In summer, we eat salad very often. Almost every evening, to be honest. It’s simply the best dinner when the temperatures are a bit more challenging… and it tends to get quite warm in the attic where we live. Pasta salad may not necessarily be the best option here, but this Caesar Chicken Pasta Salad is an exception, because the ratio of pasta to veggies is very balanced. So is the salad healthy? Hmmm… good question. ;P
We wouldn’t necessarily put Caesar salad in the same category as super healthy salads – regardless of whether it has pasta added or not. There are plenty of healthier salad options out there. It’s the dressing that’s the »problem« here. It’s made with a generous helping of mayonnaise and cheese. This means the dressing can’t really be classified as »light« nor »healthy«. But that’s exactly why the salad (dressing) is so delicious. It’s simply amazing! ;P
Even though the name of the salad suggests a connection to the Roman emperor Gaius Julius Caesar, he obviously had nothing to do with it. Back in his days, it would have been a bit difficult for him to find mayonnaise, Parmesan, or croutons. None of those things had been invented yet in 100 BC. No, this salad is yet another American invention. Or let’s say a collaboration between the US and Mexico, as the salad probably saw the light of day in Tijuana, Mexico in the 1920s.
No matter who or when (or why) this salad got invented – in our opinion, the result is extremely delicious. Alongside Mom’s Potato Salad, it’s one of the most popular salads in our house. That’s why this salad was the first choice for the »Bake Together« with my dear blogger friend Andrea from Zimtkeks & Apfeltarte. This month, we’ve taken on the topic of salad. In the height of summer, »baking« and »firing up an oven« were simply out of the question. Throwing together a delicious salad just made the most sense.
Andrea and I have been doing our little baking project/event for over 9 years now – we usually choose a baking theme, but now and then, we also cook or toss something like a salad in a bowl. After all, you can’t live on cake alone. I am definitely very excited to see what Andrea has come up with for our joint theme this month…
There’s not much else to say about the salad itself. It’s super easy to prepare. The dressing can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to three days. So if you make some more, you can easily prepare Caesar salad in every conceivable variation for several days in a row. With or without chicken, with or without pasta… whatever you like.
If you don’t want Caesar salad anymore, how about some Cobb Salad? It’s not necessarily one of the healthiest salads either, with all the stuff you throw in it, but like the Caesar salad here, this one is also super delicious!
Perhaps you’d prefer a pasta salad? Our simple Italian Pasta Salad is also easy to prepare and very tasty. Perfect for a summer picnic or your next barbecue party. A good BBQ needs at least one good pasta salad. ;P
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(3-4 servings)
For the dressing:
1-2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tsp. anchovy paste*
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard* (or hot mustard)
1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce*
4.3 oz. (120g) mayonnaise
1 oz. (30g) Parmesan cheese, grated
salt, pepper
For the chicken:
some oil for frying
2 small chicken breasts, cleaned
salt, pepper
For the salad:
10 oz. (300g) wholemeal Farfalle pasta*
1 small romaine lettuce
1 handful baby spinach leaves
1/2 cucumber, sliced
8-10 small cherry tomatoes, halved
some store-bought or homemade croutons
some thinly sliced Parmesan cheese (optional)
(3-4 Portionen)
Für das Dressing:
1-2 Knoblauchzehen, fein gehackt
1 TL Sardellenpaste*
2 EL Olivenöl
2 EL Zitronensaft
1 EL Weißweinessig
1 TL Dijon Senf* (oder scharfer Senf)
1 TL Worcestershire Sauce*
120g Mayonnaise
30g Parmesan, fein gerieben
Salz, Pfeffer
Für die Hähnchenbrust:
etwas Öl zum Anbraten
2 kleine Hähnchenbrüste, gesäubert
Salz, Pfeffer
Für den Salat:
300g Vollkorn Farfalle*
1 kleiner Romanasalat
1 Handvoll Babyspinat
1/2 Gurke, in Scheiben
8–10 kleine Kirschtomaten, halbiert
einige (gekaufte oder) selbst gemachte Croûtons
etwas gehobelter Parmesankäse (optional)
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Peel the garlic and mice it finely or press it through a garlic press*. Add the garlic together with the anchovy paste, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and Worcestershire Sauce to a small bowl and mix to combine. Next, add the mayonnaise and Parmesan and mix until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. The dressing can be stored up to 3 days in the fridge.
2. Clean the chicken breast. Season well with salt and pepper from all sides. Heat up a small frying pan with some oil and fry the chicken until nicely browned and cooked all the way through – you don’t want to have any ping spots. Check by cutting into the chicken breast, if necessary. The cooking time depends on the thickness of the chicken breast and can vary quite a lot. Remove from the heat and let the chicken cool down for about 10 minutes on a cutting board, then cut into thin slices.
