Chicken Caesar salad

Method
Prep:30min  ›  Ready in:30min 

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC (400ºF, gas mark 6). Cook the beans in a saucepan of boiling water for 3 minutes or until just tender. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Halve the beans and put into a large salad bowl. Add the lettuce, chicory, celery and chicken. Set aside in the fridge.
2. Put the egg in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, tip the anchovies into a bowl with the oil from the can (about 1 tbsp). Add the garlic and mash with a fork to a paste. Spread thinly over one side of each slice of French bread. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes or until the croutons are crisp and golden. Cool slightly, then break into pieces.
4. While the croutons are baking, make the Caesar dressing. Whisk together the mustard, olive oil, vinegar, yogurt, sugar, Worcestershire sauce and pepper to taste. Cool the hard-boiled egg under cold running water, then peel and chop. Stir into the dressing.
5. Drizzle half of the dressing over the chilled salad and toss to coat everything evenly. Add the croutons and toss again. Drizzle over the remaining dressing and scatter the Parmesan shavings on top. Serve at once.

Plus points

*Caesar salad is usually very high in fat, partly due to the quantity of oil in the dressing. In this healthier version, some of the oil is replaced by yogurt, to make a dressing that is just as delicious.
*Although celery contains very little in the way of vitamins, it does provide useful amounts of potassium as well as a phytochemical called phthalide, which may help to lower high blood pressure.

Some more ideas

For a lower fat dressing, use only 1½ tbsp olive oil and increase the yogurt to 4 tbsp. * For a more traditional Caesar salad, to serve as a starter or side salad, mix 1 torn cos lettuce and 1 Little Gem lettuce, separated into leaves, in a large salad bowl. Cut 140 g (5 oz) day-old crusty white bread into 2 cm (¾ in) cubes. Put on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, then bake as in the main recipe. To make the dressing, heat 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a small pan and gently cook 3 peeled garlic cloves for 3 minutes. Add 1 can anchovy fillets, about 50 g, drained, and cook for a further 2–3 minutes or until the garlic is soft. Lift out the anchovies and garlic, reserving the oil, and mash to a paste. Mix in 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 2 tsp balsamic vinegar and pepper to taste. Gradually whisk in the reserved oil, then stir in 2 tbsp plain low-fat yogurt. Drizzle half the dressing over the salad leaves and toss well to coat, then add the croutons and toss again. Drizzle over the remaining dressing and top with the shavings of Parmesan.

Each serving provides

B1, B6, B12, E, niacin * B2, calcium, potassium, selenium, zinc * iron