surefire delicious way to keep you safe and well-fed this St. Patrick's Day. 😉

Spring is all about fresh produce, and there’s tons of herbs and leafy greens to choose from to turn your food the perfect seasonal hue. You can celebrate with everything from our green goddess soup to our chickpea Florentine flatbread to our beef & rice stuffed poblano peppers, with tons of naturally green foods in between. You could pack a perfectly green lunch, like our herby baked falafel (tucked in some homemade pita maybe?), our vegan pasta salad, or our rainbow collard green wraps. We also love putting greens into unexpected meals like our green eggs & ham or our green shakshuka to turn them St. Patrick’s Day-appropriate too.

And don’t worry, if you’ve got some green food dye you’re just itching to use, we’ve got you too. Check out our mint chocolate chip cookies, our St. Patrick's Day cake, or our mint chip lasagna for ideas, then feel free to try adding it (start slowly!) to any of your fave desserts.

We've also included some fun green drinks here that are perfect for celebrating with. Check out our Midori sour, our green beer, our copycat Shamrock Shake, or our Shamrockaritas and save everyone you share them with from a pinch-filled fate. Does it count if you’ve only drank something wildly green? We think so.

And we can’t forget about our favorite naturally green fruit: avocado! Stick it in anything from avocado pancakes to avocado popsicles to avocado butter for foods that are the perfect shade of pale green. If all else fails, you can always just make some guacamole (or another avocado-based dip, we’ve got a few).

For more seasonal inspiration, check out all of our favorite Irish drinks, Irish side dishes, and easy Irish desserts. You’re sure to find more luck among them.

1

Chickpea Florentine Flatbread

chickpea florentine flatbread with cream, spinach, and parmesan
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

If you love cream of spinach dip, chickpea anything, creamy white pizza, and lots of melty cheeses, you’re going to love this spin on a traditional flatbread. Best part? Because most pre-made flatbreads come in a package of two, this is the easiest app to make for a last-minute shindig.

Get the Chickpea Florentine Flatbread recipe.

2

Rainbow Collard Green Wraps

collard green wrap filled with shredded purple cabbage, grated carrots, yellow bell pepper, avocado, alfalfa sprouts and red sauerkraut
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

Just about every color of the rainbow can be found in these simple collard green wraps featuring colorful bunches of shredded purple cabbage, carrots, yellow bell peppers, sliced avocado, alfalfa sprouts, and crimson red sauerkraut all rolled into big collard green leaves like a burrito. Consider tomorrow's lunch SORTED.

Get the Rainbow Collard Green Wraps recipe.

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3

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

green colored cookies with chocolate chips
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

You could make a regular chocolate chip cookie, but why would you keep it basic when you can add a minty green twist? Mint chocolate chip fans, it's time to skip the pint of ice cream—these cookies are the easy dessert you should be making.

Get the Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe.

4

Southern Collard Greens

collard greens with smoked turkey
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

We have to agree with chef Millie Peartree: There’s nothing quite like Southern collard greens. All you need are a couple of hours, a handful of staple ingredients, smoked turkey, and your collard greens, of course, for an easy side (or meal on its own!) you can serve all year long.

Get the Southern Collard Greens recipe.

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5

Copycat Trader Joe's Green Goddess Salad Dressing

copycat trader joe's green goddess dressing
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: BARRETT WASHBURNE

Trader Joe’s Green Goddess salad dressing is a forever fave, and it's no wonder it's often out of stock—it's fresh with bright lemon flavor and creaminess (thanks avocado!). Now, you can make it at home, and never have to rely on TJ's to get your fix.

Get the Copycat Trader Joe's Green Goddess Salad Dressing recipe.

6

Pesto Chicken

pesto chicken
PHOTO: LUCY SCHAEFFER; FOOD STYLING: SPENCER RICHARDS

Ready in under an hour, this chicken breast recipe gets a flavorful upgrade with homemade pesto and melty cheese. Looking for an easy date night dinner to impress? Look no further!

Get the Pesto Chicken recipe.

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7

Basic Pesto

basic pesto with flaky salt, parmesan, and basil

Once you’ve mastered our classic recipe and ratios, you can experiment to your heart's desire to complete all your favorite pasta recipes, appetizers, and weeknight dinners. Put the store-bought jar down.

Get the Basic Pesto recipe.

8

Avocado Butter

whipped green avocado butter in a yellow ramekin
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

We're big fans of the classic avocado toast, but if you're looking to take this breakfast staple over the top, turn to this easy, creamy avocado butter. Keep it simple on toast with a little everything bagel seasoning like we did here, or add it to anything and everything you like.

Get the Avocado Butter recipe.