3. While the chicken is getting ready, you can already cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and let cool down.
4. Wash the lettuce and spinach and let it drain. Cut the lettuce into bite-size pieces. Wash and dry the cucumber and cut into thin slices. Wash and dry the tomatoes and cut them in half.
5. Add the veggies, cooled pasta, and sliced chicken breast to a large bowl. Drizzle everything with the salad dressing (you might not need all of it) and toss to combine. Top with some croutons and additional sliced Parmesan (optional) and serve.
1. Den Knoblauch schälen und fein hacken oder durch eine Knoblauchpresse* drücken. Zusammen mit der Sardellenpaste, Olivenöl, Zitronensaft, Essig, Senf und Worcestershire Sauce in eine kleine Schüssel geben und verrühren. Mayonnaise und geriebenen Parmesan dazugeben, alles gut vermischen und dann mit Salz und Pfeffer abschmecken. Das Dressing kann bis zu 3 Tage im Kühlschrank aufbewahrt werden.
2. Die Hähnchenbrüste säubern und von allen Seiten gut mit Salz und Pfeffer würzen. Eine kleine Pfanne mit etwas Öl erhitzen und die Hähnchenbrüste anbraten. Sie sollten durchgegart und von allen Seiten schön gebräunt sein. Das Fleisch sollte auf keinen Fall mehr rosa sein im Inneren – die Garzeit variiert hier teilweise stark je nach Dicke der Hähnchenbrüste. Aus der Pfanne herausnehmen und auf einem Schneidebrett für etwa 10 Minuten ruhen lassen, dann in dünne Scheiben schneiden.
3. Während das Fleisch anbrät, können die Nudeln bereits nach Packungsanleitung gekocht werden. Die gekochten Nudeln abgießen und abkühlen lassen.
4. Den Salat und Spinat waschen und abtropfen lassen. Den Salat in mundgerechte Stücke schneiden. Die Gurke waschen, trocknen und in dünne Scheiben schneiden. Die Tomaten ebenfalls waschen, trocknen und dann halbieren.
5. Den Salat bzw. das Gemüse, die abgekühlten Nudeln und die Hähnchenbrust (in Scheiben) in eine große Schüssel geben. Alles mit Salatdressing beträufeln (man braucht ggf. nicht das komplette Dressing) und vermengen. Mit Croûtons und zusätzlich geriebenem Parmesan (optional) garnieren und servieren.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Ceasar Chicken Pasta Salad
- Prep Time: 00:30
- Cook Time: 00:15
- Total Time: 00:45
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: United States
Description
This Caesar Chicken Salad is the perfect salad for a BBQ in the garden or for a picnic in the park. We love the pasta version of a classic Caesar salad.
Ingredients
For the dressing:
1-2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tsp. anchovy paste*
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard* (or hot mustard)
1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce*
4.3 oz. (120g) mayonnaise
1 oz. (30g) Parmesan cheese, grated
salt, pepper
For the chicken:
some oil for frying
2 small chicken breasts, cleaned
salt, pepper
For the salad:
10 oz. (300g) wholemeal Farfalle pasta*
1 small romaine lettuce
1 handful baby spinach leaves
1/2 cucumber, sliced
8-10 small cherry tomatoes, halved
some store-bought or homemade croutons
some thinly sliced Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
1. Peel the garlic and mice it finely or press it through a garlic press*. Add the garlic together with the anchovy paste, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and Worcestershire Sauce to a small bowl and mix to combine. Next, add the mayonnaise and Parmesan and mix until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. The dressing can be stored up to 3 days in the fridge.
2. Clean the chicken breast. Season well with salt and pepper from all sides. Heat up a small frying pan with some oil and fry the chicken until nicely browned and cooked all the way through – you don’t want to have any pink spots. Check by cutting into the chicken breast, if necessary. The cooking time depends on the thickness of the chicken breast and can vary quite a lot. Remove from the heat and let the chicken cool down for about 10 minutes on a cutting board, then cut into thin slices.
3. While the chicken is getting ready, you can already cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and let cool down.
4. Wash the lettuce and spinach and let it drain. Cut the lettuce into bite-size pieces. Wash and dry the cucumber and cut into thin slices. Wash and dry the tomatoes and cut them in half.
5. Add the veggies, cooled pasta, and sliced chicken breast to a large bowl. Drizzle everything with the salad dressing (you might not need all of it) and toss to combine. Top with some croutons and additional sliced Parmesan (optional) and serve.
Notes
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