Light Chicken Caesar Salad
By America's Test KitchenPublished on June 29, 2009
Time
1¾ hours
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Caesar Dressing
¼ cup buttermilk 2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 - 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 to 2 teaspoons)3 anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each), trimmed of excess fatSalt and ground black pepper 1 teaspoon vegetable oilSalad
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 the dressing in the salad—leftovers, which will keep refrigerated for up to 1 day, make a great dip for crudités.
Instructions
- Puree all of the dressing ingredients except the oil and Parmesan in a blender (or food processor) until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides as needed. With the motor running, add the oil in a steady stream. Stir in the cheese. Set aside ½ cup of the dressing for the salad and refrigerate the remaining ½ cup for another use (see note).
- 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 ½ 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 ½-inch-thick slices.
- 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.
for the dressing
for the chicken
to assemble the salad
Time
1¾ hoursYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Caesar Dressing
¼ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons 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 (about 1 to 2 teaspoons)
3 anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)
Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each), trimmed of excess fat
Salt and ground black pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
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 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 (about 1 to 2 teaspoons)
3 anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)
Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each), trimmed of excess fat
Salt and ground black pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
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 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 (about 1 to 2 teaspoons)
3 anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)
Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each), trimmed of excess fat
Salt and ground black pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
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
When it comes to light Caesar salad recipes, the dressing is the most crucial component. Many low-fat versions omit the traditional egg and oil emulsion, thus removing the creamy character of the dressing. We wanted to find a suitable replacement for this component, without compromising taste and richness. For this job, tasters were most impressed with a combination of two ingredients: buttermilk for its pleasant tang and silkiness, and reduced-fat mayonnaise for added richness. With this duo, we knocked down the amount of fat in our Caesar salad recipe considerably.
Before You Begin
Note that you’ll only use half the dressing in the salad—leftovers, which will keep refrigerated for up to 1 day, make a great dip for crudités.
Instructions
- Puree all of the dressing ingredients except the oil and Parmesan in a blender (or food processor) until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides as needed. With the motor running, add the oil in a steady stream. Stir in the cheese. Set aside ½ cup of the dressing for the salad and refrigerate the remaining ½ cup for another use (see note).
- 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 ½ 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 ½-inch-thick slices.
- 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.
for the dressing
for the chicken
to assemble the salad
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