One of my favorite parts of summer is all the delicious salads! All the fresh veggies and fruit has endless possibilities of possibilities for salad, which is why I love salad so much. There is no better time to enjoy a big bowl of salad than in the summer months! This Kale Caesar Pasta Salad takes no time to make and is protein-packed- making it the perfect meal-sized salad.
This salad is completely dairy-free and gluten-free depending on what kind of pasta you use. I like using Banza chickpea pasta for a little extra protein. However, you can always use whatever pasta you like best! The dairy-free Caesar dressing is one that I use on so many salads and as a marinade.
While this salad might not be my typical recipe because it is not Whole30 compatible, it is perfect for your food freedom. It hits all those food groups for a meal: protein, veggies, and fat. There is tons of protein in here with the chickpea pasta and chicken! While the dressing makes a great added fat to your plate because it is made with tahini.
Pack this for lunch or just as an easy dinner! Whenever you eat it, you are surely going to enjoy this delicious salad. Pro tip for enjoying a salad: always eat it in a large bowl, it just tastes better!
Tips for Kale Caesar Pasta Salad:
- Use any pasta that you like. It can be gluten-free, grain-free, or just regular pasta.
- This saves great if you want leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day.
- If you want it to last all week, keep the dressing on the side until you are ready to eat.
- If you want this meal to be plant-based, you can always leave out the chicken.
If you are looking for another salad that makes a great meal, check out this Pizza Salad.
Kale Caesar Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/4 cup Tahini I use Artisana Organics
- 1/4 cup Avocado Mayo I use Chosen Foods
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1/2 Lemon juiced
- 1 tbsp Garlic minced
- 1 tsp Fish sauce I use Red Boat
- 1 tsp Coconut aminos
- 1 tsp Water
- 1/4 tsp Red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper
Salad
- 4 cups Kale chopped
- 1 box Pasta I use Banza pasta
- 1 Cooked Chicken Breast chopped or shredded
Instructions
- Boil a pot of water and cook pasta according to the box.
- While pasta is cooking, combine all of the dressing ingredients into a jar and whisk until smooth.
- Rough chop the kale and chicken. Add these ingredients to a bowl.
- When the pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse with cold water until it is cool to the touch. Add the pasta to the bowl with kale and chicken.
- Pour over your desired amount of dressing to the salad and mix until everything is evenly coated.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Use any pasta that you like. It can be gluten-free, grain-free, or just regular pasta.
- This saves great if you want leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day.
- If you want it to last all week, keep the dressing on the side until you are ready to eat.
- If you want this meal to be plant-based, you can always leave out the chicken.
