You might think that the Chicken Caesar Salad recipe was invented by the Romans, I mean, come on, it’s the only Caesar I know of, and I’m sure you probably do too. But no, I’m sorry to burst your bubble about Roman emperors eating mayonnaise-soaked lettuce leaves, because this creamy salad actually originated in Mexico at the restaurant of the same name, Caesar’s. I suppose it makes sense, though nowhere near as exciting as my Roman show, but never mind.
The salad was much simpler back then – no bacon, no chicken, no croutons – the ingredients were self-explanatory, and that’s all we needed. These days, however, there have been a lot of changes to the unassuming Caesar salad, and I’m going to share with you my own Chicken Caesar Salad recipe that I think you’ll like.
I used homemade croutons (good use of your leftover, not-so-fresh bread) and some sun-drenched tomatoes, which is a new discovery for me, so I’m putting everything together now. What I like about the Chicken Caesar Salad is that it’s quick to make, so if you want something that doesn’t require too much effort but you’re tired of eating sandwiches, then this is for you.
What’s in it?
- A big handful of chopped curly lettuce
- 50 grams of cooked chicken
- A slice of crusty bread that isn’t fresh
- Parmesan cheese (grated and shaved)
- 4 chopped sunshine blessed tomatoes (Waitrose ones are crazy!)
- 2 anchovy fillets
- 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
What do I do?
Let’s start by making croutons so you can have the rest of the salad ready in the oven. Tear the bread into bite-sized pieces and place them on a baking sheet. Drizzle them with olive oil and shake the tray to make sure they are completely covered. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until crispy and golden. I like them to still be a little spongy because they can soak up more of the salsa, but it’s totally up to you how crispy you want them to be.
While the croutons are in the oven, cut the lettuce into strips and place them in a medium sized bowl. In another bowl, mix the mayonnaise with the chopped anchovy fillets, chopped tomatoes, grated Parmesan cheese, and some salt and pepper – you don’t need much salt because the anchovies are already pretty salty. I didn’t purposely add measurements for the amount of Parmesan cheese because that’s my personal choice, and for recipes like Chicken Caesar Salad, I tend to leave the measurements alone and just go with the flow. For argument’s sake, it’s probably a couple tablespoons.
Using a spoon, pour 3/4 of the dressing over the lettuce and mix well. Add the chicken, reserving a few pieces, and mix again.
Take the croutons out of the oven and add most of them to the salad, then add the rest of the dressing and mix well again.
Spoon onto a plate and top with the rest of the chicken, the croutons, some shavings of Parmesan cheese and ground black pepper.
So this is a 15-minute lunch at most, and if you’re already prepared and have made the croutons, then you don’t even need 5 minutes. Result!
Let me know what you would add to your own Chicken Caesar Salad recipe if you give it a try.