Lighter Chicken Caesar Salad
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Caesar Dressing
¼ cup buttermilk 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 - 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (1-2 teaspoons)3 anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry½ teaspoon table salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 ounce grated Parmesan cheese (½ cup)Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each), trimmed of excess fat1 teaspoon vegetable oilCroutons
4 cups (½-inch) bread cubes Vegetable cooking spray (or olive oil spray)¼ teaspoon table salt 1 teaspoon garlic powderSalad
2 medium heads romaine lettuce (larger outer leaves removed) or 2 large romaine hearts, washed, dried, and torn into ½-inch pieces (about 10 cups loosely packed)Before You Begin
Note that you'll only use half of the dressing in the salad—leftovers, which will keep refrigerated for up to 1 day, make a great dip for crudités. You'll also only use 1 1/3 cups of the croutons—leftover croutons will keep in an airtight container or zipper-lock bag for about one week.This recipe was published in The Best Light Recipe.
Instructions
- For the Dressing: Puree all of the dressing ingredients except the oil and Parmesan in a blender (or food processor) until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed, about 30 seconds. With the motor running, add the oil in a steady stream. Stir in the cheese. Set aside 1/2 cup of the dressing for the salad and refrigerate the remaining 1/2 cup for another use (see note).
- For the chicken: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the chicken and cook until browned on the first side, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken over, add 1/2 cup water, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and continue to cook until the thickest part of the breast is no longer pink and registers about 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool; slice the chicken breasts crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
- For the Croutons: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously coat the bread cubes with the vegetable oil spray. Sprinkle with salt and garlic powder and toss to combine. Spread the bread onto a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, tossing halfway through to promote even browning. Allow the croutons to cool to room temperature before serving. Set aside 1 1/3 cups for the salad and reserve remaining for another use (see note).
- To Assemble the Salad: In a large bowl, toss the lettuce with all but 1 tablespoon of the dressing to coat; divide evenly among individual plates. Add the chicken to the bowl used to dress the lettuce, and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon dressing to coat. Arrange the chicken evenly among the plates, on top of the lettuce. Sprinkle each plate with a portion of the croutons.
Yield
Serves 4Ingredients
Caesar Dressing
¼ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 - 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (1-2 teaspoons)
3 anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 ounce grated Parmesan cheese (½ cup)
Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each), trimmed of excess fat
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Croutons
4 cups (½-inch) bread cubes
Vegetable cooking spray (or olive oil spray)
¼ teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salad
2 medium heads romaine lettuce (larger outer leaves removed) or 2 large romaine hearts, washed, dried, and torn into ½-inch pieces (about 10 cups loosely packed)
Ingredients
Caesar Dressing
¼ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 - 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (1-2 teaspoons)
3 anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 ounce grated Parmesan cheese (½ cup)
Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each), trimmed of excess fat
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Croutons
4 cups (½-inch) bread cubes
Vegetable cooking spray (or olive oil spray)
¼ teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salad
2 medium heads romaine lettuce (larger outer leaves removed) or 2 large romaine hearts, washed, dried, and torn into ½-inch pieces (about 10 cups loosely packed)
Ingredients
Caesar Dressing
¼ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 - 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (1-2 teaspoons)
3 anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 ounce grated Parmesan cheese (½ cup)
Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each), trimmed of excess fat
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Croutons
4 cups (½-inch) bread cubes
Vegetable cooking spray (or olive oil spray)
¼ teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salad
2 medium heads romaine lettuce (larger outer leaves removed) or 2 large romaine hearts, washed, dried, and torn into ½-inch pieces (about 10 cups loosely packed)
Why This Recipe Works
Our biggest challenge in lightening our chicken Caesar salad recipe was the dressing. We found that we could replace most of the fat in the dressing with buttermilk and reduced-fat mayonnaise. We further reduced fat by cooking the chicken in just 1 teaspoon oil, first browning the chicken, then poaching it. To replace traditional high-fat croutons, we developed a recipe for a low-fat version.
Before You Begin
Note that you'll only use half of the dressing in the salad—leftovers, which will keep refrigerated for up to 1 day, make a great dip for crudités. You'll also only use 1 1/3 cups of the croutons—leftover croutons will keep in an airtight container or zipper-lock bag for about one week.This recipe was published in The Best Light Recipe.
Instructions
- For the Dressing: Puree all of the dressing ingredients except the oil and Parmesan in a blender (or food processor) until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed, about 30 seconds. With the motor running, add the oil in a steady stream. Stir in the cheese. Set aside 1/2 cup of the dressing for the salad and refrigerate the remaining 1/2 cup for another use (see note).
- For the chicken: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the chicken and cook until browned on the first side, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken over, add 1/2 cup water, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and continue to cook until the thickest part of the breast is no longer pink and registers about 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool; slice the chicken breasts crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
- For the Croutons: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously coat the bread cubes with the vegetable oil spray. Sprinkle with salt and garlic powder and toss to combine. Spread the bread onto a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, tossing halfway through to promote even browning. Allow the croutons to cool to room temperature before serving. Set aside 1 1/3 cups for the salad and reserve remaining for another use (see note).
- To Assemble the Salad: In a large bowl, toss the lettuce with all but 1 tablespoon of the dressing to coat; divide evenly among individual plates. Add the chicken to the bowl used to dress the lettuce, and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon dressing to coat. Arrange the chicken evenly among the plates, on top of the lettuce. Sprinkle each plate with a portion of the croutons.
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