Chicken Caesar salad with lemon tahini dressing! A delicious and healthy twist on the classic Caesar – filled with so much fresh flavor.
I have always loved a good chicken Caesar salad. There’s something super satisfying about the simple combination. This one certainly has a twist to it. I mean, I guess technically it’s not a Caesar salad because of the dressing. But, since all of the other elements are similar I thought I could still call it one 😉
I have seen the tahini trend all over the place! I couldn’t really get into it for the longest time. The first brand I tried was Trader Joe’s. As much as I love their products, I am not a fan of their tahini. It’s a little too bitter for me. Once I tried another brand’s I realized, I do love it! It has a delicious rich and nutty flavor. I have been sticking to the Whole Foods 365 brand [3]. It’s great for mixing into homemade salad dressing, topping over toast, mixing and using as a dipping sauce base. A lot of people also bake with it!
What is tahini?
Tahini is a condiment made from toasted ground hulled sesame. It’s nutty, rich and creamy!
For the dressing I just blended the tahini with lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, mayo, water, and nutritional yeast. You could use grated parmesan instead of nutritional yeast! I also added some salt, pepper and onion powder to the dressing. It is filled with flavor.
I made my own croutons in my air fryer which was a complete game changer! I used my favorite thin sliced Dave’s Killer Bread [4]. I cut four slices into cubes and mixed them with oil, Italian seasoning and salt. I air fried them at 350 for 10 minutes, tossing half way through. So easy! You could just buy croutons if you want to skip this step.
I baked my chicken but you can used grilled, rotisserie – whatever you please! I also topped my salad with some shaved parmesan. If you’re dairy-free, feel free to omit this. It will still be delicious.
Other salad recipes you will love:
Antipasto salad [6]
Copy cat Olive Garden salad [7]
Steak salad with honey mustard caper dressing [8]
Five spice almond chicken finger salad [9]
Balsamic chicken and berry salad [10]
Winter salad [11]
This salad is perfect for a wholesome lunch or even a week-night dinner! You can cook your chicken ahead of time, prep the dressing and chop your romaine. It will come together so quickly. All about those convenient recipes.
Print [2]Chicken Caesar Salad With Lemon Tahini Dressing
- Yield: 3-4 servings
Ingredients
Lemon Tahini Dressing
1/3 cup tahini
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp olive or avocado oil
1 & 1/2 tbsp cold water
1 tbsp mayo
1 tbsp nutritional yeast or grated parmesan
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of onion powder
Air Fried Croutons
4 slices of bread, I used thin sliced Dave’s Killer Bread, cut into cubes
1/2 tbsp olive or avocado oil
pinch of Italian seasoning
pinch of salt
Salad
2 head of romaine, chopped
2 cooked chicken breasts, cut into strips
shaved parmesan to taste
lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
For the dressing – in a blender or food processor combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. If you don’t have a food processor or blender – just used minced garlic or garlic powder and mix together. It won’t be as smooth – but still delicious!
Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the croutons – combine cubed bread, oil, Italian seasoning and salt.
Add to air fryer and cook at 350 for 10 minutes or until they’re crispy and golden, tossing half-way. Add to an air tight container until ready to use.
To assemble the salad – toss desired amount of dressing with chopped romaine. You will have some leftover dressing (don’t worry, it’s so good you’ll want to use it again) I would start with a little, taste and add more if desired.
Mix in croutons and shaved parmesan.
Next add your chicken.
Squeeze more lemon on.
Serve and enjoy!
Find it online: https://dashofmandi.com/chicken-caesar-salad-with-lemon-tahini-dressing/ [14]