I am mildly obsessed with arugula so I will hammer my love of arugula home with one and final arugula recipe – for a while anyway. This salad has similar components to my favorite “go to” chicken salad but with the yummy smokey addition of arugula and a few other ingredients. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Amazing Arugula Chicken Salad
4 cooked chicken breast diced
2 cups shredded green cabbage
6 cups fresh arugula
1 organic apple diced
6 strips of nitrate free bacon diced
3 tbsp dried rosemary
4 1/2 oz julienned sun dried tomatoes with olive oil
3 green onions diced
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
Small handful of sliced almonds
Olive oil and black pepper to taste
In a large mixing bowl toss in the arugula, cabbage, apple, and onion. While the chicken and bacon are still warm, add these items to the bowl as well. Top with the sun dried tomatoes, lemon juice, rosemary, and any additional olive oil and black pepper to taste. Toss the ingredients all together and serve immediately topped with a small handful of sliced almonds.
Enjoy!
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Hi! I LOVE your website! I’m not a full-fledged paleo eater yet, but I’m seriously considering making the move soon. I’m curious – why do you use nitrate-free bacon? I’ve never heard of it before now, although I’m assuming it’s healthier. Also, do you ever have cheat days/meals/foods? Thanks! Keep the recipes and great photos coming! You’re an inspiration.
Brittany
Hi Brittany! I’m so glad you like my website, thank you! : ) I use nitrate and nitrite free bacon because nitrite is a nasty preservative that has been suspected for years to be linked to causing cancer. It’s food in most processed our cured meats like lunch meat, hot dogs, sausages and bacon. Fortunately, you can find nitrate free bacon from Trader Joe’s and also from health food stores, and I am lucky enough to have a friend who’s family has a pig farm so we buy meat directly from the source that has no nasty additives! As far as “cheat” meals, I don’t really plan a cheat day or a cheat meal. I never cheat with anything that has gluten in it. I do not have horrible food intolerances but I do feel pretty awful if I eat wheat so it’s just not worth it to me. I love ice cream and mexican food so now and then I’ll have enchiladas with corn tortillas or nachos and when we feel like it we’ll go out for some ice cream, but honestly, I have been eating paleo for so long now I really prefer the paleo foods that I ate over anything else – so I eat what I want to when I want to eat it but the majority of the time I stick to strict paleo. Keep me posted on how things go for you!
Sarah
Beautiful salad! I’m inspired to make it.
Hey Sarah,
I am moving to Texas from Kentucky this week and we will be driving for about 2 days. Any tips on paleo while on the road? It just seems a bit harder to stick to while traveling. Thanks for any suggestions.
Brittany D.
Hey Brittany!
Pack gluten free beef jerky, nuts, fruit, and if you can bring a cooler stock it with sliced chicken, turkey and sliced veggies. If you have to stop and eat at a restaurant, look for mexican food and order fajitas without the tortillas and guacamole. Or if you go to an american food joint get a burger without the bun, or chicken breast, or steak and salad, and ask for olive oil and lemon wedge for dressing. Don’t be afraid to be picky at restaurants, and pack lots of food so you don’t feel famished on the road. I hope this helps!
Hey Sarah! Thanks for the recipe! I thought of you as I was mowing the lawn this morning….low and behold….the arugala had gone to seed and the sprinkler washed the seeds into the lawn and now it is coming up full force. Nothing like doing the chores with the smell of fresh cut arugala..ahh. Guess I will have to go pick the rest and try your beautiful salad! NBurke
Sarah,
Thank you so much for creating this website! You have been the inspiration for dinner in our house more often than not lately! Normally I hear the word salad and think “ugh” but this one was amazing! My picky 11 year old even ate it. Thank you thank you thank you for your inspiration!
Jill
Thanks Sarah!
Hi Sarah,
greets from a fellow Paleo eater and Cross Fit trainer in The netherlands.
I love this salad and am going to try this tomorrow for my lunch.
I was wondering whether it would be possible to subscribe to your site? You know, so that I’d get an e-mail infoming me of new posts?
Thanks a lot for the inspiration. the pictures rock too
Thanks Carla! So glad you found the site – and glad you found the rss feed – I need to make it more obvious! LOL!! Keep in touch!
Never mind! i found it 🙂
HI Sarah,
I have a more genereral paleo question…
I found your site a while back and then went from here to giving crossfit a closer look And really really liking what I see! So now with me getting my fist timid buttercup WODs in, I would like to do someting about the nutrition… I didi read something about Zone, and paleo and am still torn, but here is my question…
Do you just eat as much as you fell like with paleo or do you also check portion sizes? I am wondering if it does make such a big impact if you just eat all you want (but Much more REAL Food) – weight wise… I need to loose a few pounds still…
Hoping to find a Crossfit Box in my area ( germany is sadly under represented as affiliates go…
YOur site Rocks
keep up the good work!
Cheers from Germany,
Dagmar
Hi Dagmar!
I am a huge fan of paleo (not weighing and measuring) for several factors. #1 reason, eating paleo focuses on eating clean, unprocessed foods, while weighing and measuring often does not include quality food choices but rather just a prescription for the amounts of macronutrients one should consume. If you are eating a strict paleo diet, it’s really hard to “over eat”. People tend to stuff themselves on addicting carb and sugar filled foods like pizza, french fries, cookies, etc. I have never seen or heard of anyone gorging out on chicken and salad! What I do recommend if you are trying to lose weight while eating paleo is to not over do it on fruit consumption, only eat yams after a workout, and do not munch on nuts all day long. Yes, you should watch your portion sizes (like I mentioned – avoid eating an entire bag of almonds and 1/2 a watermelon) but during regular meals, eat a good chunk of protein, tons of veggies, and some healthy fat like avocado, olive oil, or coconut milk/oil, and you’ll be good to go. You should not be hungry! I hope this helps and keep me posted on how things go for you!
Hi Sarah,
I enjoy your website and all your ideas for meals. Thanks so much. Just wondering like this salad is huge. Is this the size you make for your family of 5? Are the recipes usually made to feed all your family and if it is one or two people that eat paleo should I scale it down a bit?
We have family in Chico and now feel you are sort of extended family!!!
Hugs,
Becky
Hi Becky,
Yes, typically my recipes are made to feed my entire family, but leftovers are so great to help you be prepared for the next days meals but if you want to scale them back, just cut the recipes in half! : )
I’m typing this one up and adding it to my meal plan/recipe book for home! (With credit to you, of course.) Thanks for the idea. I’ve been stuck in Iraq for a year and I can’t wait to get home and cook some good-for-me food!
Hi Kasi! Hope you are coming home soon – and thank you so much for your service, I can’t wait for you to have some good-for-you food too!! : )
Just found your website, I’m diggin’ it! I love arugula too so I will be trying this recipe soon.