This Cheater Chicken Caesar Salad Uses the Easiest Dressing Hack

Colorful, crunchy and quick to make, this cheater chicken Caesar salad is full of ingredients that are good for you, especially for your hardworking eyes. Another health perk: We cheat a little and use mayo instead of a traditional raw egg in the creamy dressing.

Orange fruits and vegetables like carrots are rich in vitamin A to nourish your retinas. Romaine lettuce and other leafy greens deliver lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that help keep your maculas healthy. Avocado and almonds are packed with eye-friendly vitamin E, lutein and zeaxanthin. Chicken is high in zinc, a mineral that also helps keep your retinas in tip-top shape.

Up next:

Related: Jennifer Aniston's Favorite Quinoa Salad

Chicken Caesar Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 slices sourdough bread

• 4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 2 Tbsp mayonnaise

• 1 Tbsp grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 clove garlic, grated

• 1 lemon, divided

• 1 large carrot, peeled

• 1 large romaine lettuce, washed and torn into bite-size pieces

• 2 cups shredded or coarsely chopped cooked chicken

• 1 avocado, sliced

• ¼ cup chopped smoked or toasted almonds

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Trim crust from bread; discard. Tear bread into bite-size pieces. In a large bowl, toss bread with 1 Tbsp oil, salt and pepper. Spread bread in a single layer on a sheet pan (save bowl). Bake 9–10 minutes or until toasted; set aside.

3. In same bowl, whisk remaining 3 Tbsp oil, mayonnaise, cheese, mustard, Worcestershire, garlic, juice of ½ lemon, salt and pepper. Use a vegetable peeler to shave carrot into curls. Add carrot, lettuce, chicken and toasted bread to bowl; toss to coat. Divide among 4 plates or bowls. Top evenly with avocado and almonds. Serve with remaining ½ lemon cut into wedges.