Ceasar Salad with Chicken & Bacon
The legend of Caesar Salad states that it was created out of desperation by Italian chef Caesar Cardini in the 1920s. He was running low on ingredients during a 4th of July rush at his restaurant in Tijuana and improvised using what he had to create a salad with Romaine lettuce, croutons and Parmesan cheese. There are many variations of this famous salad, and though this recipe is in no way ‘authentic’ it is a great everyday version which is easy to make at home.
Cost £8
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 head of romaine lettuce washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
- 60 g croutons store-bought or homemade
- 25 g freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 6 strips of bacon cooked until crispy and chopped
- 1 grilled chicken breast sliced (optional)
For the dressing:
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 anchovy fillets finely chopped (optional, but traditional)
- 60 g mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, anchovy fillets (if using), mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce until well combined.
- While whisking continuously, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a large salad bowl, add the torn romaine lettuce leaves.
- Pour the dressing over the lettuce and toss well to coat the leaves evenly.
- Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese over the salad and toss again.
- Add the chopped bacon and sliced grilled chicken breast (if using) to the salad.
- Add the croutons and toss once more to distribute all the ingredients evenly throughout the salad.
- Serve immediately as a satisfying main course or as a delicious side dish.