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In this chicken Caesar pasta salad recipe, tender pasta noodles are tossed with traditional Caesar Salad ingredients in a creamy garlic lemon dressing.
This Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad recipe is tossed with my favorite Caesar dressing, lots of Parm, and the yummiest garlicky breadcrumbs. A good Caesar salad will forever and always be one of my favorite foods. But I’m also just as happy this time of year to whip up a delicious batch of its carb-y cousin, […]
This Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad recipe is tossed with my favorite Caesar dressing, lots of Parm, and the yummiest garlicky breadcrumbs.
A good Caesar salad will forever and always be one of my favorite foods. But I’m also just as happy this time of year to whip up a delicious batch of its carb-y cousin, a chicken Caesar pasta salad. ♡
It’s basically everything we all love about a good chicken Caesar — perfectly-seasoned chicken, crisp Romaine leaves, a bold and tangy Caesar dressing and a generous shower of freshly-grated Parmesan — tossed with chilled and chewy al dente pasta. Then in lieu of traditional croutons, I like to whip up a quick batch of crunchy, salty, garlicky breadcrumbs to sprinkle on top. It’s a classic pasta salad recipe that’s always so satisfying and comes together easily too!
Of course, if chicken isn’t your thing, feel free to sub any other protein in here that you prefer (shrimp, salmon, bacon, Italian sausage, or even roasted chickpeas would be great options). And if you happen to have any roasted veggies on hand, they would always be welcome here too. I do just have to say that I’m partial to my favorite homemade Caesar dressing, but totally get it if you’d like to save some time and use a bottle of store-bought (in which case, Ken’s or Marzetti are two brands I always recommend).
However you make it, I promise that this classic Caesar pasta salad recipe is always a winner!
Niçoise salad is protein-packed, crunchy, and oh-so-satisfying– perfect for meal prep to keep you full all week long.
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Springtime is salad season, and boy, do I have the perfect hearty salad for you! Niçoise salad is protein-packed, crunchy, and oh-so-satisfying. It’s perfect for meal prep and will keep you full all week long. I love the mixture of textures and flavors in this salad, and while it takes a bit of work to make, it is so worth it! The hard-boiled eggs, protein-packed tuna, crispy green beans and creamy potatoes are the defining ingredients of this salad, in my opinion. The unique-yet-familiar ingredients are what make this salad a classic– and for good reason! This is one of the recipes I always whip out whenever I have a friend who could use a little meal prep TLC when they are super busy. Trust me, it’s a winner!
Niçoise salad is a filling and flavorful salad that traces its origins to Nice, France. The term “Niçoise” literally means, “in the style of Nice”. This tasty salad is chock full of tomatoes, onions, hard-boiled eggs, tuna, green beans, and roasted potatoes and is tossed in a light dressing. It makes a great meal prep lunch for the long week ahead! It’s a classic!
Here’s what you’ll need to make Niçoise salad:
Niçoise salad is pretty flavorful on its own, so I recommend a light dressing like a lemon vinaigrette that helps cut the richness and elevates the flavors. For something a little creamier, try our favorite lemon dill tahini dressing! Our honey mustard sauce pairs well, too!
Niçoise salad is a great vehicle to use up those veggies taking up space in the fridge (or pantry!). I like to add:
I recommend storing the salad separately from the dressing for the best results. The components will keep in separate air-tight containers for up to 3 days in the refrigerator and can be tossed together before serving. If you’re meal prepping, add a bit of everything to your airtight containers and keep the dressing on the side. Then, just grab and go!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Choose your favorite salad dressing.
Combine 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder and 1/2 tsp dried dill in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Quarter the 1/2 lb baby potatoes, toss in the olive oil and herbs.
Air fry 1/2 lb quartered potatoes at 400°F for 15 minutes, shaking halfway through (OR roast the potatoes at 400°F until golden and tender, about 30 minutes.)
Bring 4 cups of water to a rolling boil in a medium pot or large saucepan. Remove any stems from green beens. Blanch 1 cup green beans by tossing them into the boiling water and then turning off the heat. Allow them to sit in the hot water for a very brief period of time, about 3 minutes, until they are bright green. Quickly, transfer them to an ice bath to stop them from cooking any further. Set aside.
Hard boil, peel, and halve 4 eggs. Chop 2 heads of romaine lettuce, halve 1 cup of grape tomatoes, julienne 1/2 a red onion, halve or quarter 7 radishes, peel and chop 1 cucumber, and strain 1/4 cup of olives.
Strain the 2 cans of tuna and break it apart with a fork.
Toss all ingredients together and lightly dress your salad. Finish with a crank of freshly ground pepper and sea salt.
