Warm Chicken Caesar Kale Salad with Spinach Tortellini & Zucchini

I was standing in the aisle of Trader Joes and saw their VEGAN CAESAR dressing and got an idea.

I am not even vegan, it just looked tasty, so I grabbed a bottle and threw it in my basket. This is the beauty of just eating for fun and nutrient density—anything goes!

I knew I had chicken thighs defrosting in the fridge. I hadn’t had kale in literally YEARS. I was so into in my early days of being a coach and then stopped eating it a few years ago and got really into spinach and arugula and the spring mix blend the last few years. TOO much into them, not enough variety.

So, I grabbed a bag of their shredded kale, too, which I have something to say about! They must be listening to customer feedback because it contained a lot less kale spines than usual. That’s another reason why I stopped buying it—those spines aren’t fun to chew!

Kale, check.

Chicken, check.

Dressing, check.

Zucchini? Sure, check. I’ll figure it out. More veggies make everything better.

OH! and spinach tortellini because it’s so good!

DISCLAIMER: I rarely post amounts for my cooking because I don’t keep track, I cook by intuition, and want to encourage you to trust your own intuition when you’re cooking based on your own needs and family size.

Warm Chicken Caesar Kale Salad with Spinach Tortellini & Zucchini

you need this:

chicken, diced (thighs or tenders or breasts, it’s up to you)

garlic, diced (one clove)

olive oil

zucchini, shredded

kale, freshly chopped

spinach tortellini (optional)

grated parmesan or shredded Italian cheese of choice

then do this:

1. add olive oil to a medium saute pan over medium heat until it’s warm

2. add the diced chicken and cook through

3. add diced garlic to chicken and cook until it’s browned

4. shred zucchini and add it to the pan with the chicken and garlic and cook down until softened

5. boil water in a small saucepan and add tortellini, cook until tender and remove from heat

6. in a large bowl, massage kale with a slight drizzle of olive oil

7. add the chicken mixture

8. drain the pasta and add to the salad and toss with salad dressing to taste

9. serve with freshly grated cheese of your choice! I enjoy the Italian Cheese blends from Whole Foods Market or Trader Joes

10. I always add fresh grated pepper and salt to my finished dishes instead of adding them while it’s all cooking, it’s just a habit I’ve developed over time but you can do what works for you

11. ALSO: I was going to add some sourdough croutons but went with garlic bread, instead