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Keto Avocado Pasta Salad Recipe

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Creamy keto avocado “pasta” salad made with zucchini noodles. Fresh lemon, herbs, and a smooth avocado dressing. Crunchy veggies, easy steps, and simple add-ins like chicken or bacon. Great cold for lunch or meal prep.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 4 medium zucchini, spiralized (about 6–7 cups)

  • 1 small English cucumber, halved and thin sliced

  • 2 celery stalks, finely chopped

  • 1/4 small red onion, very thin sliced (or 2 scallions, chopped)

  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)

  • 1/4 cup fresh dill or parsley, chopped

Avocado Dressing

  • 2 ripe avocados

  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise (or thick keto yogurt)

  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

  • 1 tsp lemon zest

  • 1 large garlic clove, grated or minced

  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard

  • 1/2 tsp fine salt, to start

  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

  • 1/2 tsp onion powder

  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika (or regular)

  • 2–4 tbsp cold water (or unsweetened almond milk) to thin

Optional add-ins

  • 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded or diced

  • 6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

  • 1 cup cooked shrimp, chopped

  • 1 can (5 oz) tuna, drained

  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese

  • 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds

For finishing

  • Extra lemon wedges

  • Flaky salt

  • More fresh herbs

Instructions

  1. Prep zucchini: Spiralize the zucchini. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, toss, and let sit 10 minutes. Wrap in a clean towel and gently squeeze to remove extra water.

  2. Make dressing: In a blender or bowl, add avocados, olive oil, mayo, lemon juice and zest, garlic, Dijon, salt, pepper, onion powder, and paprika. Blend or mash until smooth. Thin with cold water a little at a time until it is creamy and pourable. Taste and adjust salt and lemon.

  3. Chop mix-ins: Slice cucumber, celery, and red onion. Chop herbs. Prep any protein if using.

  4. Toss salad: In a large bowl, add zoodles, cucumber, celery, onion, and herbs. Spoon in about two thirds of the dressing and toss well. Fold in any protein. Add the rest of the dressing and toss again until coated.

  5. Finish: Squeeze a little extra lemon on top. Sprinkle flaky salt and more herbs. Rest 5 minutes, then serve cold.

Notes

  • For less water, salt and blot the zoodles. You can also dry-sauté them 1–2 minutes in a hot pan with no oil, then cool fully.

  • Keep some dressing back and stir it in right before serving or eating leftovers.

  • Swap zoodles with hearts of palm pasta or well-rinsed shirataki noodles (dry-toast shirataki 3–4 minutes to remove odor, cool before mixing).

  • Herb ideas: dill for deli style, parsley for fresh taste, basil for sweet notes, cilantro with lime for a taco twist.

  • Heat option: a pinch of red pepper flakes or minced jalapeño in the dressing.

  • Dairy-free: skip the cheese and use mayo or olive oil only.

  • Storage: mixed salad keeps up to 24 hours in the fridge. For best texture, store zoodles and dressing separate for up to 3 days.

Please note: The recipe or ingredients shown in the video might vary slightly from what’s listed here. Use the video as an illustration, but for the best results, you might want to stick to the recipe provided in this article.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.wellnesswarrior.org/keto-avocado-pasta-salad/