Chicken and Carrot Pasta Salad: A Delicious Paleo Recipe

Want a light, tasty and healthy lunch idea? Check out this, quick paleo salad recipe.

If you’re looking towards a Paleo diet, there are certain foods that you just come to accept will no longer be a part of your life – Fruity Pebbles, pizza, biscuits and gravy, pasta salad…  the list just goes and goes. We’re going to let you in on a little secret, though: there are Paleo versions of just about everything.

That’s right. The odds are that if you scavenge around on the Internet, you’ll find a Paleo recipe for all of the above-mentioned dishes, and much, much more.

So with winter breaking here in the northern hemisphere and hot weather fast approaching, this noodle-free pasta salad is a must for your collection of Paleo lunch recipes. Zesty lemon, cool cilantro, tangy vinegar, buttery olive oil, vibrant raw vegetables, and savory chicken. This paleo salad recipe is a delicious and nourishing summertime meal! Pair this dish with kombucha or lemonade and enjoy on a picnic with friends for a perfect summer afternoon.

It can be difficult to fit in the colorful array of vegetables we need daily, but this pasta salad offers a plethora of vitamins and minerals and fulfills one’s daily vegetable requirements if a full portion is enjoyed! Another wonderful aspect of this recipe is that it can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge, ready to be spooned out and enjoyed or packed for lunch.

This recipe serves 2-3 people adequately and is made with common ingredients likely to be found in the kitchen of any Paleo enthusiast (or lover of whole foods in general). You can omit the chicken making this meal purely vegetarian, or you could try different meats (chunks of ham would be tasty!). Go full Greek mode by replacing the cilantro with parsley or oregano, adding some kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, and garnishing with feta cheese. The variations are as wide as your imagination and preferences, so have fun!

A lot of folks shy away from making vegetable noodles because they don’t have a spiralizer, but there’s good news! You can just use a vegetable peeler (as we did in this recipe) and achieve nearly the same effect, or use spaghetti squash which tends to noodle itself!

Okay! We won’t keep you waiting any longer. Time to make what’s sure to become one of your favorite summer Paleo salad recipes. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 T butter
• 2 T lemon peel
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 t garlic powder)
• 2 cucumbers
• 3 carrots
• ½ onion, chopped
• 1 c grape tomatoes, cut in half
• ½ c black or green olives, cut in half
• 1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
• ¼ c extra-virgin olive oil
• juice from 1 lemon (about 2 T)
• 1 t apple cider vinegar
• ½ t sea salt
• ¼ t black pepper
• ½ t red pepper flakes

Procedure

1.  In a pan on the stovetop, heat 1 T butter.

2.  Add chicken, lemon peel and garlic. Stir-fry on med-high heat.

3.  Meanwhile, peel or spiralize the cucumbers and carrots into a large bowl.

4. Add cherry tomatoes, olives, onion, and cilantro.

5. Next, add olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Toss to incorporate all ingredients.

6. By this time your chicken should be cooked thoroughly and ready to add to the salad bowl.

7.  Stir one last time to mix all flavors, sprinkle with sea salt.

8.  Serve garnished with red pepper flakes.

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