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Beet and Carrot Noodle Salad with Chicken

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 31, 2025

Time

45 minutes

Yield

4

Beet and Carrot Noodle Salad with Chicken

Ingredients

¼ cup smooth or chunky peanut butter 3 tablespoons tahini 2 tablespoons lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 2 garlic cloves, minced½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil ½ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon table salt, divided1–6 tablespoons hot water 1 pound beets, trimmed and peeled1 pound carrots, trimmed and peeled5 scallions, sliced thin on bias4 (3- to 4-ounce) chicken cutlets, ½ inch thick, trimmed¼ teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon vegetable oil ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves

Before You Begin

You will need a spiralizer to make the beet and carrot noodles; if you don’t have one, use pre-cut store-bought vegetable noodles. You’ll need about 12 ounces of each. Generously sized vegetables spiralize more easily, so use beets that are at least 1½ inches in diameter and carrots that are at least ¾ inch across at the thinner end and 1½ inches across at the thicker end.

Instructions

  1. Whisk ¼ cup peanut butter, 3 tablespoons tahini, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, 2 minced garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil, and ½ teaspoon table salt in large bowl until well combined. Whisking constantly, add 1–6 tablespoons hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dressing has consistency of heavy cream.
  2. Using spiralizer, cut 1 pound trimmed and peeled beets and 1 pound trimmed and peeled carrots into -inch-thick noodles, cutting noodles into 6- to 8-inch lengths with kitchen shears as you spiralize (about every 2 to 3 revolutions). Add beet and carrot noodles and 5 thinly sliced scallions to dressing and toss well to combine.
  3. Pat 4 (3- to 4-ounce) trimmed ½ inch thick chicken cutlets dry with paper towels and sprinkle with remaining ⅛ teaspoon table salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken and cook until golden brown and registers 160 degrees, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to cutting board and let cool for about 10 minutes.
  4. Divide noodles among individual serving plates. Slice chicken thin and arrange over salads. Sprinkle with ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves and serve with lime wedges.
Beet and Carrot Noodle Salad with Chicken
Photography by Daniel J. van Ackere. Styling by Ashley Moore.

Beet and Carrot Noodle Salad with Chicken

Headshot of America's Test Kitchen
By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 31, 2025

Save

Time

45 minutes

Yield

4

Ingredients

¼ cup smooth or chunky peanut butter
3 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon table salt, divided
1–6 tablespoons hot water
1 pound beets, trimmed and peeled
1 pound carrots, trimmed and peeled
5 scallions, sliced thin on bias
4 (3- to 4-ounce) chicken cutlets, ½ inch thick, trimmed
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves

Ingredients

¼ cup smooth or chunky peanut butter
3 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon table salt, divided
1–6 tablespoons hot water
1 pound beets, trimmed and peeled
1 pound carrots, trimmed and peeled
5 scallions, sliced thin on bias
4 (3- to 4-ounce) chicken cutlets, ½ inch thick, trimmed
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves

Ingredients

¼ cup smooth or chunky peanut butter
3 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon table salt, divided
1–6 tablespoons hot water
1 pound beets, trimmed and peeled
1 pound carrots, trimmed and peeled
5 scallions, sliced thin on bias
4 (3- to 4-ounce) chicken cutlets, ½ inch thick, trimmed
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves

Why This Recipe Works

With their firm, dense texture, beets made excellent “noodles,” as spiralizing rendered them delicate enough to eat raw. Pairing them with carrots made for a visually stunning, pleasingly crisp salad. For a protein boost, we seasoned, pan-seared, and sliced up chicken cutlets—a quick, fuss-free way to up the satiation factor of the meal. The noodles, with their crisp-tender texture, were an ideal canvas for a creamy, sweet-savory dressing enriched with peanut butter and tahini.

Before You Begin

You will need a spiralizer to make the beet and carrot noodles; if you don’t have one, use pre-cut store-bought vegetable noodles. You’ll need about 12 ounces of each. Generously sized vegetables spiralize more easily, so use beets that are at least 1½ inches in diameter and carrots that are at least ¾ inch across at the thinner end and 1½ inches across at the thicker end.

Instructions

  1. Whisk ¼ cup peanut butter, 3 tablespoons tahini, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, 2 minced garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil, and ½ teaspoon table salt in large bowl until well combined. Whisking constantly, add 1–6 tablespoons hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dressing has consistency of heavy cream.
  2. Using spiralizer, cut 1 pound trimmed and peeled beets and 1 pound trimmed and peeled carrots into -inch-thick noodles, cutting noodles into 6- to 8-inch lengths with kitchen shears as you spiralize (about every 2 to 3 revolutions). Add beet and carrot noodles and 5 thinly sliced scallions to dressing and toss well to combine.
  3. Pat 4 (3- to 4-ounce) trimmed ½ inch thick chicken cutlets dry with paper towels and sprinkle with remaining ⅛ teaspoon table salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken and cook until golden brown and registers 160 degrees, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to cutting board and let cool for about 10 minutes.
  4. Divide noodles among individual serving plates. Slice chicken thin and arrange over salads. Sprinkle with ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves and serve with lime wedges.

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