Low Carb Keto Zoodle Salad

Summer Zoodle Salad is the best healthy recipe using raw spiralized zucchini, homemade low carb dressing, cheese, Italian meats, and veggies. Low carb pasta salad has never tasted so good!

Have you ever seen zucchini noodles in the grocery store and thought “Hmmm…what can I make with those?” Maybe you have seen the classic zucchini noodles with tomato sauce and meatballs, or even a shrimp scampi with zoodles. 

But did you know that zoodles are so much more versatile than that?? You can make so many dishes with them including pasta salads!! Zucchini noodles don’t have to be cooked, so eating them raw in a cold salad is delicious! 

This particular zoodle pasta salad recipe resembles an Antipasto Salad. The taste and flavors bring me back to sitting at Dominick’s on Arthur Ave in the Bronx. If you have eaten there before then you know exactly what I’m talking about. But if you haven’t eaten there, then let me tell you, they have this beyond delicious Antipasto salad served family-style. It’s to die for!

So this recipe was my way of recreating their salad while adding my own low carb spin on it. I hope you all enjoy it! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts about this zoodle salad recipe.

What is Zoodle Salad?

Traditional pasta salad turned keto!! Zoodle salad is zucchini that is spiralized into noodles with meat, cheese, veggies, and a delicious homemade zesty Italian dressing. 

Now one of the best things about zoodle salad is that you can add whatever you want in yours. The options are endless based on your tastebuds. It takes only a few minutes to prepare and can be an entire meal all in one bowl.

Is Zucchini Noodle Salad Keto?

Simply put….YES!!!! This zucchini noodle salad is 100% keto-friendly. With zucchini noodles being the base, then meats and cheese on top it makes a great keto meal. For 1 Cup it’s just 4.3 NET CARBS. I hope that this keto pasta salad will make it on your summer recipe list, I’ve been making it at least once a week.

What Ingredients are in Low Carb Pasta Salad

Salad Ingredients

• Zucchini Noodles – Make your own zucchini noodles with a spiralizer, don’t buy the ones already spiralized in the grocery store. They end up being too watery and mushy. Plus it’s way cheaper to buy your own zucchini and spiralize it yourself.  
• Salami – Dry salami is what we used, but you can use a spicy one if you like to have the kick. Salami is a classic Italian meat. 
• Pepperoni – Another classic protein to have on an antipasto salad. 
• Black Olives – I like using black olives, but you can use any kind that you like. 
• Artichoke Hearts – Canned artichoke hearts work just fine. You can use marinated artichoke hearts if you want, but double-check the nutrition facts on the jar in case there are any hidden carbs or added sugar to help preserve them. 
• Provolone Cheese – Sharp provolone is the best. Buy it in a block and cut it into small bite-sized chunks. 

Dressing Ingredients

• Olive Oil – The base for our Italian dressing
• Lemon Juice – I use fresh lemon juice but bottled is ok if that’s all you have. 
• Vinegar – Apple cider vinegar is keto, paleo, and whole30 compliant. 
• Italian Seasoning – I like the taste of Italian seasoning, but if you don’t have it you can use a combo of dried basil, oregano, rosemary, or thyme.

Can I Substitute Zucchini with Another Vegetable?

I would say that zucchini is the best and most versatile vegetable to spiralize. But there are other veggies that you could use instead to make a spiralized zucchini salad: 

• Summer squash (yellow squash) – This is going to resemble zucchini the most in flavor, texture, and versatility. 
• Cucumbers – I know right, who would have thought you could ever spiralize a cucumber. It’s delicious. 
• Beets – Beets can definitely be spiralized, but doesn’t go well with this particular recipe. Spiralize your beets and roast them, then add some goat cheese, arugula, and pecans.

Different Variations Zoodle Salad

Honestly, the possibilities are endless when making zoodle salads and can be tailored or altered according to your likes and dislikes. Here are some ideas on how to change up this low carb pasta salad:

Other Add-Ins

• Marinated mushrooms 
• Roasted red peppers 
• Pepperoncini peppers
• Roasted garlic cloves
• Kalamata olives
• Green olives
• Cucumbers
• Nuts – pecans, walnuts, almonds
• Jalapenos

Meat Options

• Chicken 
• Spicy Sopressata 
• Prosciutto
• Pancetta
• Bacon

Cheese Options

• Parmesan 
• Mozzarella 
• Feta 
• Goat Cheese
• Cheddar

Now that you know how to adjust this zoodle pasta salad now let me share with you other zoodle pasta salad ideas. By the way, these are my top favorites: 

• Thai Zoodle Salad – Poached chicken, cabbage, bean sprouts, carrots, and a peanut sauce. 
• Caprese Zucchini Noodle Salad – Fresh tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella balls. 
• Greek Zoodle Salad – Feta, cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, greek dressing.

Best Dressing for Low Carb Pasta Salad

I made my own dressing for this zoodle salad which is:

Italian Dressing:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning 

That being said you can alter my recipe for a low carb pasta salad if you want. Feel free to add salt, pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, greek seasoning instead of Italian seasoning. 

Another dressing that would work is our:

Cilantro Lime Dressing:

• ⅔ cup fresh lime juice
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp dijon mustard 
• 2 tsp powdered swerve (optional) 

Add 2-4 tablespoons to your zucchini noodle salad.

Can I Eat Zoodle Salad without Dressing?

Sure, absolutely you can eat this zoodle pasta salad without dressing! If you don’t like vinegar, which I know some of our readers don’t, then you can choose to leave the vinegar out, or you can not dress the salad at all. It’s totally up to your taste buds.

