Chicken Caesar Salad (No Anchovies)
Chicken Caesar Salad is a dish you can always order in a restaurant when you are unsure what else to have. They always have it on the menu. And it is always a good choice. But is it as good as homemade Caesar salad? Check out this easy Chicken Caesar Salad without anchovies with homemade Caesar dressing and judge it yourself.
Homemade Caesar Dressing vs. Store-bought Caesar Dressing (3 reasons to avoid store-bought salad dressings)
Salad dressings are something we need over salad. Otherwise, it will taste bland. The same goes for the Chicken Caesar Salad. But, store-bought salad dressings are not the healthiest option. They contain chemicals and taste enhancers that we don’t need. Also, be aware that many options in the stores have “all-natural” labels. If I were you, I would steer clear of those as well. Hear me out why.
- Most salad dressings in the stores contain soybean or canola oil. This is not necessarily bad as these oils provide healthy omega 3-fatty acids. They also have some amount of unhealthy trans-fat. But, the concern is how these oils are produced. Oil production typically involves extraction from plants by the process called hexane extraction. This means that the chemical solvent hexane is used in the process, and as such, this hexane ends up in the oil. Research shows that the amount of hexane in oil is not a health concern, and scientists generally consider these oils healthy. But you get the point. We sure ingest something that is not supposed to be in the food. So, is there a solution to this issue? Yes, there is. There are cold-pressed oils that do not go through a chemical extraction process. But, how do we know if there are cold-pressed oils in store-bought salad dressings? We simply know there aren’t because hexane extraction has been widely used since the 1930s and is a cheap, commercial way of extracting oils. So, your best bet is to make your own Caesar salad dressing using the cold-pressed oil of your choice.
- Salad dressings in the store contain a lot of sodium. Sodium is the ingredient of table salt. While sodium is essential for maintaining normal cellular functions, an excessive amount can only harm and cause high blood pressure, heart disease, and even stroke. So, the best way to control how much sodium is in your dressing is by adding salt yourself.
- There is excess sugar in store-bought salad dressings. You would never think of salad dressings containing sugar, but this is the perfect place to hide it and enhance the taste. So, again, the safest way to eat healthy salad dressing is to make your own at home.
How to Make Homemade Caesar Dressing
Making Ceasar dressing at home is not hard at all. Plus, it is a healthy version of the Caesar dressing. All ingredients are fresh and mixed right before you are ready to use them. You can use healthy cold-pressed oils, and I recommend olive oil. Here is what you need:
- One garlic clove, minced
- 2 tbsp cold-pressed olive oil
- 1/2 cup plain kefir
- One tbs sour cream
- One tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 lemon, freshly squeezed
- Two tsp grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
I love using kefir in recipes because healthy bacteria in kefir are good for our gut health. If you don’t have dijon mustard handy, you can use any mustard.
I mixed all the ingredients in a glass bowl with a wooden spoon. But, if you have a food processor available, you can also use it. This amount was enough for four salads, but it will also depend on how much you put on your salad. And here is the trick, don’t put on too much dressing! You want to be able to taste other essential ingredients of the Caesar Salad – lettuce and chicken.
Store the Caesar dressing in a glass container, and let it sit in the fridge until you are ready to toss it over your salad.
Homemade Croutons
Did you know that the croutons we buy at the store are not the healthiest option either? They also contain a decent amount of sodium and fat, plus some additives to enhance the taste. But did you know that just like homemade Caesar dressing, you can make croutons at home?
All you need is the bread that you will cut into small pieces, add some salt and pepper (and another seasoning, such as oregano), sprinkle some cold-pressed olive oil (or any other cold-pressed oil), and bake in the oven at 400F (200C) for 10 minutes, or until crisp.
Chicken Prep for Caesar Salad
Grilled chicken breasts go the best with chicken Caesar salad. I didn’t have time to prep the grill, and it was cold outside, so I made the chicken for this recipe in a cast-iron skillet. Go to my Creamy Chicken and Spinach recipe for a detailed explanation of grilling the chicken breast in a cast-iron skillet. The procedure is the same in this Chicken Caesar salad recipe.
But, in short, you want to season the chicken with olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, and thyme about 10 minutes ahead, let it sit in this marinade, and cook it in a cast-iron skillet.
In this recipe, I started with two larger pieces of chicken breasts, cut them half lengthwise, and then cut each slice into two – to end up with eight pieces total. This will help to cook the chicken breasts faster.
Lettuce for Caesar Salad
Traditionally, romaine lettuce is the ingredient of the Caesar salad. It gives a crispy flavor that we are all used to. As a side story, I once ordered a Caesar salad in a restaurant, and the waitress asked me if I would like my romaine lettuce grilled. I was surprised as I had never heard of anyone grilling the lettuce before (maybe this is just the European me that didn’t hear about it :-)). But I tried it, and I was thrilled at how good it was – the smoky taste and crisp texture were excellent.
However, romaine lettuce is something nobody likes in my house. It sits in the fridge whenever I buy it until it goes bad. But we all like butter lettuce a lot. So, I made this Chicken Caesar salad with butter lettuce instead. The taste is the same, but it lacks the crispiness of romaine lettuce. We didn’t mind it, but you can always use romaine lettuce in this recipe if it bothers you.
Enjoy your Homemade Chicken Caesar Salad, and let me know in the comments below how you liked it!
Chicken Caesar Salad (No Anchovies)
Ingredients
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/2 cup kefir plain
- 1 tsp dijon mustard or any mustard
- 2 tsp parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tbsp sour cream
- 1/2 lemon freshly squeezed
- 1/4 loaf bread
- 1.2 lb chicken breasts
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp oregano dried
- 1/2 tsp thyme dried
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Homemade crouton prep.
- Cut the bread into small pieces.
- Season the bread with salt, pepper, and oregano in a bowl.
- Sprinkle the bread with olive oil to coat it thoroughly (about 2 tbsp, but add more oil if needed).
- Put baking paper on a baking dish, and spread the bread pieces evenly.
- Bake in an oven at 400 F (200 C) for about 10 minutes (or until golden and crispy).
- Take it out of the oven and let it cool.
- Homemade Caesar Dressing prep.
- Add minced garlic, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 cup plain kefir, 1/2 freshly squeezed lemon, 1 tbs sour cream, 1 tsp dijon mustard, 2 tsp grated parmesan cheese, and pepper to a bowl and mix with a wooden spoon.
- If you have a food processor, mix everything in a food processor.
- Taste the dressing and if it is not salty enough, add more salt.
- Transfer to a glass jar with a lid, and let it sit in the fridge until ready to put over salad.
- Chicken Prep.
- Prepare about 1.2 lb of chicken breasts (about 2 larger pieces).
- Cut them half lengthwise, and then cut each slice into two – to end up with eight pieces total.
- Transfer the chicken breasts into a glass container with a lid—season with olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, and thyme.
- Close the lid and shake the container to coat evenly. Set aside to rest.
- Oil the cast-iron skillet and heat it up on low heat. Add as much oil as will work for your cast-iron skillet. I usually start with 1 tsp of oil and make sure to have even coverage, and then wipe away any excess with a paper towel.
- Cook the chicken breasts until golden on both sides. Set aside.
- Assemble the salad.
- Get enough butter lettuce (or romaine lettuce) for a medium-size plate, and cut it into bite-size pieces.
- Add chicken and homemade croutons on top.
- Top it off with homemade Caesar dressing.
