Grilled Chicken and Romaine Caesar Salad
You can’t go wrong with a classic Caesar salad, but every now and then you just need to change things up a bit!
This easy and delicious Grilled Chicken and Romaine Caesar Salad is a great way to take a classic Caesar salad, and turn it into something a little bit different.
What makes this salad special is the grilled romaine. It only takes a few minutes on the grill, but it really adds interest to the dish and takes your salad to a new level. Add some grilled chicken and you have a salad that is substantial enough to have as a light dinner.
Take advantage of the hot grill and toss on some slices of baguette or ciabatta. It’s a great way to use up day old bread and makes a nice change from the usual toasted croutons.
Tuck the crispy bacon and grilled bread around the romaine and chicken, add some shaved parmesan and a drizzling of creamy, garlicky Caesar dressing and you have a delectable salad, perfect for a light summertime meal.
Grilled Romaine
If you’ve never tried grilling lettuce, you are in for a pleasant surprise. I guarantee once you try this, you will be ready to experiment with other leafy greens!
Grilled, the romaine leaves wilt slightly, becoming perfectly tender. They get a little bit of caramelization where they char on the grill which adds a nice smoky, lightly sweet flavour to the romaine.
Once the romaine is grilled, serve them whole, or slice them crosswise, and toss with the other ingredients in your salad.
The Dressing
A good caesar salad dressing is easier to make then you might think. The best part, is when you make your own dressing you control the balance of flavours to suit your taste. Prefer a more lemony dressing, add more lemon!
For me, I’m not a big fan of a strong raw garlic flavour, so I use either a roasted or confit garlic clove in my caesar dressing. It gives a softer, milder garlic flavour to the dressing.
I’ve used ¼ cup mayonnaise in the dressing. If you have access to good, fresh eggs and want to go the more classic route, omit the mayonnaise, and use a large egg yolk instead.
Of course, you don’t have to make your own dressing, your favorite store-bought caesar salad dressing will be just fine in this dish.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 romaine hearts
- 4-6 slices bacon
- 8 slices baguette or ciabatta bread
- 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
- shaved parmesan for garnish
The Dressing
- 1 clove garlic
- 3-4 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Prepare the Salad Dressing
- Using a mortar and pestle, or the side of a knife blade, mash together the anchovy fillets, garlic, and pinch of salt. to form a paste. Scrape into a medium bowl and whisk in the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard and mayonnaise. Add the grated Parmesan and a good grind of black pepper and stir to combine. Taste and add more lemon juice or parmesan if needed.Refrigerate the dressing until the salad is ready to serve.Note: For a milder garlic flavour use roasted or confit garlic.
Prepare the Salad
- Cook the bacon until crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel and set aside.
- Preheat gas grill to medium-high heat or 350-400° F and prep the romaine, bread and chicken for the grill.Pull off any old leaves from the romaine hearts and cut off any browned bits from the root end, leaving most of the root end intact to hold the lettuce leaves together. Slice the head of lettuce lengthwise then brush with olive oil. Set aside.Slice the baguette or ciabatta and lightly brush with olive oil on both sidesBrush the chicken breasts with olive oil on both sides and lightly season with salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken on the preheated grill and grill for 9-10 minutes, turning halfway through.
- While the chicken is finishing cooking add the romaine, cut side down, and the bread to the grill.Grill the romaine for 3 minutes, pressing with your tongs to make sure the lettuce gets a good sear. Flip and grill for 1 or 2 more minutes.Grill the bread for 1-2 minutes per side.
Assemble the Salad
- Place the grilled romaine, whole or roughly chopped, onto a platter or individual plates. Slice the chicken and layer over top. Tear the pre-cooked bacon into roughly 1 inch pieces, Tuck the bacon and grilled bread in amongst the chicken and romaine. Scatter shavings of parmesan overtop of the salad. Drizzle with a little of the salad dressing, serving extra dressing on the side for people to help themselves.