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This Santa Fe salad is the ultimate Southwestern salad. It’s loaded with tender, juicy chicken, fresh veggies, and creamy black beans.
The post Santa Fe Salad appeared first on Budget Bytes.
I have a major weakness for Southwestern flavors, and this Santa Fe salad is the ultimate combination. It’s loaded with tender, juicy chicken, fresh veggies, and creamy black beans. I love it tossed in our creamy avocado dressing. It’s a great hearty entrée-sized salad that’ll keep you full for hours. If you are plant-baseed, this flavor bomb of a salad still packs the same punch without the chicken. This salad is a true crowd pleaser.
This tasty Santa Fe salad recipe starts with a bed of romaine lettuce topped with Southwestern favorites, like corn, black beans, bell pepper, cheese, and tortilla chips. Top it off with our favorite creamy avocado dressing, some fresh pico de gallo, and a dollop of homemade guacamole for a filling salad that’s bursting with flavor!
Here’s what you’ll need to make a Santa Fe salad:
This Southwestern salad is a great fridge clean-out recipe. Here are some other things I love to add when I have them on hand:
As with most salads, I recommend storing the veggie components separately from the chicken and dressing and tossing everything together just before serving. This helps protect the lettuce from wilting. Stored correctly, this salad should keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, making it great for meal prep!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Add 1 avocado, ½ cup sour cream, 1 clove of garlic (minced), ¼ tsp salt, 2 Tbsp lime juice, and ¼ bunch cilantro to a food processor or blender.
Puré until smooth. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator.
Chop 2 heads of romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces and transfer to a large salad bowl.
Dice 1 bell pepper, slice 5 radishes, thaw 1 cup frozen corn, and rinse and strain 1 can of black beans. Add this and 1/2 cup of pico de gallo to the large salad bowl on top of chopped romaine lettuce. Cover and keep in the refrigerator while you prepare the chicken.
Place the chicken breasts inside a heavy duty food storage bag and flatten with a rolling pin or a tenderizing mallet until the breasts are consistently about 3/4 inch thick. Start in the middle at the thickest part of each breast for more even cooking. This step helps the chicken cook more evenly.
Prepare the Santa Fe Chicken seasoning blend by combining 1 Tbsp chili, 2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp cayenne, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper together.
Rub chicken breasts with 1 Tbsp olive oil and divide the seasoning blend between the them, making sure to thoroughly coat the entire surface of each chicken breast with seasoning.
In a large skillet, add 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is glistening and hot, add the chicken breasts. Cook your chicken for a total of 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway. While the chicken cooks, do not wiggle or disturb it except for flipping. Remove the chicken from the heat when it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F. Allow chicken to rest on a cutting board for 5-10 minutes before slicing into strips. After resting, the chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
Fan out the sliced chicken on top of the salad and drizzle Creamy Avocado Dressing over the top. Toss and serve!
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This Caesar salad recipe is a flavor explosion with creamy dressing, crunchy croutons, and salty Parmesan cheese. It’s perfect as…
This Caesar salad recipe is a flavor explosion with creamy dressing, crunchy croutons, and salty Parmesan cheese. It’s perfect as a side dish, or make it an easy lunch or dinner by adding protein!
Some foods are classic for a reason, like frosty vanilla bean ice cream or hot crispy French fries. This classic salad is another basic, but truly one of our favorite recipes ever. Meet the perfect Caesar salad! Of course you can buy a packaged store-bought version, but make it homemade there’s absolutely no comparison.
Why we love this recipe: We’ve perfected all the elements to a great homemade Caesar salad. The savory, creamy Caesar dressing will become a household favorite. Those crunchy garlicky croutons—well, you’ll be eating them off the baking sheet. Alex and I have made this recipe more times than we can count, often topped with protein for an easy dinner. We hope you’ve love it just as much!
From the first bite of this homemade Caesar salad, you’ll be singing its praises! Here are the ingredients to make this classic salad:
This Caesar dressing recipe is our favorite that we’ve been making for years! It’s easily made vegetarian using vegan Worcestershire sauce and vegetarian Parmesan cheese. Here are a few tips for this Caesar dressing:
Once you’ve got your creamy dressing and crunchy croutons, all you need is romaine hearts and Parmesan cheese shavings to bring together that perfect Caesar salad. Want a few time savers for putting it together? Here’s how to make it ahead:
If you take all this time to make Caesar salad…why not turn it into a main dish meal? If you serve it topped with protein, it makes about 4 servings. Here are a few ideas:
Want a plant-based or vegan variation? Whip up this Vegan Caesar Dressing! You’ll use a blender to mix chickpeas with Dijon mustard, garlic, olive oil and more. It might sound odd, but trust us. We think this Vegan Caesar Salad is just as tasty!
