Caesar Salad with Chicken
A dairy-free take on Caesar salad: a creamy cashew and nutritional yeast dressing over crisp romaine, topped with grilled chicken you cook from scratch and slice while warm.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Classic Caesar leans on parmesan and cream for its richness, but you do not need dairy to get there. Soaked cashews blend into a smooth, tangy base, and nutritional yeast brings the savory, cheesy note that makes the dressing taste familiar. Lemon and garlic keep it bright and sharp, so each forkful of romaine still has that pull you expect from a good Caesar, just without any dairy at all.
The chicken here starts raw, so you control the seasoning and the sear. A hot pan or grill gives the breasts a golden crust while the inside stays juicy, and cooking to 165°F (74°C) keeps them safe without drying them out. Letting the meat rest before slicing helps it hold onto its juices, and slicing against the grain keeps every piece tender. Sliced warm over the greens, it turns a side salad into lunch.
This version holds together as a real meal rather than a starter. The chicken and cashews carry enough protein to keep you full through a busy afternoon, which is more than most salads manage. The romaine adds crunch and a little fiber, the dressing adds richness, and the whole thing still feels light. It is filling, familiar, and easy to put together on a weeknight or pack for the next day.
Ingredients
- 8 cups chopped romaine
- 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (raw)
- 2/3 cup raw cashews, soaked
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Season the chicken: Pat the chicken breasts dry and season both sides with a little salt and pepper. If any breast is very thick, slice it horizontally or pound it to an even thickness so it cooks through evenly.
- Sear or grill: Heat a tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet or brush a grill over medium-high. Cook the breasts about 5 to 7 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) on a thermometer at the thickest part.
- Rest and slice: Move the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes so the juices settle. Slice each breast against the grain into strips or bite-size pieces.
- Blend the dressing: Drain the soaked cashews and add them to a blender with the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic, remaining olive oil, salt, and about 1/4 cup water. Blend until completely smooth, adding a splash more water if you want it thinner.
- Toss the romaine: Put the chopped romaine in a large bowl, pour over most of the dressing, and toss until every leaf is lightly coated. Add more dressing to taste.
- Plate and top: Divide the salad across four plates, top each with the warm sliced chicken, and finish with any extra dressing. Serve right away while the chicken is still warm.
Variations
- Shrimp swap: Trade the chicken for grilled or seared shrimp cooked until just pink for a lighter protein.
- Vegan version: Skip the chicken and add chickpeas or crisped tofu so the salad stays plant-based end to end. Chickpeas are a legume and tofu is soy, so either one takes the salad off paleo and Whole30.
- Kale Caesar: Swap half the romaine for thinly sliced kale, massaged with a little of the dressing to soften it.
- Extra tang: Add an extra teaspoon of lemon juice and a pinch of Dijon to the blender for a sharper dressing.
- Wrap it up: Fold the chicken, romaine, and dressing into a tortilla for a portable Caesar wrap. The tortilla adds grain, which takes it off paleo, Whole30 and low-carb.
Storage & Leftovers
Store the cashew dressing in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to five days. It will thicken as it chills, so stir in a spoonful of water to loosen it before using. Give it a shake or a quick stir each time, since the ingredients naturally settle.
Keep the cooked chicken in a separate airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Let it cool before sealing so condensation does not build up. You can eat it cold straight from the container or warm it gently in a pan or microwave before adding it back to the salad.
Once the romaine is dressed it softens quickly, so only toss what you plan to eat. Keep undressed leaves in the crisper drawer wrapped in a dry towel for up to three days. Leftover dressed salad is best within a few hours, though it still tastes fine the next day.
Notes & Tips
- Soak the cashews: If you forgot to soak overnight, cover the cashews with boiling water for 15 minutes to soften them for a smoother blend.
- Use a thermometer: An instant-read thermometer is the surest way to hit 165°F (74°C) without cutting into the breast and losing juices.
- Even thickness: Pounding the breasts to an even thickness helps them cook through at the same rate and stay juicy.
- Slice against the grain: Cutting across the muscle fibers keeps the chicken tender and easy to chew.
- Dress to taste: Start with less dressing and add more, since it is easier to add than to fix an over-dressed bowl.
- Toast for crunch: Toast a handful of nuts or seeds and scatter them on top if you miss the crunch of croutons.
Nutrition & Mindful Eating
- Romaine, chicken and the cashew dressing hold this salad together. The lettuce gives the crunch and the cold, the chicken gives it enough weight to be dinner, and the dressing is thick enough to coat the leaves rather than pooling at the bottom.
- Cashews blended raw with lemon and garlic turn into a dressing that is genuinely creamy, and the unsaturated fat and magnesium they carry come along in every spoonful poured over the greens.
- Romaine is the only lettuce that works here. The ribs stay rigid under a heavy dressing and snap when you bite them, and the leaves bring folate and vitamins A and K into a bowl built mostly on crunch.
- Chicken breast seared and sliced across the grain stays juicy and takes salt and pepper well, and it is the protein that turns a bowl of leaves into something that eats like a full meal.
- Lemon juice and raw garlic give the dressing its bite, coarse black pepper lands last on the tongue, and the nutritional yeast is where that savory, almost aged flavor sitting in the background comes from.
- As you eat, listen to the romaine give way and let the lemon and the pepper register before the next forkful, staying with the bowl long enough to notice the point where you have had plenty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this without cashews?
Yes. Raw sunflower seeds or blanched slivered almonds blend into a similar creamy base. Soak them the same way, and add water slowly until the dressing reaches the texture you like.
Can I make it ahead?
You can. Cook the chicken and blend the dressing up to a few days early, but keep the dressing separate from the romaine until serving so the leaves stay crisp instead of wilting.
What can I use instead of croutons?
For crunch without traditional croutons, try toasted nuts, seeds, or roasted chickpeas. If you want bread, a handful of whole-grain croutons works and adds a bit of fiber.
What replaces the croutons?
Nothing needs to. The crunch comes from the romaine itself, and the chicken and cashew dressing carry the protein and fat, so it still feels like a full plate.