A hearty, flavorful twist on classic Caesar salad. It's balanced and healthy enough for a full meal and loaded with chicken, crunchy croutons, crisp romaine lettuce and a light creamy Caesar dressing.
2largeromaine lettuce buncheswashed, dried and chopped
1cupparmesan cheeseshaved
8oz.bowtie pastawhole wheat or chickpea pasta
Caesar Dressing
2/3cupplain Greek yogurtfull-fat
1tbspmayonnaise
3tbspparmesan cheesegrated
1clovegarlicmicroplaned or very finely minced
1tspdijon mustard
1/2tspWorcestershire sauce
1tsplemon juice
1/4tspsalt
1/8tspblack pepper
2-4tbspmilkadd slowly to reach desired consistency
optional: 1/2 tsp anchovy paste
Croutons (or feel free to use store-bought!)
3sliceswhole grain breadthick slices, cut in
2tbspolive oil
1/4-1/2tspgarlic powder
pinch of salt and black peppermore to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Boil a large pot of water and cook pasta to al dente. Drain and set aside to cool.
Mix lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl with a whisk or fork.
Place chicken breast on the prepared baking sheet and brush with olive oil and lemon juice on both sides. Sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper evenly on both sides. Bake for 20 minutes, cool slightly and chop into bite-sized pieces.
Slice bread into ~¾” cubes for croutons using a serrated knife. Place on a second baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle evenly with olive oil and sprinkle with spices, tossing to coat evenly. Bake for 8-12 minutes, tossing half way through. Croutons should be crunchy on the outside with a slight chewiness in the middle.
While the chicken and croutons bake, make the dressing by mixing all dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
In a large bowl add cooled pasta and chicken, chopped romaine lettuce, shaved parmesan cheese and dressing. Toss thoroughly to coat ingredients. Top with croutons right before serving.
Notes
To save time, grab a rotisserie chicken and store-bought croutons. You can also use a store-bought creamy Caesar dressing if you'd like.Make sure to cook the pasta to al dente (slightly chewy) so that it holds up in the pasta salad.