Here are a few more variations on Caesar salad that put a fun spin on this classic salad:
This Caesar salad recipe is vegetarian without anchovy paste. For gluten free, use gluten-free bread for the croutons. For vegan, use Vegan Caesar Dressing and omit the Parmesan cheese, or go to Vegan Caesar Salad.
The classic Caesar salad uses romaine lettuce. Its sturdy leaves hold up well to the dressing and croutons without getting soggy. However, you can experiment with other lettuces like butter lettuce or even chopped kale for a different texture.
Yes, and we recommend it! Making homemade croutons is a great way to customize the flavor and texture. Simply cube bread, toss with olive oil and garlic powder, and bake until golden brown.
Anchovies are a traditional ingredient in Caesar dressing, but they mainly add a savory umami flavor that’s not overpowering. If you’re not a fan of anchovies, you can omit them or use a substitute like Worcestershire sauce or miso paste.
You can substitute another hard cheese like Pecorino Romano or Grana Padano for the Parmesan cheese.
Yes, you can! Homemade Caesar dressing will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week in an airtight container.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes 
Yield: 6 This Caesar salad recipe is a flavor explosion with creamy dressing, crunchy croutons, and salty Parmesan cheese. It’s perfect as a side dish, or make it an easy lunch or dinner by adding protein!
For the Caesar dressing (makes 1 cup)
For the Caesar salad
*Make a lighter version of the dressing by swapping in Greek yogurt and olive oil for part of the mayo. We like it even better!
**Romaine hearts are easy to find packaged separately in the produce aisle.
Category: Salad
Method: Raw
Cuisine: AmericanKeywords: Caesar salad, Caesar salad recipe
This easy Caesar Salad recipe is made with homemade croutons and a rich & flavorful Caesar salad dressing. It’s simple enough to make any day of the week!
The post Caesar Salad appeared first on Budget Bytes.
If you’ve never made a homemade Caesar salad, then you might be surprised by just how easy it is to whip up. Our version includes fresh homemade croutons and a rich and tangy homemade Caesar salad dressing. The simplicity of a Caesar salad is unmatched. It’s simple enough to make during the week and pairs well with lots of main dishes. It’s always my go-to whenever I’m eating out at a nice restaurant, but the truth is…this homemade Caesar salad recipe is wayyy better than any restaurant version. Let me show you just how easy it is to make!
All it takes are a few simple ingredients to make this fresh Caesar Salad recipe:
Our creamy homemade caesar salad dressing is rich, tangy, super flavorful, and really easy to whip up! And our version is simple thanks to the use of mayonnaise instead of making your own egg and oil emulsion. It includes a combination of lemon, garlic, anchovy filets, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, Parmesan, and freshly cracked black pepper. It has lots of complex flavors and tastes absolutely delicious with this Caesar salad!
The real key to any great Caesar salad, imo, are homemade croutons! Ok, second to the dressing of course :) They’re crispy, crunchy, and oh-so-flavorful! And the best part is…they’re super easy to make! We made a quick batch of our Easy Homemade Croutons recipe with some crusty bread, olive oil, and seasoning. That’s it! Trust me, it will take your salad to the next level, so don’t skip it!
One of the best ways to enjoy this simple caesar salad is by adding some grilled chicken, Pan Seared Chicken, or Air Fryer Chicken on top for a quick and easy chicken caesar salad. Salmon and shrimp also taste great with this salad! Or simply add this salad as a side dish along side your favorite dinner recipes like Homemade Lasagna or Creamy Garlic Chicken.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Start by making the Caesar salad dressing. Zest and juice 1 lemon. You’ll need about 3 Tbsp juice and 1 tsp lemon zest. Finely mince 3 cloves of garlic and 3 anchovy filets. Reserve about ½ tsp of the oil from the anchovy container.
In a medium bowl add the lemon juice, zest, minced garlic, minced anchovies, anchovy oil, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Whisk to combine.
Add 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan and whisk to combine again.
Taste the dressing and adjust the ingredients to your liking.
Next chop, wash, and dry 8 cups of Romaine lettuce. Add the lettuce to a large bowl.
Top the lettuce with 2 cups croutons, 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan, and half of the Caesar salad dressing (start with half the dressing and add more as needed).
Toss the salad until everything is coated in the dressing.
Serve with extra Parmesan cheese and freshly cracked black pepper on top. Enjoy!
*Pictured with our Creamy Garlic Chicken
The post Caesar Salad appeared first on Budget Bytes.
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