Chicken Caesar Salad
Adding lean, protein-rich foods such as chicken or prawns to a salad will make it much more filling and will keep the calories low. I’ve tweaked the dressing to make my own creamy version but if time is short use a ready-made light Caesar salad dressing instead.
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (each about 175g)
- 1tsp sunflower oil
- 2 romaine lettuce hearts
- 4 ciabatta bread slices, each around 1½ cm (15g a slice)
- 15g Parmesan shavings, to serve
- flaked sea salt
- ground black pepper
Dressing
- 2 anchovy fillets in oil (form a can or jar), drained and roughly chopped
- 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
- 4tbsp light mayonnaise
- 1tsp fresh lemon juice
- 15g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 5tbsp cold water
Method
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To make the dressing, put the anchovy fillets in a mortar, add the chopped garlic and pound together into a pestle to form a paste. Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, Parmesan and water and stir well to make a pourable dressing.
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Put the chicken breasts onto a chopping board and carefully slice in half horizontally. Season the chicken breast pieces on both sides with a little salt and plenty of black pepper.
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Brush the oil over the base of a large non-stick frying pan or griddle pan and place over a medium heat. Cook the chicken in the pan for 3 minutes. Turn over and cook for a further 3 minutes on the other side or until nicely browned and cooked through. Remove from the heat and leave in the warm pan. This will give the chicken a chance to rest.
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While the chicken is cooking, make the salad. Separate the lettuce leaves, then wash and drain them well. Use a clean tea towel to soak up any excess water if you like. Arrange the lettuce in a large serving dish. Toast the ciabatta and tear or cut into bite-sized pieces.
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Put the cooked chicken breasts onto a board and cut them into thick strips. Scatter over chicken over the lettuce and toss together lightly. Spoon over half the dressing and the croutons and Parmesan shavings and serve while the chicken is warm with the remaining dressing for drizzling.
