If you’re planning some outdoor entertaining for Christmas, you will need to have a variety of salads to cater to all tastes. This chicken and bacon Caesar salad can be both a side to the main event or an option for a lighter meal. It’s an easy recipe to size up if you’re feeding a crowd.
Chicken and bacon Caesar salad
Serves 4
Ingredients
500g chicken breasts
8 rashers streaky bacon
1 cup croutons*
1 Romaine lettuce, core removed
4 eggs, soft- or hard-boiled, sliced in half
Salt and pepper
Dressing
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
1 small garlic clove, roughly chopped
¼ cup parmesan, grated
5 anchovies
½ cup unsweetened yoghurt
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
To serve
Extra parmesan and anchovies
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200C and grease or line a baking tin.
- Season the chicken well with salt and pepper. Wrap the bacon rashers around chicken breasts, then roast for 15-20 minutes, until the bacon is crispy and the chicken has cooked through. Set aside to cool, then slice into pieces.
- While the chicken is cooking, make the dressing and prepare the other ingredients.
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until almost smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To serve, arrange the lettuce on a platter. Add chicken slices, egg halves, dressing, and croutons. Scatter with some extra parmesan and anchovies.
NOTE: To make some homemade croutons for your salad, just cut 6-7 thick slices of bread into cubes and toss in a bowl with ⅓ cup olive oil, a sprinkle of mixed herbs, and a teaspoon of flaky salt. Bake on a lined tray at 200C for 15 minutes or until golden and crunchy. You can bake the croutons at the same time the chicken is in the oven.