4 Naturally Green Dishes for St. Patrick's Day
By: Leah Rodrigues
Published: March 12, 2015

Festive St. Patrick's Day foods are usually tinted with food coloring to give them a bright emerald green hue.  While there is nothing wrong with those recipes or foods (I mean who doesn't love a green velvet cupcake or shamrock shaped cookie?), there should always be balance on the table.  These naturally green dishes take advantage of viridescent ingredients to create dishes that are both delicious and fun. 
Green Smoothie
Photo Credit: Stacy Spensley
A green smoothie can be deceiving because while it is packed with tons of vitamins and nutrients, some recipes call for fruit juice which also contains a lot of sugar.  You do not have to worry about this trickery with this particular smoothie.  It is made by blending two frozen bananas, fresh kale, fresh avocado, almond milk, ice, dates, almond butter, hemp seeds, chia seeds and spirulina (optional) together until smooth.   The finished product is a thick emerald-hued drink that will get you pumped to start your day.

Split Pea Soup with Bacon
Recipe from Hip Pressure Cooking
Split pea soup with bacon is a homey meal that the whole family will love.  This version is prepared in a pressure cooker seamlessly.  Normally, split peas become too gummy in a pressure cooker but if you are careful and follow the precautions outlined in the recipe, smokey split pea soup can be on the menu regularly

Spinach Hummus
Recipe from Kitchen Treaty
Throwing a St. Patrick's Day party, this spinach hummus is a must-have on the menu.  Not is it bright green but it is tasty too.  If you do not have time to make hummus from scratch, pick up a plain flavored one from the store and blend in the spinach.  Serve this delicious dip with carrot sticks and pita chips.

Zucchini Pesto Pasta
Recipe from 8th and Lake
Light and crunchy, zucchini noodle pasta is the perfect dish to enjoy on warm spring days.  To make the corkscrew shaped noodles you will need a spiralizer.  If you do not want to bother with another kitchen gadget, you can always shave long thin slices with a vegetable peeler.  The noodles are slightly warmed in a saute pan before being mixed with the fresh pesto.