CRISPY CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD WITH CASHEW DRESSING

Cashew Caesar Salad with Crispy Chicken - Olivia Adriance

CRISPY CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD WITH CASHEW DRESSING

This salad is one of my all-time favorites! It’s full of texture and flavor thanks to the combo of crispy chicken cutlets and creamy dairy-free Caesar dressing.

Prep Time25

Cook Time20

Total Time45

Course: Lunch, Main Course, Salads

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Caesar chicken salad, Cashew caesar salad, Crispy chicken, Crispy chicken salad, Kale salad

Servings:

Author: Olivia Adriance

Ingredients

Crispy Chicken:

1 pound chicken cutlets
2 cups cornflakes, crushed (I used The Real Cereal Company)
2 eggs, beaten
⅔ cup gluten-free flour blend (I used Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour)
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon pepper
Avocado oil spray

Cashew Caesar Dressing:

½ cup raw cashews (soaked for 4+ hours or boiled for 10 minutes)
⅓ cup water + more for a thinner dressing
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon capers in their brine
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic
½ teaspoon salt
A few grinds of black pepper

For the Salad:

4 cups curly kale, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

Instructions

Make The Chicken:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Break the cornflakes up into small crumbs. This is easiest done in a food processor.
In a shallow bowl, stir together the eggs, flour, avocado oil, mustard, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Dip the chicken cutlets in the egg and flour mixture then into the crushed cornflakes, ensuring they are fully covered, and place on top of a metal rack on a sheet pan.
Spray the breaded chicken cutlets generously with avocado oil and bake for 15 minutes until crispy.
Remove from the oven and turn the oven to broil on high.
Return the chicken cutlets to the oven and broil for 2 to 3 minutes to get a nice crisp on the outside. Be sure to watch closely because they can burn easily!
Once your cutlets have finished broiling, allow them to cool before slicing.

Make The Dressing:

While your chicken is baking, make the dressing.
Add all of the dressing ingredients (soaked cashews, water, lemon juice, olive oil, capers, nutritional yeast, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, black pepper) to a food processor or blender and process until creamy, adding more water as needed to thin to your desired consistency.

Assemble The Salad:

Add the kale to your serving bowl and massage with your hands until you meet little resistance.
Add the remaining salad ingredients (romaine lettuce, hemp seeds, and pumpkin seeds), toss with your dressing, and top with chicken. Enjoy!

Notes

Meal Prep and Storage: If making this ahead of time, keep the chicken separate from the salad until ready to serve. That will keep it as crispy as possible!

The crispy chicken can be made on its own and served with a side such as Avocado Tomato Herb Salad or Southwestern Micro-Chopped Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing.

Nutrition