Healthy Lemon Kale Caesar Salad With Chicken
Lemon Kale Caesar Salad is a chicken salad-lover’s delight! A zesty blend of citrus juices, healthy caesar dressing, juiciest chicken and some essential toppings are sure to please!
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INGREDIENTS
Salad
- 4 cups kale, washed, dried and chopped roughly
- 4 cup Romaine lettuce or 1 head of Butter lettuce, large, washed, dried and chopped roughly
- 1 large or 2 small chicken breasts, boneless skinless, washed and pat dried
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch of black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika, (optional), see notes
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder, (optional), see notes
Toppings
- Parmesan shavings
- Croutons, plain and gluten free if desired
- Black pepper
- Lemon and lime wedges
- Lemon zest , for amazing scent and presentation
Lemon Caesar Salad Dressing
- ½ cup plain yogurt, such as Greek
- ½ cup parmesan, freshly grated fine
- ½ teaspoon lime juice, freshly squeezed
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, good quality
- 1 small sardine or anchovies
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- black pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Mash the sardine in a small bowl or mason jar. Add all dressing ingredients. Stir/shake like crazy.
- Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to 1 hour for the flavors to blend.
- Meanwhile, add the chopped lettuce into a large bowl, season with some salt, black pepper, and a drizzle of lemon or lime juice. Massage the leaves well for 3-5 minutes.
- Drizzle with olive oil and let stand like his for at least 30 minutes.
- This step helps the lettuce to soak up the flavors that will soften it and reduce the bitterness quite a bit (I don't recommend using a very bitter Olive oil here).
- Chicken. Mix the chicken seasonings in a small bowl and rub the chicken breast on both sides.
- Heat up cooking oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the chicken breast and cook for 5-6 minutes on both sides (small to medium chicken breast). For a small or thinner chicken breast you’d need about 3-4 minutes on both sides. To ensure that chicken is cooked through, use a kitchen thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken to register 165 Degrees Fahrenheit. Set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper towels.
- Assemble. Arrange the lettuce in a large serving bowl, follow with chicken, tomatoes, eggs, gluten-free croutons, Parmesan cheese, lime and lemon slices and fresh black pepper. When the dressing is refrigerated enough, give it a good stir and pour over the salad. Dig in!
VIDEO
NOTES
- Kale - there are lots of varieties and flavors. Lascinato aka Tuscan kale tends to be the mildest variety of kale and is great to enjoy raw in salads as well as sauteed.
- How to tenderize tough kale - Whatever kale you can get, it is possible to soften the tough leaves and remove bitterness (not completely though). Add the chopped lettuce leaves into a large bowl, season with some salt, and a drizzle of lemon or lime juice. Massage the leaves well for 5 or more minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and let stand like this for at least 30 minutes. Refrigerating is not essential if you plan to consume within 1 hour. This step helps the lettuce to soak up the flavors that will soften it and reduce the bitterness quite a bit.
- Lettuce - you'll need a little extra citrus juice, salt, pepper and olive oil for massaging the leaves that are not mentioned in the ingredients.
- Don't overcook chicken - chicken is ready once the kitchen thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken breast registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Seasonings for chicken - just salt and pepper is enough for the chicken here. For little extra flavorings add paprika and onion powder.
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