Avocado Chicken Caesar Salad

This Avocado Chicken Caesar salad came to life from a request to recreate the Cafe Caesar Salad from Calif Chicken Cafe in Los Angeles. I love a good Caesar salad, and this version makes it a whole meal with the addition of avocado and PASTA (which I LOVE in this!).

I make a homemade caesar dressing by just blending all the ingredients in a food processor, and the key to caesar dressing is to use fresh lemon juice, lots of black pepper, and a little of parmesan cheese in the dressing as well.

If you have a favorite salad you LOVE and want to recreate at home, let me know and I’d love to help and make a recipe for it!

Table of Contents

• Ingredient Notes
• How to make Sweet Potato and Ground Beef Taco Salad Step by Step
• Recipe and Cooking Tips
• Storage and Reheating
• Additions and Substitutions
• FAQ
• Video Tutorial
• The Recipe
• Looking for more similar recipes?

Ingredient Notes: 

Worcheshire sauce – not an ingredient I use very often, but it’s nice to have on hand for classics like this Caesar salad dressing. This can be found in the condiment / sauce section in the grocery store, usually next to the ketchup, mustard, and mayo.

Shredded chicken – I like to use chicken breasts for this recipe, but you can also use thighs, a shredded roast chicken or even a store-bought rotisserie chicken.

Mayo – I like to use a good quality mayo (look at the ingredients and make sure it’s just egg + oil, and also try and avoid the ones that are made with canola or vegetable oils). This can be found in the condiment / sauce section of the grocery store.

How to make the Avocado Chicken Caesar Salad – Step by Step Instructions:

Step 1: Bring a pot of water up to a boil. When boiling, salt and cook the fusili pasta according to package directions. When finished cooking, strain and rinse under cold water until cool. 

Step 2: Cook the chicken breast using my poached chicken method here. You can also use shredded chicken from a roast chicken or store-bought rotisserie chicken.

Step 3: Preheat the oven to 400F.

Step 4: Prep the vegetables – wash and chop the romaine and dice the avocado. I dice the avocado in the skin, then keep it in it’s shell until I’m ready to scoop it into my salad.

Step 5: Dice the sourdough bread into ½” cubes, then add this to a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, a pinch of kosher salt, and black pepper, and bake for 7-10 minutes, or until golden brown and crunchy throughout.

Step 6: Make the caesar dressing by adding all the ingredients except the water into a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, then add 1 tablespoon of water (continue to add an additional tablespoon) until you get the right consistency.

Step 7: Assemble the salad by adding a couple tablespoons of the dressing to the bottom of a bowl. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and a few grinds of fresh ground black pepper. Add in 2 cups of chopped and dried romaine, a handful of cooked pasta, and ½ cup of shredded chicken. Toss together, then top with the croutons, avocado, and parmesan cheese. Add another tablespoon of dressing as desired, and serve!

Recipe & Cooking tips:

Tip 1 – When tossing the salad, add some salad dressing PLUS an additional squeeze of fresh lemon juice and black pepper. This is how traditional Caesar salad is made, and I swear it makes the salad extra fresh and tasty!

Tip 2 – Be sure to rinse the pasta in cold water until the pasta is fully cooled. This is important so that you’re not eating soggy and mushy pasta!

Tip 3 – If you’re looking to make this as a side salad for a summer bbq or potluck, you can double the amount of pasta, dressing, and croutons. This gives off more pasta salad vibes, and would be so great with some grilled protein. You don’t need to use all the dressing, but it’s nice to have on the side if people want a little extra!

Storage and Reheating

Storage: Store the chopped ingredients separate from the dressing in an airtight container for up for 3 days in the refrigerator. Store the dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can keep the pasta and the chicken in the same Tupperware. Feel free to read an example on how best to store salad ingredients for the week here.

Reheating: When making this salad after the first day, I like to gently reheat the pasta and chicken before adding it to the salad. This could be eaten cold, but it’s nice when it’s not frigid.

Substitutions

• ½ cup mayo – can substitute with 2 egg yolks + 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, OR 1/4 cup whole fat greek yogurt + 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 anchovy filets – can skip or replace with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce
• 1 clove garlic – skip or use 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Juice of half a lemon – try not to skip this, but if you absolutely must, you can substitute 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard – whole grain mustard also works here, or
• 1 teaspoon worcheshire sauce – can sub soy sauce (I know, it sounds weird, but it’s got a similar umami punch and in this caesar dressing, it hits the same spot as worcheshire!)
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese – can skip, or use grated pecorino cheese
• 2 heads of romaine – can sub kale, baby gem lettuce, or your favorite green. I recommend something crunchy over something leafy
• 2 slices of sourdough bread, cut into 1” cubes – can use any bread you have or store-bought croutons
• 1 avocado – can skip or substitute with another fatty element (hummus would be yummy here!)
• 1.5 lbs chicken, cooked then shredded (can also use a rotisserie chicken for this) – can sub roasted mushrooms
• 8 ounces fusili pasta – can get gluten free pasta, or sub any short pasta

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