Southwest Grilled Chicken Caesar

In this Southwestern spin on the classic Caesar salad, avocado stands in for raw egg and some of the oil in this rich, creamy dressing. Grilled spice-rubbed chicken makes it satisfying.

Prep/Cook Time: 30 Minutes, Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenders removed
• 1¼ teaspoons ground cumin, divided
• 1¼ teaspoons chili powder, divided
• 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1 avocado, diced, divided
• ½ cup shredded Asiago or Parmesan cheese, divided
• 3 anchovy fillets, chopped
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
• 10 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 cup croutons, preferably whole-wheat

Directions

1. Preheat grill to high.
2. Pound chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap with a meat mallet to an even ¾-inch thickness. Combine 1 teaspoon each cumin and chili powder and ½ teaspoon salt; sprinkle on the chicken.
3. Oil the grill rack. Grill the chicken until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
4. Puree half the avocado, ¼ cup cheese, anchovies, water, lemon juice, oil, garlic, pepper and the remaining cumin, chili powder and salt in a food processor until smooth. Gently toss with romaine, croutons, the remaining avocado and cheese in a large bowl. Serve topped with the grilled chicken.

Nutritional Information

Per Serving: 360 calories; 21 g fat (5 g sat, 10 g mono); 66 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrate; 1 g added sugars; 27 g protein; 8 g fiber; 751 mg sodium; 777 mg potassium

© Dotdash Meredith. All rights reserved. Used with permission.