Romaine Caesar Bowl (Printable)

Crisp romaine with homemade Caesar dressing, crunchy croutons, and protein

# What You Need:

→ Salad

01 - 2 large heads romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and chopped
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - ½ cup shaved Parmesan cheese

→ Croutons

04 - 3 cups day-old bread, cubed
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
06 - ½ teaspoon garlic powder
07 - ¼ teaspoon salt
08 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

→ Protein

09 - 2 grilled chicken breasts, sliced or 1 can chickpeas, drained and roasted or 8 ounces grilled shrimp

→ Caesar Dressing

10 - ¼ cup mayonnaise
11 - 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
12 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
13 - 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
14 - 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
15 - 1 garlic clove, minced
16 - 2 anchovy fillets, finely minced
17 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
18 - Salt and black pepper to taste

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss bread cubes with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until golden and crisp. Cool completely.
02 - In a bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, anchovies, Parmesan, salt, and pepper until smooth and well combined.
03 - Grill chicken breasts and slice, or roast chickpeas at 400°F tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper for 20 minutes, or grill shrimp until just cooked through.
04 - In a large bowl, toss chopped romaine with half the Caesar dressing. Add cherry tomatoes and shaved Parmesan cheese.
05 - Top salad with croutons, protein of choice, and drizzle remaining dressing. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like restaurant quality but costs a fraction of the price and you control every ingredient.
  • The homemade dressing is so good you'll wonder why you ever bought the bottled stuff.
  • You can swap proteins based on what you have or what you're craving without changing the magic.
  • It's filling enough to be dinner but light enough that you won't feel weighed down afterward.
02 -
  • Dry your romaine completely after washing or the water will dilute the dressing into a sad, thin soup.
  • Don't dress the whole salad at once if you're meal prepping, keep the components separate and assemble right before eating.
  • If your dressing is too thick, whisk in a teaspoon of water at a time until it's pourable but still creamy.
03 -
  • Toast your bread cubes in a dry skillet if you don't want to turn on the oven, it takes five minutes and gives you more control over browning.
  • Add a teaspoon of the anchovy oil from the jar to the dressing for extra depth without adding more fish.
  • Toss the romaine with just a little dressing first, then add more at the table so it doesn't get overdressed and soggy.
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