Chicken Caesar salad with avocado recipe

Chicken Caesar salad with avocado is our take on the classic Caesar salad. We’ve ditched the bacon and croutons, but added avocado for a lower carb salad that is still so filling. Despite what you might think, a chicken Caesar salad is named after Caesar Cardini, an Italian American chef and restaurateur who is said to have been the first to have made this crowd pleasing salad. The trademark element of a Caesar salad is the rich and salty dressing, which is made by emulsifying egg yolks to give a smooth and creamy finish. This technique might seem intimidating, but once you’ve got it down it’s actually so simple! If you’re not a fan of anchovies, don’t be put off! They melt down into the dressing so you won’t even notice them, but give a salty kick and add depth of flavour. A traditional Caesar salad was prepared and served tableside, but we won’t judge you for making this all in advance!

Ingredients

For the dressing

• 2 egg yolks
• 4 anchovy fillets, optional
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• 1tbsp red wine vinegar
• 150ml olive oil
• 20g parmesan, finely grated

For the salad

• 1 head of romaine lettuce or 2 heads of cos lettuce, roughly chopped
• 2 cooked chicken breasts, sliced
• 1tbsp crispy fried onions
• 2 avocados, sliced

Method

1. To make the dressing, put the egg yolk, anchovies, mustard and red wine vinegar into a food processor, and whizz until smooth. With the motor still running, gradually add the oil until you have a smooth dressing. Stir in the Parmesan and set aside. This dressing will keep in the fridge for 3 days.
2. To make the salad, toss together the lettuce, chicken and avocado, and stir through the dressing. Top with crispy fried onions and serve.