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9

Shamrockaritas

light green shamrockarita cocktail in a sugar rimmed glass with an apple slice shaped like a shamrock as garnish
PHOTO: KATE JORDAN; FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER

Margarita lovers, rejoice! The Shamrockarita has arrived. Backed with tequila and lime, then spiked with sour apple liqueur, this festive take on the classic cocktail will add the perfect flair to your St. Patrick’s Day party.

Get the Shamrockaritas recipe.

10

Midori Sour

midori sour with melon balls and cherries
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: SPENCER RICHARDS

Midori is a neon green, melon-flavored Japanese liqueur that made its way to U.S. popularity in the neon-crazed 1980s. It’s light and a little sweet, with plenty of bubbles to keep each sip interesting. This fizzy, tangy, bright green drink is as refreshing as it is fun to look at—expand your repertoire with this classic cocktail today.

Get the Midori Sour recipe.

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11

Pistachio Cake

closeup of pistachio cake with a slice missing on a blue plate
Joel goldberg

To make this cake, ground pistachios are added in with the flour, giving it a nutty flavor, a little extra texture, and a slightly green springy hue. It's made perfect with a touch of cardamom and a light amount of cream cheese frosting. Mmm.

Get the Pistachio Cake recipe.

12

Green Smoothie

green smoothie blended in a glass
PHOTO: LUCY SCHAEFFER; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

For those mornings when we really need to get a boost of greens, we turn to this perfect green smoothie. Packed with good-for-you fruits and veggies, this drink has everything you need to keep you full and energized till lunch. Plus, it's downright delicious.

Get the Green Smoothie recipe.

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13

Beef & Rice Stuffed Poblano Peppers

beef and rice stuffed poblano peppers with cheese
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE; FOOD STYLING BARRETT WASHBURNE

We love a stuffed pepper recipe, and have stuffed bell peppers with all sorts of fillings and in all manners of ways. We’ve even unstuffed them in this casserole skillet. All worthy of a try, but our new favorite version is switching up the bell peppers and stuffing green, slightly spicy poblano peppers instead.

Get the Beef & Rice Stuffed Poblano Peppers recipe.

14

Mochi Donuts

mochi pon de ring donuts in assorted flavors
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Get ready for your next food obsession. Mochi donuts, also called pon de ring donuts, are a crispy, springy, sweet treat that combines the chewy texture of Japanese mochi with the crispy fried goodness of the American donut.

Get the Mochi Donuts recipe.

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15

Herby Baked Falafel Bites With Spicy Tahini Dip

green baked falafel next to tahini mint dip on a pink plate
EMILY HLAVAC GREEN

Pistachios, mint, cilantro, dill, and parsley combine to turn these bright green! Bonus: These falafel are baked, not fried, for less mess.

Get the Herby Baked Falafel Bites with Mint Tahini Dip recipe.

16

Copycat McDonald's Shamrock Shake

green shake in a glass with whipped cream, a cherry, and a green straw
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

If your St. Patrick’s Day tradition involves a stop at the nearest drive-through for a cold minty milkshake, this is your lucky year: You can now whip up your favorite fast-food order right at home.

Get the Copycat McDonald's Shamrock Shake recipe.

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17

Super Green Pasta Salad

vegan macaroni salad with spinach, edamame, avocado, and pepitas
ERIK BERNSTEIN

It’s not so hard to eat your greens when they come in vegan pasta salad form. Sweet baby spinach is great here, but peppery arugula or tender baby kale would work well too.

Get the Super Green Pasta Salad recipe.

18

Mint Chip Lasagna

square slice of mint chip lasagna with a bite out of it on a white plate
PARKER FEIERBACH

Mint chocolate lovers will lose their minds over this no-bake summer dessert. We used mint Oreos, but if you already have the classic kind on hand, feel free to use those instead. Adding mint extract to the cheesecake layer is what's absolutely key.

Get the Mint Chip Lasagna recipe.

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19

Green Spaghetti

dish, food, cuisine, noodle, trenette, bigoli, spaghetti, taglierini, ingredient, bucatini,
PARKER FEIERBACH

Poblanos and cilantro turn this pasta perfectly green! Feel free to reduce the amount of poblanos to 2 or 3, supplementing with roasted green bell pepper instead if you're not a fan of spice.

Get the Green Spaghetti recipe.

20

Green Goddess Soup

green goddess soup garnished with yogurt and olive oil drizzle, sliced almonds, and sliced avocado
PHOTO: JOEL GOLDBERG; FOOD STYLING: HADLEY SUI

While most green goddess dressings rely on mayonnaise and one to two herbs for their creaminess and pale green color, we achieve the same flavor profile by using kale, cauliflower, 4 different herbs, and just a touch of Greek yogurt. The result is a vibrant green soup that’s pretty much a garden in a bowl.

Get the Green Goddess Soup recipe.

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