Preparing Zucchini Noodles for Keto Pasta Salad

Preparing zucchini noodles is beyond easy!!! I was intimidated at first, but I quickly learned that making zoodles is a sinch. 

First things first, do you own a spiralizer?? If not, here is a good one you can get. Trust me you won’t regret it. It’s inexpensive and beyond easy to use. 

Ok now that you have your spiralizer let’s get started. 

1. Place the spiralizer on the counter and turn the clamp so the spiralizer clamps to the counter and doesn’t move. Choose your blade and insert it. I like to use the spaghetti blade for my zoodles. 
2. Cut the 2 ends off of the zucchini. Place the zucchini in the spiralizer and start turning the handle. Keep spinning the handle until you reach the end of the zucchini. You will end up with a pile full of zucchini noodles. See that’s it…super easy!

For a more in-depth look, read our Complete Guide to Making Zucchini Noodles where we show you 6 ways to make and cook them and a bunch of great recipes to use zoodles in.

How to Make Low Carb Zucchini Pasta Salad 

The zoodles are ready so let’s make our zucchini noodle salad. 

Salad

1. Chop the meats and the provolone cheese into small bite-sized pieces.
2. Then drain the cans of black olives and artichoke hearts, and cut into pieces, as well as cut the tomatoes. 

Once all your toppings are prepared we can assemble the salad.

1. In a large bowl add the zucchini noodles first.
2. Then add the cheese, meats, and other veggies.

I like to arrange them neatly in the bowl because I like the way it looks. But you can literally throw them in the bowl.

Dressing

1. In a small bowl combine the olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and Italian season.
2. Using either a small whisk or spoon and mix together. 
3. When ready to eat, pour the dressing over the salad and toss. Serve immediately.

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Best Tips for Keto Pasta Salad

A few tips I have for you when making a keto pasta salad:

• I highly suggest investing in a spiralizer. It makes your life much easier. 
• The toppings can be altered depending on your tastebuds and what you like and don’t like. 
• Other toppings can be: mushrooms, roasted red peppers, cucumbers, nuts, jalapenos, roasted garlic cloves, grilled chicken, marinated steak, mozzarella, feta, goat cheese, and the list goes on and on. 
• Zucchini noodles can be replaced with yellow squash noodles, cucumber noodles, or even beet noodles. 
• Feel free to leave the dressing out if you don’t like vinegar, or just drizzle olive oil and lemon juice instead. 
• This Keto zoodle salad can be prepared ahead of time, just wait to dress it until ready to eat. 
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, but it will get soggy after it sits for too long. 
• I do not recommend freezing this low carb zoodle pasta salad. It can be prepared in just 5 to 10 minutes so there’s no need to freeze ahead of time. 

Other Diets This Recipe is Good For

This zucchini noodle salad recipe is suitable for many different dietary restrictions and can be altered depending on your lifestyle. 

• Gluten-Free: A great gluten-free side dish or main meal to serve your family or guests. If using pre-packaged meats just always read the label first to ensure it’s gluten-free. I believe most are, but always a good idea to double-check. 
• Dairy-Free: I added cheese to this recipe, but if you are dairy-free then leave that ingredient out or use a vegan cheese. 
• Paleo & Whole30: Replace the salami and pepperoni with fresh chicken, pork, or beef. As you know paleo diets don’t include processed foods. Also, leave out the cheese and you have a great paleo or Whole30 recipe.

What to Serve with Low Carb Pasta Salad

So what can you serve this low carb zoodle salad with?  A few ideas: 

• BBQ Ribs – Serve this salad as a side dish with some delicious low carb BBQ Ribs. 
• Prime Rib Roast – Goes nicely with a medium-rare piece of juicy prime rib.
• Wings – In my house, we love having some wings and a salad for dinner, it just goes good together. Try these Buffalo Wings or Garlic Parmesan Wings. You won’t be sorry. 
• Keto Fried Chicken – Again zoodle pasta salad and Keto Fried Chicken sound so good right now. 
• Low Carb Meatloaf – Another great recipe to serve your low carb zoodle pasta salad with is Homemade Low Carb Meatloaf.

Make-Ahead/Meal Prep Tips

You can absolutely make this zoodle pasta salad ahead of time. But don’t add the dressing until you are just about to serve. You want the flavors to set in, but you don’t want it to sit and get soggy. No one likes a soggy low carb pasta salad…

How to Store Zoodle Salad

Store your leftover zoodle pasta salad in an air-tight container and place it in the fridge. It will last for a few days but may get a bit soggy due to the dressing, so just keep that mind when storing.

Can You Heat Low Carb Pasta Salad?

I really wouldn’t heat your low carb pasta salad leftovers. It will result is wet soggy zoodles, and does to the cheese in the salad your cheese will melt.

Now that being said, if that’s something you want then go for it. Everyone likes different things but I prefer mine to be a cold zucchini noodle salad.

Can You Freeze Zucchini Noodle Salad?

I don’t recommend freezing your leftover zucchini noodle salad. Seeing that it only takes a few minutes to make it’s really best when made fresh. Because it has so many different ingredients, it’s not really a good idea to freeze. 

You can have a fresh keto zucchini pasta salad in just minutes.

More Keto Recipes

If you’re in the mood for some other Low Carb Salads then try our:

• Keto Broccoli Salad
• Healthy Taco Salad with Ground Beef
• Keto Chicken Salad
• Low Carb Tuna Salad
• Keto Egg Salad

They all are Keto-friendly and low carb, and will be a hit at your next meal or party!

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