A great caesar salad is something that I am always in the mood for. If there is only one type of dressing in my refrigerator it will be my creamy caesar dressing. Caesar is salty, tangy, rich and delectable… I love it on a salad, but I also love it one a chicken wrap, as a wing dip, vegetable dip and I even make this wickedly good baked chicken using caesar flavors.
This salad celebrates the beautiful flavors of caesar in a really fabulous way and it feels a little fancy, even though it is quite simple to prepare. A little shedded chicken, some thinly sliced romaine, baby arugula, shredded parmigiano reggiano and some crispy chickpeas come together to make a salad that is interesting and filling enough to hold its own as a main dish.
Let’s get it started…
Begin by gathering up about 2 cups of shredded chicken. If you have some left over chicken or a rotisserie chicken, then you are good to go! If not, simply cook 1 chicken breast seasoned with garlic powder and onion powder and then shred it into small pieces with a stiff fork.
In addition to the shredded chicken, you will need 1 small head of romaine lettuce, 2 cups of baby arugula, 2/3 cup of finely shredded parmigiano reggiano (or parmesan), 1/3 cup of creamy caesar dressing and some crispy chickpeas. If you are unfamiliar with crispy chickpeas, they are one of my favorite salad “add ins”! They add a flavorful, crunchy and nutrient packed addition to any salad. You will love these chickpeas!
To whip up a batch of crispy chickpeas, simply rinse and remove the skins from a 15 ounce can of chickpeas and place them onto a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of you favorite seasoning (I recommend my dry barbecue seasoning blend). Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour, shaking them around a bit every 15 minutes or so. They will be crispy and delicious and just perfect for this creamy caesar salad.
Check out the full recipe for these crispy spiced chickpeas here.
Thinly sliced a small head of romaine lettuce and grab a big bowl…
In a large mixing bowl, combine the thinly sliced romaine lettuce, baby arugula, finely shredded parmigiano reggiano and some of that delicious creamy caesar dressing. Speaking of which, if you have a favorite caesar dressing, use that, but if you do not, I highly suggest you try my creamy caesar dressing recipe. It is salty, tangy, rich and oh so fabulous. You are going to love this dressing.
Toss everything together, add some of the shredded chicken and toss it a bit more. I only add about half of the chicken at this point and then top the salads with the rest of the chicken. This is how I do it, but you can mix in all of the chicken in the beginning or add it all on top of the salad at the end. Its your salad, make it how you want it!
Divide the salad between 2 large plates for dinner size portions or 4 small bowls for lunch or starter sized portions. Sprinkle some of those crispy chickpeas over the salad and maybe a little more parmigiano reggiano and get ready to enjoy a truly delicious salad…
This salad brings so many layers of interest, different layers of flavor and texture… saltiness, tanginess, richness, crunchy, crispy and creamy. It really is a masterpiece and whether you whip it up for lunch, plan to serve this at your next dinner party or use it to meal prep for the week, you are going to love it.
Caesar Salad with Chicken & Crispy Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 2 cups of shredded chicken
- 1 small head of romaine lettuce, thinly sliced
- 2 cups of baby arugula
- 2/3 cup of parmigiano reggiano, finely shredded
- 1/3 cup of creamy caesar dressing
- 1/2 cup of crispy chickpeas
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine thinly sliced romaine, baby arugula, finely shredded parmigiano reggiano, creamy caesar dressing and half of the shredded chicken
- Toss until the ingredients are fully combined and evenly distributed
- Divide the salad between 2 dinner plates or 4 small bowls
- Garnish with remaining shredded chicken, crispy chickpeas and additional parmigiano reggiano
- Enjoy!!
