Big Caesar Salad

Name: Big Caesar Salad
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 150-200g rustic-style bread or sourdough (day-old white); Olive oil; 50g Parmesan cheese; 2 romaine lettuce or 4 baby gem lettuce, washed, dried, halved and sliced; 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, butterflied (see tip below); Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 free-range egg yolks; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 1 tbsp red wine or sherry vinegar; Olive oil; 1 x 50g tin best-quality anchovies in olive oil; 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely crushed; 75g Parmesan cheese, grated; Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste

7 steps

Caesar salad is a perennial favourite in our house, but with so many mouths to feed, I always have to supersize it. Adding a quickly griddled chicken breast is a simple way of making it stretch further. Coat the croutons in a little dressing before adding them to the lettuce and you'll have explosions of flavour throughout.

Updated at: Mon, 06 Oct 2025 12:58:55 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Great

Glycemic Index

Low

Glycemic Load

Moderate

Nutrition per serving

Calories502 kcal (25%)

Total Fat21.4 g (31%)

Carbs32.8 g (13%)

Sugars4.6 g (5%)

Protein45.3 g (91%)

Sodium1504.8 mg (75%)

Fiber7.2 g (26%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

4 servings

For the Salad

150grustic-style bread

or sourdough, day-old white

olive oil

50gparmesan cheese

2romaine lettuce

or 4 baby gem lettuce, washed, dried, halved and sliced

2skinless boneless chicken breasts

butterflied

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

For the Dressing

2egg yolks

free-range

1 tspdijon mustard

1 Tbspred wine vinegar

or sherry

olive oil

1 x 50gtin anchovies in olive oil

best-quality

2garlic cloves

peeled and finely crushed

75gparmesan cheese grated

1juice of lemon

or to taste

Instructions

Step 1

Prepare the croutons: Chop the bread into 2cm chunks. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper, then toss to combine.

Step 2

Cook the croutons: Place a large frying pan over medium heat, add a dash of oil and fry the bread until golden and crisp. Grate three-quarters of the Parmesan over the croutons, toss together over the heat, then transfer to a plate.

Step 3

Make the dressing: Put the egg yolks, mustard and vinegar into a bowl and whisk together. Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking as you do so, until the mixture emulsifies. Finely chop the anchovies and mix with the garlic to form a rough paste. Add to the dressing and mix well. Stir in the Parmesan, lemon juice to taste, and a little splash of water.

Step 4

Assemble the salad: Put the lettuce into a serving bowl, add a squeeze of lemon juice and half the dressing. Sprinkle over half the croutons and mix. Top with the rest of the croutons and finish with the remaining Parmesan.

Step 5

Cook the chicken: Place a griddle pan over medium-high heat. Season the chicken breasts on both sides, drizzle with a little oil and cook on the hot griddle for 3-4 minutes on either side, until nicely striped and cooked through. Transfer to a plate, sprinkle over some of the remaining dressing and leave to rest for 5 minutes.

Step 6

Serve: Slice the chicken into diagonal strips and serve warm, either mixed through or alongside the salad with a little extra dressing spooned over.

How to Butterfly a Chicken Breast

Step 7

The purpose of butterflying meat is to open it out to make it thinner and quicker to cook. Place the breast on a board and, using a very sharp knife, slice almost all the way through it horizontally - it should remain joined down one side. Then open it like a book, cover with cling film and flatten with a rolling pin until uniformly thin.